break day

I do this occasionally, but try and make it just for one MEAL not the whole day and still count and log your calories, that way if your weight loss slows down or stalls at least you can look back and find the reason why... memories are tricky things.

I used to have a "free day" once a week, but I found that it would often affect my eating habits for the rest of the week as well. Once or twice a month, I don't think, should make too much of a difference as long as you have the self-control to stop after that day. And if you don't mind losing a little slower which may end up being a consequence.

But I find that I like the idea of cheat meals better than cheat days. Those are easier to control and end up doing much less damage than an entire day of just...eating. And since they do less damage, they can be incorporated more often, though it's still probably a good idea not to do that more than once or twice a month.

Of course, with all of this, it really depends on the person and how much willpower they have. It will affect people in different ways and there's really no one way to answer the question on whether or not it will hurt your diet goals.

Do you take a day where you just eat and don't worry about the calories? Would doing that once or twice a month hurt your diet?

I dunno about taking a day to eat whatever you want, but it is a good idea to take a week and eat at maintenance level every couple of months to let your body regulate its hormone levels.

If I eat well consistently and then blow it all eating a big meal out at a restaurant or whatever then I wake up the next morning feeling terrible, guilty, and wishing I made better choices. If I do blow my calories I try to make it up through exercise the same day.

I agree with the idea of cheat meals, rather than cheat days! I am human!!!!

I do.....every Saturday I eat what I want in the quantities I want.....and my vacations are the same I'm not a good boy when I'm on vacation.

I figure this is not a diet, this is how the rest of my life should be, and there will always be occasions where I can either be a wallflower (or stay home) or participate fully - and knowing myself I want to participate fully.

Having a "day without schedule" once a week prepares me mentally for this and trains me to go back to being "good" when I've been bad without beating myself up.

Has my weight loss been slower because of this - maybe, but I've still lost about a pound pr. week which is my goal.

Incidentally I've just been away on vacation for a week - I didn't monitor anything and didn't hold back on anything. I've gained two pounds during that week and I expect it to be gone by next "official" weigh-in.

For me a "day off" every week works and helps keep me on track and also helps me to not lose the grip on "normal" days after all. Why should I give in to temptation on an ordinary Wednesday when I can do whatever I want just 3 days later (and normally the crawing I had on said Wednesday is then gone by Saturday)

Break day every friday, but I do keep an eye on calorie intake... it's just too easy to double or triple what you should be consuming.