FREE DAYS ARE A HORRIBLE IDEA

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.

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!

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. :-)

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.

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.

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.

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.

I have lost 98 pounds and have "free days" all the time.

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.

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.

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.

Amennnnn:)

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.

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!

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.