Who Allows Themselves a "FREE DAY"?

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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..

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.