Has anyone done this?

If I understand correctly, you are asking if anyone has gone out with friends and eaten foods or amounts of food that they don't eat on a day to day basis. Is that correct?

If so, then yes, of course. I can't imagine a life where I didn't do this occasionally. Occasionally is the key. As long as I stay on track most days, the occasional high calorie day (and I'm not talking a binge of 10,000 calories) doesn't slow my progress.

Indulgence can be a fine part of any diet plan, so long as you are honest with yourself as to how far, and how often you will go. Sometimes rewarding yourself can be motivation to keep going, but it is dangerous to make a habit of. Going out for a meal or two certainly isn't the end of the world, it's just the making a habit of it part that will ultimately sabotage your goals.

Of course. Just get back on track after your weekend. No long-term harm done. We all need a break from being super careful with our diets now and then.

At least once a week...

I believe what you may be refering to is a Full Diet Break. And I fully intend to take one once I reach my next goal, just for 2 weeks though. I will eat my maintenance calories for 2 weeks and stop considering my macros as closely. I pretty much eat what I want now but i often forego treats when the calories aren't there, so during my break I will have an extra 500-750 cals to splurge with.

Breaks are good. Stopping the "diet" for a period is only going to be bad if you let it be a free for all binge fest. 70lbs is an amazing accomplishment- I am all for celebrating it (within reason).

If that's how you feel, do it!!! A little break from your routine will do you good and get you back in the mindset to continue on in your journey. I've found that having one day a month where I can eat whatever I want in whatever quantities I want really helps me not lose my mind. I usually pick the one day a month where it would be especially hard to stick to my Paleo/Primal lifestyle, for example: my birthday, Christmas Day, Superbowl, Valentine's Day, etc. but it could be anything. Some people say once a week is the key, but I find that to be much too often, especially because you have 2-4 days afterwards of waiting for the "post-cheat bloat" to go away. You will definitely see an upswing in the scale after your lax day, even as much as 5 pounds, but it will go away after a few days, it's really just water retention from sodium, etc, don't panic.

It's important to remember that, while you are committed to changing your lifestyle for the better, there are just going to be days every once in a while where you need to forget that you aren't where you want to be yet and just enjoy food. No guilt. If you want to eat a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's in one sitting, do it. (As long as it really is only every once in a long while, and doesn't become an every other night necessity.) Don't look back, because what's done is done, and feeling guilty over food isn't supposed to be part of a healthy lifestyle. Just make sure you get back to your regular routine the next morning. You don't even have to do extra cardio to make up for it.

I agree, I over indulge every now and then. I don't think of myself as being on a diet either, I hate the word diet, I am doing a life style change.

I remember someone posting around the holidays something about how your diet is determined by what you do all year long, not just one month. I thought that was good advice. Go enjoy your meals and time with your friends, and just get back on track on Monday. None of us got fat over the course of a weekend.

I did it for twelve straight days over Christmas and new years, It was no big deal, just some water and waste weight that was gone a few days later. You'll be fine.

Rigger

I agree, I over indulge every now and then. I don't think of myself as being on a diet either, I hate the word diet, I am doing a life style change.

I don't even think of this as a diet! I try to avoid the word also. This really is a lifestyle change to me - that's why I was wondering what others did.

Everyone, whether they are trying to become healthier or they eat like complete garbage, is on a diet of some sort. Diet is just your eating habits. It has nothing to do with trying to lose weight or eat better. Shouldn't be viewed as a bad word. However, the phrase "I'm on a diet" for trying to eat better is a bit ridiculous.

This is how I look at things. I try to see how my thin friends eat. Do they eat pizza or ice cream?? Yep!! My one friend ate at Pizza Hut buffet and was so full and miserable all day long. I thought to myself, "hmmmm, these skinny cyborgs do over eat!!!" The difference in them and me is that I will go completely overboard. Not at just one meal, but for the whole day, FREEEEEEE DAYYYYYYYY!!!!!! Then my motivation is lacking the day after and its hard for me to get back on it because I feel defeated. So I know that I will have days that I eat like crap, but I am sure to get right back at it the next meal or I know I will lose my motivation. So eat and enjoy, just make a conscious effort to get right back at it

It is OK to splurge once in awhile.. I think that you will find tho that you will not be able to eat like you once did even when you splurge. I have lost 90 lbs and have kept most of it off for 4+ years and when I eat "stuff I'm not supposed to" I find that my portions are still alot smaller than they once were. If you know when you are going to splurge try to get in extra exercise for the few days leading up to that day and it will not be as bad as you think it will.. Everyone is different so what works for me may not work for you.. Try a few different things and I'm sure you will find a happy medium.. Just remember if you are eating really healthy and you eat say McDonalds it is going to hit you like a ton of bricks and you may be in pain til it all gets out of your system (oh yes I speak from experience).. Only you can decide if it is worth it or not... Good luck..