Is a 'break day' a good idea?

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dexter4564
dexter4564 Posts: 86 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The hardest part for me to get started was to stop eating sugary junk, which I've been addicted to for pretty much my whole life. I just cut it all out on the day I started and now I've been dieting for almost five weeks. So, for anybody else who gets addicted to sugary snacks, is it a good idea to have a break day once a week?

I'm not talking about a break from training, because I only work out 6 days a week anyway, I am talking about having one day a week where I just eat what I want. Obviously not in massive quantities, same portion sized meals but with what I want.

A part of me thinks that it will help satisfy that sugary junk craving that I keep having, but deep down I feel like it's just an excuse and would get me hooked on the stuff again.

Replies

  • popzork
    popzork Posts: 78 Member
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    I saw some morning show where they asked this question. The "expert" answering said that having a free day was a bad idea, but having a free meal once a week was fine.

    As far as the sugary addiction, I avoid the sugary processed stuff these days because I find if I have one thing, I have to fight the cravings all over again. It's easier to just not have them at all.

    It has finally gotten to the point where if I do have something like that, I don't like the taste as much as I used to and I feel sick after I eat it. But, I do eat a home made dessert every once in a while.
  • kazoooo8
    kazoooo8 Posts: 71
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    I think having a break day depends on where you are mentally in your goals. I am a sugar addict too and diet pepsi. For me, if I am mentally struggling with my diet, I stay away from break days for fear that I won't come out of it. It took me a good long week or more to feel good physically when I gave up diet pepsi and not eating all the sugary junk I was eating. I have had a meal or two that wasn't exactly on my plan and enjoyed them! But I stay completely away from diet pepsi cuz for me, its as bad as when I was a cigarette smoker. I physically craved it and I can't give in.

    I think if you are good in your goals mentally and end up having a day off, you will probably make better choices where as if you are emotionally eating, you won't make very good choices and not feel good about your day off.
  • konamouse
    konamouse Posts: 21
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    I have a "cheat" meal once a week. Either I have a dessert (favorite right now is frosted chocolate cake) or bread/butter with dinner.
    Knowing that this is coming, that I have this treat every week makes it easier to stick with the plan when I'm tempted during the week.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    1) Physiologically it's not likely to make a significant difference, in my opinion.
    2) Mentally, it MAY make a very big difference. It could keep you on your plan for a much longer time, it could keep you from getting too OCD or orthorexic about your food choices or how you view food in general. It could also backfire and cause you to not be able to get back on your plan.

    It could also slow your progress depending on where it puts your deficit for the week.


    From personal experience, I absolutely take days off and I find great value in it. But I wouldn't make it a blanket recommendation for everyone.

    I would say that if you are capable of doing it without it derailing the other 6 days of the week (in terms of adherence AND total energy intake) then I'd recommend it.
  • Akimajuktuq
    Akimajuktuq Posts: 3,037 Member
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    I'm guessing that many of us are here because we overeat, have food addictions, emotional eating issues, and have poor health from a poor diet. Most have us have probably tried to lose weight and get healthier over and over again and have fallen off the wagon many times in the past, even though we know we need to change our "lifestyle" and not "diet".

    With that in mind, I don't really understand a "break day". I love what I'm eating and I love how I'm feeling. I don't want to mess with that anymore.

    Hopefully, you can find a way to incorporate the foods you love, or, even better, fall in love with new, healthier foods.
  • pearlyyy92
    pearlyyy92 Posts: 47
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    I have a day off when I let myself eat what I want, or if on a day like today I burn over 1000 calories in exercise, and I fancy a treat in the week I use those left over calories, it works for me. I started on here when I was 145 lbs, stopped using, and put on 3 pounds. Back down to 145 now, just eating healthy, exercising and letting myself have treats in moderation works for me!
  • pearlyyy92
    pearlyyy92 Posts: 47
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    Especially when you work in a sweet shop and you can't help sampling some of the new sweets haha! Good luck though. You know what's right for you and your body.
  • psychopiglet
    psychopiglet Posts: 130 Member
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    I tend to have a sort of "Break Day" on a Sunday.
    I look at my "Net Calories - Weekly" chart on the app and if I am well under my weekly goal, I eat mostly what I want. As long as my weekly total is below my goal, I still lose weight.

    For example, as of right now, I am 2005 Net Calories under my weekly goal, so when I get home from work this evening I can enjoy a nice dinner of anything up to that amount if I want to.

    So yeah, I think they're a good idea. If I get a craving for something, instead of just outright denying myself, I just say I will have it on Sunday. Whether they're a good idea for you personally, I have no idea. You need to work that out for yourself.
  • shellihooten
    shellihooten Posts: 53
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    When you make the commitment to change your lifestyle you have to get your head around it.
    It needs to be the whole you that makes this change, not just a 'part' of you. Make sense?

