How about an off day?

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Pete1977
Pete1977 Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
So, what does everyone think about allowing yourself to have an off day? And I mean, an all-out, anything goes, one day per week stuff-your-face fest.

A friend of mine who is a chef in a local restaurant has lost over 70 pounds, and he told me that he allowed himself to eat anything he could fit into his stomach every Saturday. He said that just looking forward to that day kept him on track and helped him not to resent the other six days where he ate a healthy diet. Furthermore, he theorized that by binging every once in awhile, that it kept his body from becoming too accustomed to the lower calorie intake... which in turn kept his metabolism more adept at burning calories (Yeah, I already know that part sounds like bunk... but since I'm not a nutritionist or medical professional, I would REALLY like to believe that there's some science to that).

Anyway, it's hard to argue with his results, but what I don't know is if his results are atypical.

I guess what I'm looking for is for someone to tell me it's ok to be a pig every once in awhile and that all is not lost if I am :) Honestly, I LOVE the idea of losing the weight and getting the reflection in the mirror that I want to see... but the idea of never going to my favorite all-you-can-eat Brazillian Steakhouse anymore is depressing the crap out of me!

Thoughts?
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Replies

  • ashleyp35
    ashleyp35 Posts: 53
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    I am with you on that. I actually had a whole week where I was thrown off. I then came back into my normal routine and still lost weight. You can enjoy yourself once a week. Also, I am experimenting this week as well. Last Sunday I didnt count calories, I ate what I wanted. We shall see Sunday at my weigh in.
  • missouri_rain
    missouri_rain Posts: 560 Member
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    I used to do that when I was doing the Wendie Plan, I did really well doing that, I also have a trooper friend that is doing and losing lots of weight.
  • ashlee954
    ashlee954 Posts: 1,112 Member
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    I have two off days!
  • littlemamajamie
    littlemamajamie Posts: 118 Member
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    Actually he is right in saying that the one day of eating whatever he wanted keeps his metabolism working better. What it really does is confuse your body so it doesn't go into starvation mode which would make you store fat and gain weight. I am an absolute believer in giving yourself a day that you don't have to worry about counting calories. I wouldn't go so far as to eat anything and everything I can shove in my mouth but I do eat good. Good luck on your journey.
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  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
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    Your chef friend is absolutely right about the metabolism thing. the human body just loves to adapt! When your body gets used to a routine...any routine, even a healthy one, your body says, "Oh, this is what we're doing. ok I can handle this." And begins to maintain a steady weight at whatever weight you are at. (unless you're eating grossly on either end of the spectrum, too much or way too little, I'm talking about the "dieting eating" where you're creating a 500-700 calorie deficit)
    But when you take a day and really let loose, you blow your body's wheels and it starts "thinking" that it never knows what's going to happen. So when you're eating lean, your body is okay with letting the pounds go because it "knows" you'll be splurging later and it can afford to let them melt away.
    The key to this approach is that you have to be religiously stringent on your lean days in order for the high calorie days to be of use. If not eventually they all end up being high calorie days and you are right back where you started...maintaining or ~gulp~ gaining!
    Hope this cleared it up some for you!
  • OutwardSix
    OutwardSix Posts: 11
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    I guess it depends how much you eat and what it is you're eating twinned with how OFTEN you're having an off-day. I'm not really of the mind that in order to lose weight I must not eat <whatever> food. So long as I'm not constantly eating more than I should, and if I ever do go over that it's not an all the time thing. There's always the mathematical bit of it. If I remember it right.. a calorie deficit of 3500 is a loss of 1lb - if the amount you're OVER by on the off day is still enough to be losing from your healthy eating the rest of the week, I do wonder!

    Of course, another way to look at it would be that on the day you head off for your nice steak, hit the gym that morning. You'll still be burning off extra whilst sitting there with the steak. That's my favourite thing about the gym, sitting there on the couch that night knowing that my body is still actually working harder than usual because of the work out.

    An off day could work so long as you don't over-eat, I suppose. Eating until you're full or eating until you literally can eat no more.. bit different eh? You could parcel this up into book form and sell it as the king of all weight loss programs! (It might not work, but since when did dieting books care about that?) :happy:
  • Pete1977
    Pete1977 Posts: 14
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    Ahhh, phew! I like what I'm seeing here! I'm totally ok with being strict on the other 6 days. Afterall, getting healthy and losing the weight is going to take hard work, and there's no way around that. But the idea that I can not only give myself a reward for the hard work every once in awhile, but also benefit my body by doing so... well that's just awesome!

    I think I'm going to give it a try. I think, however, that I'll probably keep very far away from the scale the morning after, LOL. :)
  • Vanessa1977
    Vanessa1977 Posts: 101
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    go to your favorite all you can eat restuarant, just don't make it the norm.
    Losing weight is a journey, I don't think the journey stops once the weight is off it just shifts a little. If you want to maintain your weight for life you have to find ways to be flexible. Maybe for you that means a cheat day.

