day off from diet?

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Nertak
Nertak Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I read a book that suggested working hard on your diet 6 days a week. On the 7th day you blow off the diet and then eat whatever you want.

How many people have heard of this? and I guess like the soda thread

yay or nay?

Replies

  • laurahadenough
    laurahadenough Posts: 28 Member
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    Yay definately yay.. shocks your body into letting go of the weight.. plus it keeps you sane.. :explode:
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
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    I think you have to be careful with "eat whatever you want" because that can quickly get out of hand… but I see no problem with the so-called "cheat" day. So long as that's all it is… ONE DAY. Personally, I find it easier for me to do a "cheat" MEAL.
  • sparklelioness
    sparklelioness Posts: 600 Member
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    Been doing exactly that for two years, ever since i started working on losing weight. Works for me :)
  • Jess__I__Can
    Jess__I__Can Posts: 307 Member
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    Yes it works, but like others have said, you still have to do well the other 6 days of the week and even then try to have some healthy choices on the cheat day. I may be starting over now, but last time I lost 50 pounds in 3 months I had a cheat day once a week.
  • nomad1989
    nomad1989 Posts: 3
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    I just go with the weekly calorie goal. I am supposed to eat 2,000 a day to lose 1 pound a week. I generally go with 1600 - 1700 a day and bank the left over for the weekend. It has been working so far. Just don't check your weight daily, as it will fluctuate more.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    I read a book that suggested working hard on your diet 6 days a week. On the 7th day you blow off the diet and then eat whatever you want.

    How many people have heard of this? and I guess like the soda thread

    yay or nay?
    To me if you need to do this your 'Diet' is too restrictive.
  • krumpli
    krumpli Posts: 76 Member
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    For me, the day off from logging is more of a mental break to allow me to feel "normal" amongst all the other twenty-somethings who can eat whatever they feel like. I also usually wind up having some sort of cheat meal, rather than eating junk all day. I do try to save it for social obligations, like picnics or work dinners, when trying to keep track of everything I take three bites of would just be unrealistic.

    If I don't have anything like that in a week, my cheat "meal" is usually a few drinks. :drinker:
  • LaneB89
    LaneB89 Posts: 93 Member
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    A day off from your diet is great for your sanity, but if you let it get out of hand you can wipe out your entire weekly deficit. It can also help replenish glycogen and restore hormone balance if you're in a deep or extended deficit. For me, I prefer to give myself a cheat meal rather than a cheat day, and I do it at weight intervals rather than time intervals. When my trend weight drops 5 lbs, I get one cheat meal where I eat whatever I want.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
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    I just don't have a dieting mindset so I don't have a need to take a day off. And I agree with fatdoob.
  • agrafina
    agrafina Posts: 128 Member
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    If you can do it without wiping out a big part of your deficit, then why not? I wouldn't do it because I can put food away like nothing else, and it wouldn't be pretty. And I'd lose no weight at all.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    I read a book that suggested working hard on your diet 6 days a week. On the 7th day you blow off the diet and then eat whatever you want.

    How many people have heard of this? and I guess like the soda thread

    yay or nay?
    To me if you need to do this your 'Diet' is too restrictive.

    Exactly.

    It's fine if you still have a lot of weight to lose and a big deficit but when you get down to your last 15 pounds and losing .5/week you can totally trash that deficit (it's ONLY 250 calories / week) in one meal..hell I can blow it in one SNACK.. In one day I can easily eat over 3000 calories without even trying....I'm allowed about 2000. Do that every week and you won't be losing anything at all.
  • fit_gal
    fit_gal Posts: 167
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    Why would you do that???
  • Nertak
    Nertak Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm a little surprised that the day off idea seems to be so popular. Personally, I find that if I stop eating right I will, like an alcoholic, fall off the wagon and everything will fall apart.
  • Happymelz
    Happymelz Posts: 536 Member
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    It depends on your willingness to keep it to 1 day or 1 meal. I've been doing this since September and had to train myself to keep from making it an all weekend thing.

    Look at my diary from last week.

    Great all week, over on Sunday and still DOWN this week.

    (Sunday I went over more than I intended. But it does keep me from falling off the wagon. I look forward to my Sunday meals.)

    Deficit = loss.

    Smaller deficit = smaller loss.

    It may slow progress...but if it keeps you from going off the deep end completely, it is worth it in my opinion.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    I don't schedule a day a week. I take one when I need it - holidays, parties and such but not more than once a week.
  • JensRiot
    JensRiot Posts: 24 Member
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    I don't schedule a day a week. I take one when I need it - holidays, parties and such but not more than once a week.

    I do pretty much the same. I am still aware of my intake though. I could blow an entire week's deficit in one day if I really went wild.
  • klinger6395
    klinger6395 Posts: 44 Member
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    1 day off lifestyle rather?
  • Nertak
    Nertak Posts: 34 Member
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    I could blow an entire week's deficit in one day if I really went wild.

    I so agree. I feel like spending one day eating the way I did that got me so fat in the first place would drastically slow my progress (and could reverse it). I love milkshakes, pizza and fries. I could EASILY have an entire days worth of calories in one meal. Let alone the 3 meals in a day.

    pancakes with chocolate syrup for breakfast
    cheese stake and fries for lunch
    Pizza for dinner
    milkshake for desert.

    good luck the rest of the week.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    I don't schedule a day a week. I take one when I need it - holidays, parties and such but not more than once a week.

    I do pretty much the same. I am still aware of my intake though. I could blow an entire week's deficit in one day if I really went wild.

    +1

    And I still make an attempt at keeping track of what I'm eating - I just do it at the end of the special occasion so it doesn't interfere with the fun. Otherwise, I just keep to my target as best I can.

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