Do you allow yourself a "Free Day" ?

traccie2
traccie2 Posts: 28 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've fallen off the wagon and it's pretty much from a couple of things. One, by trying to cut the sugars out of my diet I stopped eating fruit and yogurt. Then I went nuts. I didn't go nuts badly, I didn't binge, but I did eat some pie and I have been dipping into SO's lemon drops. Thank god they're fat free... I had some real pizza, some real ham and potato soup, chicken fried steak and gravy and omg... I could go on...

I found myself drinking hot chocolate in the evening and finally had to throw that away because I couldn't stop. So I figured what I needed was a "free day" so I wouldn't feel this binge thing in my head....

But now that I have gone 2 weekends allowing myself a "free day", I find it's harder to get myself under control. Now I don't mean I'm going nuts and way over eating, I mean when I come home from work I want to eat more than what is on my diary. Or have an extra cup of coffee that I didn't plan for.

What I plan to do is go back to what was working. Allowing myself the fruit and the one yogurt for the day. The yogurt was my treat in the evenings and I always looked forward to it. Now it's like I have nothing to look forward to. I'm wondering if I should cut out the free day all together and get myself back under control. I haven't lost anything in over 2 weeks now.

I am so frustrated with myself and so disapointed. I get to this place and I wonder if I can even lose any more.

I need some encouragement, some tips, and some serious help!

Replies

  • lilmissymoo90
    lilmissymoo90 Posts: 324 Member
    ive the same problem so free days for me are ... my birthday xmas my close familys birthdays easter halloween ect but even then i have one meal that i can have what i want like xmas dinner or a bit of birthday cake =D roll on my sons bday on friday nom nom nom!
  • LavenderBouquet
    LavenderBouquet Posts: 736 Member
    Do you have a particular health reason for completely cutting out sugar? Fruits are not unhealthy by any means, and as long as you don't go overboard, they may help satisfy your sweet cravings without resorting to unnatural sources. I personally don't have a regular free/off day, but if I'm going out for a birthday or a big event, I don't worry if I can't make it work for my diet. If having a meal or day per week will help continue with your weight loss, then I think you should do it, a meal is preferable to a whole day as a lot of people tend to go a bit overboard with a full day. Don't feel discouraged, many people get through this and succeed, and you can too :flowerforyou:
  • abbyrae1
    abbyrae1 Posts: 265 Member
    Your diary is private so I can't use that as a basis to give you advice, but here are some general tips that seem to work for me.

    1. Try allowing yourself a "cheat meal" if you need it instead of a whole day, and make sure you are doing it on a day you plan on being active. This way, you aren't completely throwing off your eating habits and you aren't going to make your body crazy.

    2. Try to give yourself some variety--chicken and green beans are very healthy, but I can't eat it every day without going crazy. Try to find new ways to jazz up the meals you eat a lot

    3. Tomorrow is a new day. If you fall off the wagon, for a day or weekend, it isnt the end of the world, you can get back to it, don't beat yourself up. Also, no day is a complete failure, if you over induldge at lunch, try to make dinner a bit healthier.

    4. Dont do a fad diet, you won't stick with it, and you will likely gain back anything you lost, and become more frustrated. Why are you cutting sugars? If you are only eating natural sugars/carbs that occur in fruits and veggies naturally, it isn't that bad for you, artificial foods and carbs are where you will find the most trouble. Try to stick to as many natrual foods as you can, this will keep process garbage out of your body and also reduce your cravings for bad for you foods.

    I hope this helps! feel free to message me if you have more specific questions!
  • laineymags22
    laineymags22 Posts: 9 Member
    I struggle with the same dilema myself. My boyfriend is also using an app like MFP to maintain is weight for the Navy. But his calories are WAY higher than mine. So when we finally do get to hang out on the weekends, we want to do everything together, including eating. I end up pigging out and either having to high tail it to the gym to burn it off or i feel guilty. I decided to allow one weekend day each week for the free eating, mainly one meal (usually dinner) suffices. I have kind of plateaued right now for the last few weeks since I started my free day but I look at it this way, you have to still enjoy life. I think allowing that free day every week is maybe too much, but dont take away your daily yogurt treat either. The key is finding the right balance. Personally, I keep yogurt covered raisins in my car for when I need that spntaneous sweet thing usually during my hour commute, yogurt and bananas at home, and the occasional free day, whenever the mood strikes. By knowing I can allow myself these things, I have noticed I dont really crave more of it.

