a 'free day' or occasional small treats?

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Idahoheartmom
Idahoheartmom Posts: 53
in Food and Nutrition
What is better for your body- to occasion indulge in something you wouldn't normally eat, or to have one day where you eat what you want and don't log?

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  • amber_hanners
    amber_hanners Posts: 388 Member
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    good question. im interested in hearing thoughts on this
  • mommy2halfdozen
    mommy2halfdozen Posts: 52 Member
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    I have a little something everyday and then just make sure I burn enough calories to burn it off.
  • whtrbt
    whtrbt Posts: 5
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    I do two things. Every night i treat myself to a Skinny Cow ice cream snack.

    On Saturday, I have my free day -- I don't keep track of anything I eat and I allow myself to eat whatever I want. Otherwise I am very strict.
  • whtrbt
    whtrbt Posts: 5
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    I do two things. Every night i treat myself to a Skinny Cow ice cream snack.

    On Saturday, I have my free day -- I don't keep track of anything I eat and I allow myself to eat whatever I want. Otherwise I am very strict.
  • amysambora
    amysambora Posts: 219
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    It depends what your willpower is like. Do you consider these 'free days' to be a blow-out where you splurge on what you consider 'bad foods' or would it just be a break from calorie counting where you maybe allow yourself a couple of treats? If you must have a free day, I would encourage the second option :) But I'm really not a fan of them at all. I say keep it balanced - there are no bad foods, only bad eating habits :) If you feel like chocolate, have it, just don't go crazy!
  • jsmjboertlein
    jsmjboertlein Posts: 267
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    I do two things. Every night i treat myself to a Skinny Cow ice cream snack.

    On Saturday, I have my free day -- I don't keep track of anything I eat and I allow myself to eat whatever I want. Otherwise I am very strict.

    Same here. Only not an ice cream fan so I do mini candy bars usually. Saturdays my hubby is home for dinner so I have a free day cause he likes me to cook big meals. Most of the time I can't overeat if I wanna. So that's cool.
  • omgitsgarry
    omgitsgarry Posts: 138
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    I have free days. They aren't often and usually only when we go out to eat, which is once every two months tops. I stick to one meal and I don't go to wild. I also don't log it, because I don't want to feel guilty about it.
  • crjugrl
    crjugrl Posts: 172
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    I've heard quite a few people people say that they're actually avoiding plateaus when they have one "free" day a week. And not that Dr. Phil is someone everyone wants to take advice from, but I believe it was him that said if you don't "cheat" once a week, you'll never stick to it. I've personally found that to be true. Of course everyone's different. See what works for you :smile:

    Edit to add: And I don't mean eating everything in sight! I mean enjoying normal meals and possibly a dessert guilt free. Eat until you're not hungry, not until you're stuffed. Sometimes that's hard.
  • britt_fit
    britt_fit Posts: 169
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    I think it depends on the person. Personally if I really want a treat I'll work it in to my daily calorie allowance. Sometimes though I feel like I just want a day where I don't have to worry about tracking and I can just eat whatever I want. I've been having a day every 2 weeks where I eat whatever without tracking. My stomach hasn't been too happy with it though, which reinforces my healthy eating habits the next day and helps me stay on track. Sometimes fighting myself too long is taxing and I just need a day to give myself some wiggle room.
  • minxblack
    minxblack Posts: 40
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    I allow myself something small and try to keep room for it in my calories everyday. Some days I need it some days I don't. That way, I rarely binge and I add free days so I keep an accurate record of what I eat and the calories so when I step on the scale, there are no surprises.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    I plan in treats (cookie, small chocolate, wine, cider etc) a few times a week and make sure they are accounted for in my daily calories. If there is a special occasion and I go out to eat I just try to make a healthier main course choice, enjoy a decadent dessert and log it all. Of course, restaurant food is always going to be an estimate, no way to know what the calories are, but I find something in the database that is close so I have at least an idea of what I've taken in.

    This is my take on a "free day" - going over calories for the day (making sure I really enjoy it!) but logging it - I want to be able to look back and see how many of these days there are.
  • NZblue
    NZblue Posts: 147 Member
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    I tend to plan my meals for the day, in advance. This means I can factor in a little treat, each day - usually amounting to 100 calories - and eat around that.

    I tend to have 300-400 calories leftover after main meals, so I have a little lee-way.

    I'm all for balance. I totally track everything - even when I've had the occasional mega splurge. I feel happier about these splurges, when I see exactly what they are. For me, it's encouragement. =)

    Pretty much exactly what Rubybelle has said, to be honest. =)
  • ameaston22
    ameaston22 Posts: 38
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    I really think the most effective way to lose weight is finding a way to eat the things you love and still be under your daily allowance. I usually allow myself treats every day, but I exercise enough to still have 600-800 calories remaining. Like today, I had two cupcakes but could've eaten another 1000 calories because I worked out two hours. On days where I don't work out, I am a little more strict. I don't count occasional or even daily treats as a "free day". I would consider a free day where you're over your allowance in any way. I still make sure that I'm careful and count my calories. I think the most I've gone over is 900 calories (hello, huge margaritas and steak dinner).

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