Pig Out Days?

I've learned that after extended periods of eating mostly healthy stuff (as opposed to mostly non-healthy stuff), the times when I *do* let the balance skew the other way aren't as satisfying. I think the reason is that food, while it is a social thing and should be pleasurable and tasty and all that other stuff, is also *fuel*.

To expand the analogy, and I'm sure y'all can see where this is going: My hubby and I went on vacation to the cottage this past weekend. On the way, we noticed that our new(ish) vehicle was getting pretty impressive gas mileage. We weren't speeding (much), took care not to accelerate too sharply, did a lot of "good driving" things to increase the mileage, and it paid off. We filled up somewhere over the weekend, didn't think anything about it, and watched our mileage on the way home.

The trip home was disappointing because we didn't get nearly the same mileage, even though we did all the same things to *get* good mileage. We dropped a mile or two off the efficiency, somehow, and nothing had changed about the contents of the car, the passengers...the thing that changed was where we bought the gas. I think (because I've excluded everything else) the quality of the gas at the 2nd gas station wasn't as good. I could be wrong, but go with me on this one because it makes my rambling work.

Anyway, back to food issues. When I go "off the wagon", or indulge more than I know is good for me, I feel it. I feel the letdown from the sugar rush, or bloated, or just plain "gunky" for lack of a better word. If I stick to the plan and make better food choices, even indulging a little bit doesn't make me feel like that. I get better mileage, as it were.

So it's certainly okay to pig out and indulge, and for heaven's sake don't feel guilty about it EVER, but for myself - it just isn't worth feeling "gunky" when I can keep on an even keel and feel physically fine.

I have "Cheat" days occasionally but if i ever go overboard it is that much harder to stay in my calorie target in the days following so it is almost not worth it. I am trying to get better at giving myself rewards that are still low in calories and still satisfy my horrible sweet tooth.

I tend to eat more on the weekends. I see weekend as my indulgence time! I am not dieting, but I let myself eat treats on the weekends- wine, cookies, bigger meals, and eating out. During the week I am SO anal, that I enjoy my weekend splurges!!!

Eat whatever you want, as long as you maintain a calorie deficit over the course of the week.

My first instinct is to say :"stay strong" and don't do it-yet. I think once a week is too often to have a cheat day. There is supposed to be some benefit from a one day spike in calories, but seems to me a day month is far better than a day a week. In my 36 days, I have yet to have a cheat day, despite eating pizza once, red robin once, ice cream multiple times. I have gotten close to my goal, and maybe even gone over by a little 4 times or so, but never a "blow up the plan" type day.

Pretty much this.

I feel better about myself and my goals when I have "cheat items" now and then but still adhere to my goals calorie-wise. It is quite rare for me to go over on my daily calories by more than 100 (usually I don't at all).

For me it's very satisfying this way. For example, tonight my husband and I are going out to dinner. We haven't decided yet between Thai or Mexican. I'm currently on 1,410 calories per day and won't be able to get in a ton of exercise today. So for breakfast, I had a cup of coffee and Greek yogurt with a little honey and six almonds. At lunch I had a small flour tortilla spread with hummus and an egg fried with red onion & artichoke pieces. I still have a lot of calories to use tonight, almost 1,000.

I also treat my weekends differently than weekdays...if I play an hour of tennis and walk around for 5 hours (not even fitness walking, just doing different things like sight-seeing) I'll conservatively log those calories and therefore can "afford" that boutique cupcake or 32 oz of apple ale.

If you're fine with never losing weight, sure-- a pig out day is just fine (I'm assuming you mean ignoring all caloric goals for one day each week).

Calories in/calories out. If you run, lets say, a 400 calorie daily deficit for six days and then eat an extra 2400 calories on top of your maintenance calories on the seventh day (which is not at all hard to do with junk food), you've just eaten at maintenance for the week.

If your idea of a cheat day is to just eat whatever you want without regard to macros, while staying inside of your calorie limits, then it doesn't have to impede your progress at all. Or maybe you eat maintenance +400 on that day, and just trade one day's deficit. Whatever you want to do, it's all down to the arithmetic.

I never have cheat days. I just have cheat meals or snacks occasionally and I always log them. I try not to have them too often though!

Eat whatever you want, as long as you maintain a calorie deficit over the course of the week.

This.

Also, if I find I am eating over my calories due to a high cal meal or snack, I exercise to earn the calories that I spent.

Please go ahead!!! As long as its just one day please go ahead! I have cheat days every sunday and I'm loving it!

Nothing to cheat for me, I eat it all every day. E.g. ice cream daily ... Just not a lot of it.

Quantity-wise I know myself and to allow some pig out slack for the hell of it is the start of a slippery slope.

I prefer to consistently hit the weekly deficit, build in some exercise naturally and trust the process.

As usual, it depends on the individual, I can see the merit in the occasional "metabolic reset" day after a long period of restriction.