Giving self a "freebie" day or meal?

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buxs981
buxs981 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone give themselves a freebie day or meal once a week to help with any cravings? I've heard pris and cons for this technique. Thoughts?

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  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    I eat what I want as long as it fits within my calorie goals. Or I accept that it will put me over. I like to know exactly what I'm consuming so going off piste just wouldn't work for me and I could easily end up overeating and wiping out my deficit. So I just satisfy my cravings the same way I will for the rest of my life.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    It depends on you really.

    When I was losing, I would sometimes choose to a) eat at maintenance for the day or b) exercise extra to earn extra calories.
    buxs981 wrote: »
    Does anyone give themselves a freebie day or meal once a week to help with any cravings? I've heard pris and cons for this technique. Thoughts?

  • faramelee
    faramelee Posts: 163 Member
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    What cravings are you having? It would seem a shame to have a whole 'freebie' day as you put it whereby you don't track anything and, as stated earlier blowing your whole deficit for the week, when you may be able to incorporate what you are craving daily and still be under your calories for the day/week.
    There are so many ways of looking at this though - some people respond really well to these types of days and some don't - I personally prefer to not restrict/limit anything in my diet so that I don't feel that I am going without therefore don't crave anything or feel the need for 'freebie' days. There is no right and wrong generally, we are all individuals and what works for you wouldn't necessarily work for others. It may be a case of you trial and erroring it to see what works for you.

    Best of luck :)
  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
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    I under-eat on weekdays so that i can eat whatever i want on the weekends. It works fine for me.
  • buxs981
    buxs981 Posts: 19 Member
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    My difficult days are Saturdays. Football games, lots of food, bevs, people, and mindless munching. Yeah, looking back and hearing it coming from others- does sound very self sabotaging! Ugh!!!
  • marekittech
    marekittech Posts: 3 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I count calories but if I over eat allowance I will go to gym to burn calories to be in line with allowance all times, ie I crave for chocolate 450 kcal I will eat all no problem but than I will have to exercise to burn, easy and effective ,if I am not over allowance I will watch a movie instead gym:))
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
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    no, it wipes out my deficit
  • marekittech
    marekittech Posts: 3 Member
    edited October 2016
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    :) or can watch one episode of your favorite YouTube while walking at gym at 6.7 speed ,2 in 1:), 800 kcal
  • Golbat
    Golbat Posts: 276 Member
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    I count everything. Even if I didn't count it, my body would. Those calories are there regardless.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    There is really no need if you use flexible dieting. Flexible dieting means eat whatever you want/crave, but stay within your macro and calorie goals. The rub is, of course, if you eat all crap food you probably are going to spend the day hungry unless you exercise to add calories back into your diet. No need to deprive yourself of anything, just log it, and watch your calories. Cheat/freebie/etc. days and/or meals will simply derail you over time. Instead, if you know you're going to have fun and eat a lot on the weekend, do like some of us do and stay in a higher deficit throughout the week to make it affordable overall for your weekly goal. For instance, if I know on Saturday that I am going to eat a LOT, I will add a 250 cal or more deficit the other six days of the week to give me an extra 1500 calories to play with. If I know I'll be drinking along with all the food I might add an extra 500 calorie deficit throughout the other six days. So I may go over on that Saturday but it won't hurt your overall goals in the end.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,020 Member
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    I don't do "freebie" days. I eat things that I like in moderation and don't really have cravings. If I do have a craving for something I just work it into my goal. I will sometimes eat a little under for a day or two so I will have extra calories for a special event. This can backfire for me though because sometimes I bank calories and end up not using them so mostly I just eat what I want and fit it into my goal.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    All good advice... I just think it's interesting you call it a "freebie" day. Others call them "cheat" days. Unfortunately, calories aren't "free" and we can't "cheat" them ;)
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    May want to make sure your weekly weight loss goal is not so aggressive that it leaves you hungry and vulnerable to cravings and binges.
  • jessiferrrb
    jessiferrrb Posts: 1,758 Member
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    sometimes i will allow myself to go over my calorie limit intentionally. i still log everything and chances are i know exactly what i want to eat so i prelog and make sure it doesn't wipe out my deficit. by sundays i usually have about 1,000 -1,500 calories to spare (from not eating back all my exercise calories) so i don't feel so badly about brunch or football foods. also, i'll try to get some cardio in early in the day for extra padding. so, thinking about it, it's not so much of a free day after all. lol. also, regardless of how many extra calories i've 'banked' i would really struggle exceeding 3,000 mentally.
  • buxs981
    buxs981 Posts: 19 Member
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    Great suggestions!!!! Thanks!! Don't feel quite as worried now about Saturdays!!! Thanks!!!

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