FREE DAYS ARE A HORRIBLE IDEA

AJinBirmingham
AJinBirmingham Posts: 497
in Food and Nutrition
If you regularly treat yourself to a "free day," just once - eat as you like, but still calculate the calories you're consuming on that day. It may shock you - you can EASILY undo an entire week's worth of work in one free day, or even one free meal.

Instead, 1-2 days per week, I increase my net calorie goal to 1,500. It's just enough to help me stay in line at 1,200 most of the time.
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Replies

  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    Glad you found something that works for YOU. I eat more than your so called upped calorie day on a average day and still lose weight. I don't need cheat days cause I don't diet.
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
    I eat 1800 to 2000 a day so I guess every day is a cheat day!!!:)
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    not really a free day for me like 5000 calories of fun delicious foods boosts your met rate hormones and u lose sooo much more in the long run!
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    So is typing in all caps but I can see by your topic title you did that.
  • joyjay4fun
    joyjay4fun Posts: 160
    If you regularly treat yourself to a "free day," just once - eat as you like, but still calculate the calories you're consuming on that day. It may shock you - you can EASILY undo an entire week's worth of work in one free day, or even one free meal.

    Instead, 1-2 days per week, I increase my net calorie goal to 1,500. It's just enough to help me stay in line at 1,200 most of the time.

    Just curious do you increase your workouts on those days? I'm just nosey not looking to discount your method. :-) I am glad you found something that helps you. Everything in moderation. :-)
  • Lift_This_
    Lift_This_ Posts: 2,756 Member
    I eat between 1600-1800 calories and lose weight...and even on days when im over by 300-500 calories, i don't care...i eat well and work hard.
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
    Glad you found something that works for YOU. I eat more than your so called upped calorie day on a average day and still lose weight. I don't need cheat days cause I don't diet.


    Me too. I don't cheat because I'm not dieting. I live my life, and not once have I gained weight on a "cheat day" (or as I call it ...IDGAF Day) because I stay below 2000 calories which is around my TDEE. I'm super short so don't give me that excuse! I have fun once every few months. It's actually beneficial to eat a lot of calories as long as you don't keep doing it. One day of high calorie eating can sometimes knock people out of plateaus, not to mention help them continue to be healthy.
    You're not really "undoing" anything as long as you're not eating multiple days worth of calories in one day (as in 3+) the body will just temporarily freak out. You don't get fat overnight.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    ya that s cheating. record caleries everyday all of them
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    If you regularly treat yourself to a "free day," just once - eat as you like, but still calculate the calories you're consuming on that day. It may shock you - you can EASILY undo an entire week's worth of work in one free day, or even one free meal.

    Instead, 1-2 days per week, I increase my net calorie goal to 1,500. It's just enough to help me stay in line at 1,200 most of the time.
    I had 1500 calories for lunch yesterday and still ate a deficit for the day. I don't binge because I don't deprive myself.
  • 37434958
    37434958 Posts: 457 Member
    Glad you found something that works for YOU. I eat more than your so called upped calorie day on a average day and still lose weight. I don't need cheat days cause I don't diet.


    This, ^^^
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    Glad you found something that works for YOU. I eat more than your so called upped calorie day on a average day and still lose weight. I don't need cheat days cause I don't diet.
    Agree. I get plenty of food and never need to "cheat," but still lose weight. Works for me, might not work for everyone. Heck, 1500 calories for me would be fasting.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    NOT HAVING SELF CONTROL IS A HORRIBLE THING
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    If you regularly treat yourself to a "free day," just once - eat as you like, but still calculate the calories you're consuming on that day. It may shock you - you can EASILY undo an entire week's worth of work in one free day, or even one free meal.

    Instead, 1-2 days per week, I increase my net calorie goal to 1,500. It's just enough to help me stay in line at 1,200 most of the time.
    That's very strange... because I have a free day every single Friday, where I regularly consume anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 calories... and I've lost 77 lbs. And continue to lose.

    According to you I'm a liar. How dare you.
  • juliegrey1
    juliegrey1 Posts: 202 Member
    Dont think 1200 cals a day is a good idea way too little food!I cannot survive under 1450-1500!
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    I have lost 98 pounds and have "free days" all the time.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I have lost 98 pounds and have "free days" all the time.
    :drinker:

    But according to her that's not POSSIBLE!! :laugh:
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    This kind of scaremongering does people more harm than good, that;s why you have threads like "OMG I WENT 500 CALS OVER WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ERRRRRRRRR" or "IM SCARED TO GO TO (INSERT SOCIAL EVENT) because of the food that will be there,

    Over a period of months, years, decades a day here and there of being over calories makes absolutely no difference as long as it doesn't not become a too regular occurrence.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    I eat pretty much what I want to, I have found I can fit the foods I enjoy into 1500 -1600 cals a day so no need for "free" days. If I do go over it doesn't matter there will be days when I go under as well so it all evens itself out
  • CarmenSRT
    CarmenSRT Posts: 843 Member
    Free days would not serve me well either, but I'm a binge eater - under tight control, but the tendency is still there. I can easily eat 3500 cals over maintenance calories in a day, without discomfort. Not something to be proud of, just something I need to be wary of allowing to happen.
    We all need to know where our weaknesses are. :wink:
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahah, I lost 50ish pounds had a cheat day each week. I'm maintaining years and years later and still have a cheat day or three a week.

    It was a wonderful idea for me!

    How about you worry about you and I will continue to worry about me? OKAY!
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    If you regularly treat yourself to a "free day," just once - eat as you like, but still calculate the calories you're consuming on that day. It may shock you - you can EASILY undo an entire week's worth of work in one free day, or even one free meal.

    Instead, 1-2 days per week, I increase my net calorie goal to 1,500. It's just enough to help me stay in line at 1,200 most of the time.
    That's very strange... because I have a free day every single Friday, where I regularly consume anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 calories... and I've lost 77 lbs. And continue to lose.

    According to you I'm a liar. How dare you.
  • ImpossibleGrl
    ImpossibleGrl Posts: 83
    tumblr_inline_mj411sAZqm1qz4rgp.gif
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    Amennnnn:)
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    love Beyonceeeee
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I guess that depends on how you look at things and what your goals are.

    I have my goal currently set at 1560 Net and I go over by up to 500 every few days. If I really want to, I could keep at my calorie goal every day or slightly under and then 1 day a week eat around 2000 - 2300.

    For me to undo all my work, I'd need to eat 3500 calories + 1560 goal and that would just bring me to maintenance level. So technically even that wouldn't really undo my work. I'd have to eat more than that for days on end to gain back the weight I have lost.

    tumblr_lz3jd2faJa1qa46lo.gif
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Well crap!! I have been doing this all wrong then... Think how much more weight I could have lost had I not had those refeed's every Saturday... :drinker:
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Well crap!! I have been doing this all wrong then... Think how much more weight I could have lost had I not had those refeed's every Saturday... :drinker:
    OMG... 312 lbs?!

    That is INCREDIBLE. Congratulations!
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523 Member
    I've had some horrendous cheat days the last couple of weeks and am still losing.

    If you weighed yourself the day after and *kitten* yourself, it is probably because of the sodium levels in your cheat meal/day.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    I have lost 98 pounds and have "free days" all the time.
    :drinker:

    But according to her that's not POSSIBLE!! :laugh:
    Be fair--she did not say that. She said you "can" undo a week's worth of work in one day/meal, not that you necessarily always will. It may have been in response to the person who posted about eating 9500 calories at a buffet--few people do that, but it does show that it can happen.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    wow!! truly inspiring

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