    I like to think I can still have many of the things I still love, for example I am crazy about mac n cheese, so today when I made it, I cut my normal portion size in half and had brocolli on the side, I ate as much food as usual just not all of it was mac n cheese.

    Nachos are my favorite, so when I make them I make it on a 7inch plate instead of a 11inch plate.

    For me this only works if I can find ways to adjust my current behaviors, not completely eliminate.
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 21,655 Member
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    I think we all need an off day once in a while, but I believe "an all-out, anything goes, one day per week stuff-your-face fest" could easily undo all or at least most of the hard work you've done the other six days. I used to have a cheat day every two weeks. Then it was a cheat meal every two weeks because a whole day felt counterproductive. Now it's a pretty rare occurrence, but not because I'm depriving myself. It's just that I've become accustomed to a new way of eating and being. I'm also hovering right around my goal, so I'm not exactly starving myself, but then I never did. I'd rather lose half a pound a week and eat well than eat for a 2-pound loss and be so miserable that the only way I can stick to it is to know I'm going to get to pig out in a few days.
  • Cina04
    Cina04 Posts: 609
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    Yes! Have a Free Day!!

    It helps gets your cravings out of the way and food isn't our enemy. Food is meant to be good!

    I seen on the Dr's that not allowing yourself to fulfill your cravings and actually hinder your weightloss because when you do finally cave in, you'll eat more of it.

    Right now I have it set up to where on my Free Day, I have an intense workout that same day (it just happened that way until i realized it last week lol).

    I would be lying to myself saying I will never eat cake again, go to a fast food place, going to out to eat at restaurants, etc etc.

    Even with my daily food - I just have it in a smaller portion. Sometimes my husband's likes to have Pizza (I tell him he is evil lol) I allow myself to have a slice and a half maybe two if I have the calories and eat a huge salad to fill me up. I'm a picky eater and don't like too many veggies or foods that seem weird to me. So I just have to focus on portions vs following a strict diet.
  • dgroulx
    dgroulx Posts: 159 Member
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    I don't look at this as a diet. This is how much I can eat if I want to stay at my goal weight. I used to eat 2,000 calories per day, which which is why I am fat. So, I don't think a binge day is a good thing. It's okay to have a treat now and again, but don't think of this as a diet and then reward yourself one day a week. That reinforces the conception that this is a diet, not a lifestyle change.
  • SassyMissDasha
    SassyMissDasha Posts: 614
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    Yes, yes it is. I have one day like that .. in fact Saturday, right after my weigh in. Or if a special occasion is coming up then I save my fest for that day. It is great!
  • mm61470
    mm61470 Posts: 10
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    My trainer tells me she has an "off meal" once a week-if that makes sense. So she is strict all week and saves her fun no counting meal for the weekend sometime.... but I don't see much of a difference than having an "off day". it's all about progress and lifestyle changes.
  • Nina74
    Nina74 Posts: 470 Member
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    I agree about an off- day or off-meal, but would be cautious about an all out/throw down meal. Could definitely undo the rest of the week's hard work. Go to your favorite place, just don't go hog wild. LOL
  • lcouterm
    lcouterm Posts: 138 Member
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    you can have an off day as long as it's not a day off
  • ladytap
    ladytap Posts: 36 Member
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    That's the only way I can "diet." I HAVE to give myself a meal, or a day, or every now and then a week to eat whatever I want to eat. As long as it's the exception, not the rule, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Enjoy life my friend :):drinker:
  • BlueEyedMomma88
    BlueEyedMomma88 Posts: 558 Member
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    My off days are Sundays :-)
  • Levahna
    Levahna Posts: 132
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    I don't see a problem with an off day, just can't say I do them. I don't deprive myself of something I want...whether it's chocolate or a steak or whatever. I just make sure that through all of it I'm in a pattern of being healthier, eating healthier. Some people it may be a bad thing to take a day off. They may need a more solid routine to help them lose weight.
  • Ryhenblue
    Ryhenblue Posts: 390 Member
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    I don't take days off normally. That doesn't mean I don't treat myself or give into a craving. If I go over my calorie limit one day that is fine but I still like to log what I put in my mouth. It's your lifestyle so there is no wrong or right way to do it.
  • TaraArriola
    TaraArriola Posts: 64
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    I do this and have steadily lost every weak.

    I weigh in on Wednesday, and Thursday is my off day. The funny thing is that when you start seeing good results your cheat day will not be as bad as you think. Even though Thursday is my off day, I still track what I eat. I was suprised that the things that I thought was cheating was not actually as bad as I thought.

    Trust your insticts and be careful at that all you can eat Steakhouse.

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