    I hope i didnt ramble too much and provided some insight!
  • perfectionisntme
    perfectionisntme Posts: 205 Member
    I don't deprive myself of what I want, but I do watch how much I eat. I often find myself brushing my teeth so I don't want to eat more, but I do allow myself to have "free days." I don't log over the weekends. I find it forces me to be conscience of how I'm eating based on the what I'm doing.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    This is why you should never be too restrictive and starting something you cannot sustain. Why could you try to cut out all fruits and yogurt out of your diet? That just seems like you're asking for trouble given that you ENJOY those foods. Yes, they have a lot of sugar -- they also have lots of fiber and calcium.

    The key is moderation -- have everything you want just in amounts that fit within your daily goals. You'll never be successful if you convince yourself that some foods are BAD and you must avoid them or fail.

    And you answer your question, yes I do -- when I need a "free day" I take it -- they aren't planned.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I don't plan for a free day or even a free meal, but they happen spontaneously. From time to time, I just donwanna do the whole log every bite that I put into my mouth thing AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! And sometimes it's really hard to buckle down and get back to it, but I remind myself that I'm doing this for me, and I have free will. I can choose self-discipline. It can be really hard, though.
  • Serena_Kitty
    Serena_Kitty Posts: 38
    Yes and no. I do allow myself a free day, but I exercise it off a few hours later. I've done the whole "cheat day" thing in the past, and if I don't hold myself accountable, I fall off the wagon and start bingeing again.

    For example, last Saturday I ate probably 2,700 calories, but I did a 90-minute bike ride later that evening. I know that a lot of people think that is a bad idea, but it works for me. :)
  • OzBec
    OzBec Posts: 4 Member
    I can sympathize with you on this one. In the past I have heard all sorts of things like "Free Days" every week, or "Log Mon - Friday and take the weekend off". For me personally this is far too generous. I would have 1 free day every week a few years ago and then Monday would come around and I just couldn't harness myself back in. So now we celebrate one dinner meal a month. My partner and I take ourselves out to a different restaurant once a month and I tell you....Its something that we both look forward to, enjoy 100% and its easier to then wake up the next day, keep going with my calories and then plan ahead to the next months meal. I just think by allowing yourself an entire free day a week, can undo sooooo many great days/hours that you have achieved in the gym or working out. Not worth it.....
  • AngieM76
    AngieM76 Posts: 622 Member
    Not a free day but once in awhile a free meal but even then wont go overboard. Like on Sunday, I went out to a mexican place with my friend and ate the chips/salsa but ordered pretty healthy besides that.
  • Lt_Starbuck
    Lt_Starbuck Posts: 576 Member
    No I give myself a flexible LIFE.
  • shred_me_up
    shred_me_up Posts: 267 Member
    you are depriving yourself too much is the problem... this happened to me. after months of strict eating i went wild, gave up and put on a bunch of weight.

    you need to remember that this is a lifestyle change not just a diet; you need to eat the way you want to eat for the rest of your life! so cutting out all of one food type (sugar) definitely wont work. moderation is key. as for the cheat day, no i dont have one; i dont find the need too because i just eat in moderation and what i want! also there are going to be some lower days and some higher, no one can eat exactly 1500 for the rest of your life without going insane ^^
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    No I give myself a flexible LIFE.

