Who Allows Themselves a "FREE DAY"?

contingencyplan

I don't really plan them. And I try to go a minimum of 2 weeks in between (I'm usually good about at least a month). Every now and then I'll get a craving for something like Doritos and I'll just indulge.

maddieprice87

I sort of have one, I save up a few hundred calories over the week from exercise so that I can have what I want (usually wine, ha!) at the weekend. I used to not log when it was the weekend but after basically getting stuck at the same weight for 2 weeks, I'm trying to log stuff even when I go over (starting last weekend) so I know I don't go over too much.

nturner612

i have had bad experiences with free days. i find it easier to cheat a bit here and there or once a week. but not a complete free day...it just makes me and the scale have issues all week.

laural007

Every Sunday is my cheat day. However, that doesn't mean it consists of eating everything in sight the entire day. I still have a protein shake for breakfast, skip lunch and dinner is usually something homemade like tacos or an enchilada or pizza. It keeps me on track and helps me to stick with my healthier lifestyle during the week. Do whatever works for you and don't listen to others opinions.

TripleJ3

My only "free" days are things like my birthday, Holidays, vacations, etc. I don't shove as much junk into my body as possible those days, but I let myself just enjoy the day, usually don't log and don't feel guilty. Otherwise if I want something any other day I just fit it into my daily goal.

ironanimal

Every once in a while, I just wake up and think "phuck it". Not a weekly thing though.

GenesisandEden

Not planned. It happens naturally every three weeks =/ for 1 awful day lol

LorinaLynn

I was logging EVERYTHING, every day. I was down about 20 pounds, when it came time for my niece's bachelorette party. And I prelogged what I'd eat at the restaurant, some cake, approximately how much booze I'd consume and some quick add calories to cover anything else, and hit the "finish your diary" button. Ended up with over 2500 calories that day, and the message said if every day were like today, in five weeks, I'd gain five pounds.

I thought, "That's it?!" I could eat like that, drink like that, EVERY DAY for five weeks and only gain five pounds?! You know what?! It would be SOOOOO worth it!

But I knew I wouldn't eat every day like it was a bachelorette party. I don't know that many brides to be. It made me realize, though, that I didn't have to be so strict. If I was eating at 500 calories below maintenance six days a week, going over by 500 one day a week might make my progress a little slower, but I'd still have progress.

After that, I stopped logging food on one weekend day a week. If there was a party, I wasn't going to log. If I was going out for dinner with my husband, I wasn't going to log. I knew I couldn't possibly do enough damage even eating like mad to undo what I did the rest of the week, because every day wouldn't be like that one day. When it came time for my niece's bridal shower, I didn't log a damn thing. Same goes for my birthday, and Warrior Dash, and that niece's wedding, and my other niece's baby shower, and my other-other nieces' birthday party, and so on and so on.

Once I hit my goal weight in June 2011, I took both weekend days off from logging, plus any holidays or vacations. Sometimes I randomly take a couple weeks off. I've had no problems at all maintaining my weight loss, and have greatly improved my body composition.

It gives me a break emotionally from obsessing about calories. It gives me extra motivation to eat healthy during the week, too, and gives me something to look forward to. If I'm jonesing for something truly decadent, or just something that's a pain the *kitten* to log (all you can eat sushi buffet!), I'll wait until the weekend. Which means Mon-Fri, I'm eating wholesome, home cooked meals and snacking mostly on fruit or a protein bar.

cedarghost

My doctor actually suggested that this is a good thing. Either a "re-feed" day once a week or take a diet break once every few months at the most. BUT.......she also suggested that I not go above maintenance (TDEE).

That being said, I usually just try to make sure I hit my protein macro and eat whatever I want as long as I am within my calorie budget for the week.

craftycatlady

I don't have a free day, but I can see how it could be helpful. Everyone's journey is different and you have to find what works best for you! That said, if I want a treat and I don't have the calories to spare that day, it's good motivation to do a workout so I can "earn" it.

JesterMFP

I just eat what I want to eat through the week. Not in unlimited portions, obviously, I make it fit into my calorie and macronutrient goals, but I don't restrict any particular foods. It works for me, and I honestly haven't felt the need for a "free day", or to "fall off the wagon" since I started this in January. There have been a few occasions in that time when I have exceeded my goals, but not so much because I felt the need to, but just because it was a special occasion, difficult to estimate calories, and I chose not to be so strict. I've had a couple of diet breaks too, where I've eaten at TDEE for 2 weeks.

Now that I've been doing this a while, I find that I'm having more days that I loosen up a bit on the counting/logging. I still aim for the general calorie goal, but I have a good idea of how much I can eat, so if I'm out or at a friend's house, I might not log that meal. My overall diet is not restrictive though, so I don't need to have a special day where I can eat whatever I like, because I can do that any day.

like_milk

Naturally I'm not the kind of person who binges on food, or can even eat huge quantities, so I felt quite safe giving myself some free days (one or two a week). I mostly did it because I HATE thinking about calories all the time and I just needed it for my sanity and so I could enjoy myself. I never went mad, it might have been a day I had a few glasses of wine and a nice meal out, or maybe a nice cake and coffee from a cafe, or maybe just a few extra treats, nothing hugely diet-breaking as I know they're things I can fit into my 'diet' anyway. Nothing spoils those little indulgencies more than knowing you're going over your calorie limit.

