Does anyone else allow themselves...

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  • Lemongrab1
    Lemongrab1 Posts: 158 Member
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    Instead of having an off day, why not just eat what you want and stay in your calorie range? You can eat junk and still keep a deficit.
    You're treating your 'diet' like a punishment by using off days as a reward.
    You can still be satisfied while losing weight.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I used to when I first started losing weight. I've been following a maintenance routine for the last several months and that allows me enough calories to pretty much enjoy treats whenever I wish, now.

    But back when I eating at a deficit, I would need at least one day a week that I ate whatever I wanted. I still logged everything, I just didn't worry about my calories that one day a week.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    Instead of having an off day, why not just eat what you want and stay in your calorie range? You can eat junk and still keep a deficit.
    You're treating your 'diet' like a punishment by using off days as a reward.
    You can still be satisfied while losing weight.

    I didn't see it as a punishment. It was just that my TDEE was so low due to a desk job and sedentary lifestyle, that I had to plan my nutrition carefully so that I wouldn't feel just starved at the end of the day. Something as simple as two slices of whole wheat bread could blow my macros and calories for the whole day.
  • lessofme43
    lessofme43 Posts: 139 Member
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    I agree with the consensus that you are way too early in your journey to give yourself an "off" day and not be worse off for it. Make discipline a habit first, then reward yourself :-)
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
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    I take days off (rest days) from exercising but I try to maintain my calorie goal on a daily basis.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
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    For me, "OFF" day tended to result in a "Stuff my face, until I fell into a food coma" day. So i try to log all the time. Sometimes i go a little over on a weekend or something and I don't sweat it.
  • yasminjohaadien
    yasminjohaadien Posts: 4
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    I've been on and off the wagon a few times over the last couple of years, always fluctuating within 10 pounds. I found that hitting it hard constantly for a few months works in the short term, but after a while I get bored and then I fall of the wagon one day and then I just get in a slump.

    I have realized it has to be less about weight loss on the brain and more about a lifestyle change. Like everyone else said, don't deprive yourself because you end up binging...better to indulge (not over indulge) a little when you crave something (this doensn't mean eating a brownie every days (which is my weakness).

    Everything in moderation. Even exercising for me, if I do it hardcore 6 days a week, eventually it gets boring or I miss a day here and then it's easier to miss another day. INstead, I'm now choosing 3-4 days a week, and not in a row to do 60 minutes, and then I try to make sure I take walks or a light 10 minute cardio routine if I want on the other days. Bike riding or yoga also work.
  • furniem
    furniem Posts: 145 Member
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    I wouldn't recommend having an off day when you're only a week in. A better plan is to incorporate s few treats into your budget during the week so you don't feel deprived. Right now you need to get used to eating to plan and sticking with it.

    I agree with this. Incorporate things into your diet. Give yourself a few weeks of good habits and dont give yourself a day off. IF you do then make a meal or a snack but not a whole day. I have gotten into trouble before taking a day off.
    Good luck.
  • sarrah_n
    sarrah_n Posts: 192 Member
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    In the early stages, I would not suggest off days since you are still trying to re-build good habits. Once you have a few solid months in and your new food routine has become habit, I think an off day is okay.

    Personally, now that I have been at this for a quite some time, if i go crazy on my off days- I FEEL TERRIBLE for the next two days. After experiencing this a few times (with gut wrenching pain), my cheat days are moderate simply becuase I know how painful the consequences can be.
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member
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    I do days off - usually revolves around drinking/partying. I actually just did a month off in fact. I wouldn't suggest that to everyone, but after 9 moths of commitment to a fairly large caloric deficit - I wanted a break. I knew August was packed with events/partying already so I decided to make it a month break.

    I didn't go cray or anything. I didn't fall back to "old me". I drank four or five nights that month - a lot. I still logged but not as obsessively as normal. I took a weight lifting break - but did do some light cardio daily. I didn't weigh in until late in month (as opposed to daily). The biggest change was I didn't consciously think about losing weight everyday.

    I ended up losing weight - although not as much as in past months. Still a nice bonus.