    boom. ditto.
  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
    My free days are usually special occassions, such as holidays and birthdays. Doing the free weekend thing wasn't working because it was hard starting over on Monday, so it was just easier to go cold turkey. Not saying that is what you should do, but that is what worked for me, now I can walk into our break room at work, see some goodies and not even be tempted.
  • garlic7girl
    garlic7girl Posts: 2,236 Member
    No not a day but a meal....if I do a whole day then I will wreck the whole weeks worth of work and it may turn into a week of 'freedom' LOL!
  • JeremiahD36
    JeremiahD36 Posts: 4 Member
    I usually allow a free day on Saturday, but I'm not good at keeping it at just Saturday. Most of the time it turns into Sunday and half of Monday before i get back on track. Then i spend the rest of the week burning of what i gained back in those two and a half to three days. So it is taking me longer to lose all the wait i need to lose. But i am still losing! This past Saturday turned into Sunday like usual, but this time i stopped before Monday. Hopefully this weekend will just be Saturday. I like to have a "Free Day" , or i like to call it "Cheat Day" because it gives me something to look forward to through the week and makes it a little easier. But once my taste buds get a hold of some Taco Salad, Barbecue or Meat Lovers Pizza, its hard to get back to Tilapia, Whole Grain Noodles, and Spinach the next day. But I keep on moving!
  • RoseKatet
    RoseKatet Posts: 149 Member
    I do allow myself a "free day" , usually saturday. I don't go crazy but I don't beat myself up about my choices...focus more on portion control than calories per se. But it keeps me from binging.


    But is there a medical reason you are cutting natural sugars? Or even yogurt? From what I understand unless you have a medical problem sugar isn't a big deal unless you are eating loads of it....My personal diet is I pretty much eat what I like to a certain extent as long as it is within my calories for the day. I just avoid the biggies: fried food, fast food, etc. I still on occasion have ice cream and other stuff but I limit it, its all controled.
  • JeremiahD36
    JeremiahD36 Posts: 4 Member
    True!
  • LethainIowa
    LethainIowa Posts: 43
    No, I don't take 'free days'. I've found that allowing myself a small snack once a day works a lot better. I'm a total sugar junkie and if I tried to cut it off completely, I'd eventually go nuts and eat a whole cake or something. Weight Watchers makes some really tasty little desserts that are well under 200 calories..strawberry shortcake, brownies etc. If I work my *kitten* off (literally) at the gym every day I figure I can allow myself that one treat a day. I've lost 18 lbs. so far..so it's not hurting anything.
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    i used to have cheat days... then they turned into cheat weeks and then the diet was just right out the window. This time around, i genuinely believe in everything in moderation. If we have pizza at home, i eat some. I may not eat as much as i used to, but i don't abstain. The biggest thing that has helped me is to log EVERYTHING that i eat. Then i can look at my diary and say... ehh maybe that peanut butter egg that took me 15 seconds to eat, probably wasn't worth the 90 calories.
  • koshkasmum
    koshkasmum Posts: 276 Member
    A free day or cheat day would kill my progress. (At my size and age I have very little leeway between losing slowly and not losing at all.) But there are some meals when I decide to set the strict diet aside. These come up every few weeks - a special occasion not just every Saturday or whatever. I still watch portions on these meals and try not to make utterly disasterous choices, but beyond that I relax. I also allow little treats within my calorie allowances - a couple of slices of bacon, a 100 calorie mini dark chocolate bar, a bowl of creamed clam chowder - generally this works as "eating back" some of my exercise calories..
  • Better4Summer
    Better4Summer Posts: 120
    Just started today but I will not be havin a day off as if I do I will find it difficult to get back on again.. My reward will be the weight I lose not something that got me here :O Lol admire people who can but I can not!
  • lioness803
    lioness803 Posts: 325 Member
    Don't deprive yourself of fruit and yogurt! As treats go, those are very healthy choices. Allow for the calories in your daily calorie goal. I don't have any set free day, but if they happen, they happen...that's being flexible. I agree with the other posters that have said maybe a free meal is a better idea than a whole day.
  • Better4Summer
    Better4Summer Posts: 120
    i used to have cheat days... then they turned into cheat weeks and then the diet was just right out the window. This time around, i genuinely believe in everything in moderation. If we have pizza at home, i eat some. I may not eat as much as i used to, but i don't abstain. The biggest thing that has helped me is to log EVERYTHING that i eat. Then i can look at my diary and say... ehh maybe that peanut butter egg that took me 15 seconds to eat, probably wasn't worth the 90 calories.