I've logged a few of those days and I've never been more than 500cals over, even once when I went to a beer festival! 500 cals isn't that bad. I tend to balance it out by being under most of the time, which I find easy, but if I always ate close to my goal then I probably wouldn't allow myself a free day.

I just like to not have to count, I even find when I'm counting calories I tend to think about food more than if I don't, and at the end of the day I probably won't count calories forever so I need to learn how to live without it.

divacat80

I do have a free day a week. If i'm doing really well and say,I spent the whole week going religiously to the gym and not missing anything then I might even have two cheat days (never consecutive).

I never binge-eat on cheat days though. The worst cheat days have always been movie-theater days. Because I usually have some snack (popcorn or even worse, candies! Yummy) and I top it all with a hamburguer, fries and a dessert. This usually results in a weight gain for a couple of days, but ocassionally it helps me in the long run, the third day I often see a boost in my weight loss.

If for some reason I'm not making any progress then I try to eat homemade meals the "free" day, but I make sure it's something I enjoy like gnocchi, a hamburguer, pizza, whatever is delicious.

JayRod2519

I generally have a cheat day once a week, usually Friday or Saturday. But it is generally only for dinner and an evening snack. I still stay on track for breakfast and lunch. I completely went nuts on Thanksgiving and on Black Friday (second Thanksgiving meal with my parents). And both days, I felt disgusting. I actually was convinced I was going to throw up. In a weird way, I'm glad that happened, because I despised that feeling. I will still cheat now and again, but not grossly so. If that one day of eating some more is the difference between losing 1 lb and 1.5 lbs, I can live with that. Just my 2 cents.

bluelena

"Free Fridays" keep me sane. It's a rest day from workouts, and the most likely day of the week that I'll end up at a party/dinner/happy hour. I don't log and I don't sweat it.

I also don't log on holidays or vacations. I like to enjoy those times without worry.

I don't usually "pig out" on Fridays, but I do take it as a great opportunity to try new things/restos that would be impossible to accurately log. My favorite dish at my favorite vegan restaurant comes to mind. Completely healthy but no nutrition info so trying to guesstimate would be futile.

It's also a great day to not have to fit wine into my daily allotment. What can I say, I live my wine (and good beers, too).

Fatguy2Fitguy

I usually have a free meal rather than day, seems to do no harm... although this week its been more like a free week!

rfsatar

I switch to maintenance over the weekend/if out with mates/away ... makes life a bit easier if I know I won't be "earning" FitBit cals walking around town etc.

Will either do it Friday/Sat or Sat/Sun depending on the weekend's plans and then back to normal on Monday morning.

Sure it may slow down the overall loss, but for me this is a marathon, not a sprint, and also I want to enjoy my life and times with friends and family - I do still log but if I go over I just don't sweat it.

In fact - find sometimes I don't need the extra wiggle room at all... but good insurance to have!

VeganZombie13

I do on Saturdays, Just so my body doesn't think it's starving . But I call it a high calorie day. Not a free day..

WilmaChris

A free day for me is one extra snack once a week, or a missed exercise. No Biggie, if it keeps you sane then go for it !

cowgirlashlee

I allow myself a cheat now and then, but even on my "cheat day" I exercise and usually end up under my calorie goal for the day, but my fat will go over. I've decided that, at least for me, I can't go 100% healthy food only yet because I still live at home, and my parents have not adopted my healthier lifestyle (but they are trying)! So, for my cheat on Friday nights, we go out to our favorite restaurant, and since I know this ahead of time, I compensate throughout the day, and exercise a little extra so I can eat my favorite meal (breaded pork tenderloin sandwich...I'm from Indiana...this sandwich is practically required in my town) and a few fries. I've found that I can't eat it all anymore, so I cut it in half and save half the meal for later.

However, since it's fried and extremely high in fat and calories, I feel like it's cheating, and I make myself work out that much harder to compensate.

Cheating now and then won't hurt you. It's long-term binging that will.

dorianaldyn

I never have cheat days. That doesn't mean I don't eat out or deprive myself of foods that I love. I just fit it in, exercise harder - whatever I need to do to make sure I stay on track. Today, for example, I'm having a reunion lunch with a bunch of old coworkers. I checked out the restaurant menu online and it's all cajun comfort food. Looks like I'll have the grilled chicken salad with the dressing on the side. For dinner I'm meeting a friend at a restaurant known for their gourmet pizzas. I will probably order a pizza and have them bring me a box at the same time so I can immediately take some off my plate so I'm not tempted to eat the whole thing in one sitting just because it tastes good.

Oh, and I'm so happy that chocolate milk is actually a decent workout recovery drink.