    At 46 I have never seriously tried to lose weight except one time 5-8 years ago doing the Atkins Diet.
    It was just that, A Diet. Not a healthy style of eating.
    When my moment hit me I knew that I wanted to quite putting the crap in my mouth, if I didn't stop
    NOW, I may never. Sweets were one of my many weakness', along with chips, snacky foods, etc...
    Ya, I liked them all! I have decide to stay away from them. But I am NOT on a diet.

    If I want that (slim) piece of cake at the potluck then I will have it. I know that I am in control of how much of
    what goes into my mouth. I make good choices everyday, yet I can still use improvements.
    I was shocked when I gave up all the junk, how my body returned the favor by dropping a lot of weight.
    Of course I am moving almost everyday as well.

    I just want to encourage you to make good choices, but IF you have a sweet thing, don't beat yourself up over it.
    Just limit what you do have.

    Good luck~
  • NVgal
    NVgal Posts: 33 Member
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    When I was going to Weight Watchers I allowed myself one cheat meal the night of weigh in day. My husband and I would usually eat out somewhere and that would be it. But invariably I would be up as much as 3 pounds the next day and it would take me at least 3 days to get it back off. For me it was a vicious cycle and since starting MFP in June I no longer do this. For me it's a very bad idea.
  • nhernan6
    nhernan6 Posts: 21
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    I have just finished my first full week with MFP and the decision to change how and what I eat. I am a Starbucks FREAK! I would have a Quad Grande Nonfat no whip Coconut Mocha every morning. I don't mind regular coffee with a splash of nonfat milk. So when I decided to start this journey I decided that I would allow myself a free day on Sundays. This last week I have had a grande bold coffee with nonfat milk every morning and this last Sunday I had my Quad Grande nonfat no whip coconut mocha. I have to tell you I could not even finish the whole thing. It was too sweet to me and it just did not give me the same satifaction that eating healthy has. I have had more energy since I started this last Monday. I figured that on Sunday's I will allow myself to have whatever I would like to have but honestly after having my coconut mocha I just had no desire to have anything else. Like everyone here its moderation - I feel like if I deprive msyelf I will fall off the wagon - that is why if I want something I am going to allow myself to have it and with what happened to me on Sunday I doubt my body will enjoy the "junk" that I love to eat!
  • LissaD26
    LissaD26 Posts: 13 Member
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    It took me a long time to get over it, but I'm to a point now where I have a healthy relationship with sugar. I can have a cupcake (or whatever) every once in awhile and it doesn't take the form of a gateway drug leading me down the spirally sugar-sprinkled path of doom and destruction. I HAVE the cupcake and move on.

    It just depends on where you are mentally. :)
  • wedge421
    wedge421 Posts: 224 Member
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    In my opinion a cheat meal once every other week is how I operate. But as im eating I try to keep in mind what I am eating. Try not so take in to much sodium so your body does not retain water that night or next day and that will be a big help if you do weigh in the next day. I also work out about 20 mins longer then I usually would that day just to try to prepare myself mentally for the meal and the calories. Im new to this but that is the plan
  • OnMyWeigh464
    OnMyWeigh464 Posts: 447 Member
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    I'm not sure if it's a good or bad idea but here's my two cents: I had lots of "break" days and that's what got me where I am right now...I use to give myself what I called my "cheat" day but I was feeling gross at bed time and it took me two days to get back into my program. So now, I sometimes give myself a cheat meal but that's it. And I don't plan this meal the way I use to...if I'm out and about and I feel like having an ice cream cone and I know I've been good all week and followed my diet, then I'll splurge.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
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    I personally don't have a cheat day, but I know people who do and lose weight as well. For me, a whole day would just be awful and cause problems... I don't limit myself to certain things, I have a limit of calories, every day. But if I want a cupcake, I'll have one, if I want soda, I'll have one, I just pay attention to my calories and stuff I'm tracking.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I started losing weight in December of 2010. By the end of March 2011, I decided to take one weekend day off a month from logging. Not to just pig out and eat whatever the hell I wanted (although I did sometimes have days like that), but if I was going to, for instance, a bridal shower, I didn't want to be that stick in the mud saying, "I can't eat this, I can't eat that. Do you know how many carbs is in this?" I just wanted to live a normal life. And not feel guilty if I went to Chilis and used up an entire "day's" calories on a Triple Dipper Appetizer Platter once in a blue moon. :laugh:

    After I hit my goal weight, I started taking both weekend days off, and holidays/vacation. And I kept losing weight.

    So it's been well over a year now that I've not only not logged on weekends, but also taken periodic breaks from logging for a week or a few weeks here and there, just to clear my head. I still eat well. I still exercise on schedule. But I don't obsess over it.
  • mrtoaster
    mrtoaster Posts: 90 Member
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    I tend to look at my weekly goal, if I have extra calories I might treat myself. But unless it's an occasion or a night out, I might not bother because I have now got to the point where I feel that I am squandering that extra effort I have put in during the week. The only caveat is if I do have a day off I still log everything as it helps me stay on track.

    It's all about what works for you.

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