    I've hit September with a fresh mind, fresh commitment and the scale is being friendly! I appreciate August for what it was - and found inspiration in the fact I didn't put any weight on. Since I consciously wasn't thinking about my weight - it made me confident to know that i had instilled at least some new healthier habits.

    I am not suggesting everyone (or anyone) do this but "flexible dieting" has it's place and benefits. You can google that term to find out more about it from people far smarter than I :laugh:
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
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    I was eating whole foods and nothing processed for 2 months. No off days at all because I knew I would binge. I had an off day for the first time in a looooong time August. I could have sworn I gained 10 lbs but I didn't :-) now I have "off" days every week.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    I have days when I don't try to meet my calorie goals, yes. But I do not have days where I do not log. No. I want to record all the data so that I can look back at my results and see exactly what led to those results. If I don't have accurate weight and calorie intake data for every single day, I'm "flying blind," and that's just silly. I have data for almost 3 months now, so I know exactly how much to eat and exercise to produce a certain amount of weight loss. Simple. But not easy!:noway:
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    I don't take "off" days. I will occasionally put in extra work at the gym or on the running route to have a little more but I deprive myself only of extra helpings and so I don't need cheat days or whatever. I'm doing well because I'm not on a diet, I've changed my habits.
  • SNLover87
    SNLover87 Posts: 101 Member
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    No regularly scheduled off days for me. I've found enough healthy/low-cal foods that I really like and enjoy making, so I fortunately don't feel the need to have cheat/off days very often. But occasionally, I'll get the craving for something fried or otherwise high-cal and I'll make an exception. I've found that craving only comes about once a month, so I know when it's really worth it to listen and give in for a day/meal. That being said - I think having cheat days/meals are necessary, it's just important to set a limit if you need one so you don't go too crazy and set yourself back.
  • XorangecrushX
    XorangecrushX Posts: 10
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    Off days for me = off weeks = what diet?? It works for some people but the sugar and carbs that I eat on an off days throws me into a tailspin.
  • bubaluboo
    bubaluboo Posts: 2,098 Member
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    I don't do off days. I have gone over a couple of times due to circumstances such as business trips but it was logged and I knew exactly what the damage was and I didn't go over my TDEE. I have treats within my allowance and as I'm always logging, I generally can adjust the rest of my meals accordingly. If I allowed regular days off, then I think that when I went into maintenance, I'd find it difficult not to just go into 'day off' mode and soon put the weight back on again. Also, I found that after the one day that I did eat a lot more calories than my daily allowance, it was like starting the programme all over because I really hungry for a couple of days. If it was like that every week, I'd soon give up.
  • MrsFowler1069
    MrsFowler1069 Posts: 657 Member
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    I just incorporate the foods I want into my daily calorie budget. I don't need to plan an off day. Even Friday and Saturday, staying with some friends, I went slightly over goal, but still ate at a deficit. Yesterday, I was under. It's all good.

    Instead of having a whole day to eat to my detriment, I want to have a life where I make reasonable choices and achieve my goals. Want pizza for dinner? Great. Have a calorie-moderate breakfast and lunch and budget those calories. Make sure to incorporate a little protein, fat, and/or fiber to keep you from getting too hungry. Have a light snack and/or drink some water shortly beforehand if things run late. And have pizza! Enjoy it and do not beat yourself up. Yay for you!
    '
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    Personally absolutely not. However, if you feel it's something you can do in a reasonable manner then I'd never say its the wrong thing to do.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    No "off" days for me. I look at my weekly goal and try to stay around that number. So if I'm under my daily goal for a few days, then I can usually have a day or 2 where I allow myself to go over my daily goal and still be in a deficit for the week. Last week, I had several days where I was 300 calories under goal, so yesterday (last day of the week) I went ahead and ate a few high high calorie foods that would typically be hard to fit into my daily goal. I was over by 986 calories for the day, but still ended up under my weekly goal by 263 calories.

    So no off days, I just try and balance out my week. It's easier for me that way.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I had two 'off' days for 8 months and both times I was less than 100 calories over my goal. And it's way too early to do that, you haven't developed good habits yet.

    I personally ate very well for 2 months then switched to 'if it fits your macros' as well (although it's more 'if it fits under my calories' for me).

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