    I agree with this.. ;)
  • kariannmbc
    kariannmbc Posts: 144
    If the promise of yogurt at the end of the day keeps you on track during the day, why can't you add that back in? If you're worried about sugars, find one that's lower in sugar or have less of it, like 1/2 a cup instead of a full cup. Or get plain Greek yogurt, and add a few berries.

    For me, starting my day with creamer in my coffee gives me something to look forward to, and if I have a super bad day, I take away my creamer the next day. Silly, yes, but that little rewards help me stay on track. And those calories are totally empty.
  • khayashi80
    khayashi80 Posts: 45 Member
    Thanks for having the courage to share. We all have those moments where it's like...oh goodness. I would agree with others, I would allow yourself the natural sugars in fruit and yogurt. They are healthy ways to get something you enjoy. I don't personally have a cheat day, but if there is something that I just can't seem to get past craving after a week or 2, I will give in and have a taste or a piece. I try not to do a bunch of "cheat foods" at once. That way it's specific and focused. I add in exercise and then the next day I get right back on my plan.

    For me, this is a lifestyle change so every time I jump back on my plan, it's a success, even if it takes a week to get back on track. Good luck and again thanks for sharing this! Have a great day.
  • cowgirlup327
    cowgirlup327 Posts: 58 Member
    I agree with the "cheat meal." My boyfriend and I go out to dinner every Saturday night. For me, this works well because I spend about 4 hours working with horses on Saturdays so I know I've done more physical activity than any other day of the week. But regardless, it's nice to enjoy a restaurant meal, maybe a couple margaritas or glasses of sangria, and not worry about trying to enter every last ingredient into MFP. Most other dinners I prepare at home and know what the ingredients are, can prepare larger servings of vegetables, etc. As for trying to cut yogurt and fruit from your diet, is there a reason other than the sugar? If it's mainly about the sugar, do a little research into the glycemic index and eat fruits with lower natural sugar. In the end though, even if you eat some higher sugar fruits, you're eating whole/real food - not shoveling handfuls of candy into your mouth - and there's a huge difference between the two when it comes to sugar. Also, check the ingredients for the types of yogurt your grocery store carries. There's probably some variety in the type of sugar used. I'm a big believer in Michael Pollan's philosophies so I will still eat something that has a little bit of real sugar in it versus a chemically-made substitute sweetener. If you're really struggling with finding the balance to keep your stomach and your brain happy with your choices, I would really suggest picking up a copy of Michael Pollan's "Food Rules." It's a tiny book with a wonderful set up and good advice for how to eat well while not going to extremes that become counterproductive.
  • traccie2
    traccie2 Posts: 28 Member
    I've read everyone's replies and I want to say thanks. I've always been pretty much a loner and the only reason I really came to MFP was to have an easy way to log my food and to use the app. I'm learning though, that having a support system can be so helpful.

    I cut my sugars because I had plateaued, and I was trying to figure out how to get around that. I was looking over my diary for the few days prior to see what I had done different, if anything, and that's when I noticed the sugars. I didn't worry about it before because I knew I was eating clean. Well, I looked back over all of the weeks and noticed how high it was and I figured that must be the problem. So I cut them out. And here I am.

    The idea of the cheat day, or free day, came about because I did come to feel deprived. I had gone from being flexible to being too strict and too hard on myself and then I bounced all over the place. It seems odd that the simple idea of eating my yogurt or my fruit was to me, very flexible and very satisfying.

    I think I am going to go back to square one and do like I was before.
  • Dulcemami4ever
    Dulcemami4ever Posts: 344 Member
    I have 1 cheat meal per week. Something I have been craving etc. I don't cheat the whole day as I would feel guilty and probably screw my weightloss. I have seen that this one cheat meal per week actually seems to boost my metabolism. Also I don't keep junk food in my house. If I want a cheat meal, I usually go to a restaurant or go get the ingredients to cook. Having it in the house if you have a big weakness is not that smart.

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