Does anyone plan on taking a day off?

pixiestick
pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been thinking that the first day of Aunt Flow should be my 'day off,' but I wanted to know what other people do/did, especially those with some success at weight loss.

I don't want to go crazy or anything, just eat food that I might not eat otherwise (like a crepe, maybe a slice of pizza, or a pb&j).

Thanks!:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    I have been thinking that the first day of Aunt Flow should be my 'day off,' but I wanted to know what other people do/did, especially those with some success at weight loss.

    I don't want to go crazy or anything, just eat food that I might not eat otherwise (like a crepe, maybe a slice of pizza, or a pb&j).

    Thanks!:flowerforyou:
  • Kate01
    Kate01 Posts: 14 Member
    Sounds like a gr8 plan to me..... occasionally you have a day when you need to let rip.... write it off and start again the next morning.

    I've learnt that i confuse my body by doing this once in while, not regularly, and it seems to remind my body that it doesn't need to store up cus it does get feed and i'm losing weight and enjoying doing so.

    :drinker:
  • kechiemc
    kechiemc Posts: 1,355 Member
    I like this idea. I do something similar. It has worked great for me. I eat what I want when I want - never stuffing myself of course.

    In chatting with friends, I have heard that this strategy is tough for some of them b/c they have trouble ending that one day.

    Let us know what you decide and how it works for you.:flowerforyou:
  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,317 Member
    I do occasionally have treat meals, and the start of AF sounds like a great time to have one. It does help to throw off your body to avoid or break plateaus anyway.
  • Shapooky
    Shapooky Posts: 7 Member
    As far as eating - I do take a day off, I am not well trained to stay on a strict diet. I have to have an occasional big thick juicey steak and a big slab of chocolate cake, but on those days I do exercise. It off sets my guilt. I can understand the day Aunt Flow decides to visit is a time of feeling yucky:grumble: , so if that is the day you want to take to enjoy foods you like:drinker: go for it! Tomorrow is another day:flowerforyou: !
  • sanifrey
    sanifrey Posts: 2,355 Member
    I'm going to say this as gently as possible.. but, in my opinion, I've worked too hard to take a day off. If I feel that I want a slice of pizza or even two, I work for it! Work a little harder & earn those extra calories. I feel that when I can fit my "indulgences" into my plan that I can eat without the guilt & actually enjoy the meal more.

    I'm here trying to lose weight because I've taken way too many days off. But, that's me & I hope that I didn't come across snotty, because I do feel rather strongly about it.
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    Sanifrey, you don't come across as snotty at all. Thanks for the honesty. And thanks to you all for your advice. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: I still haven't decided what I want to do, but I went to the gym so that's a good start. I was up all night cramping and I just wanted a chocolate crepe so badly this morning. But I had my yogurt and went to the gym...
  • sanifrey
    sanifrey Posts: 2,355 Member
    Sanifrey, you don't come across as snotty at all. Thanks for the honesty. And thanks to you all for your advice. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: I still haven't decided what I want to do, but I went to the gym so that's a good start. I was up all night cramping and I just wanted a chocolate crepe so badly this morning. But I had my yogurt and went to the gym...


    Good girl!! Sounds like you're off to a good start! Keep it up & know that you can get through this!
  • tayner
    tayner Posts: 372
    for me i look at it as a lifestyle change.. cant take a day off from my life.. i can enjoy foods occasionally that i dont normally, but doing that requires "payment" so to speak, either weight gain or gym time. I opt for gym time to offset any "splurge" I might have... but with that said, it seems after 5 weeks I hardly crave any of the foods I used to love so much, or thought I loved. I think my body is just loving the healthy food and rewarding me by shedding 18 pounds in 5 weeks!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Sanifrey, you don't come across as snotty at all. Thanks for the honesty. And thanks to you all for your advice. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: I still haven't decided what I want to do, but I went to the gym so that's a good start. I was up all night cramping and I just wanted a chocolate crepe so badly this morning. But I had my yogurt and went to the gym...

    I think you must be honest with yourself. For me, if I eat a slice of chocolate cake (mmmmmmmchocolatecake) I will eat 1/2 the entire cake. So I dont touch the stuff!

    But if you think you can have your slice of pizza, and the next day back to your regularly scheduled program, it doesnt kill you once a month!

    Looking good there kiddo!:flowerforyou:
  • katrana
    katrana Posts: 66 Member
    I plan on taking my wedding day off (May 30th) :drinker: We picked out such good food, cake, and wine!

    We are staying in a cabin in the woods though for our honeymoon, and I am really looking forward to lots of hikes and kayaking! :love:

    This is a healthy life-style change for me. If I eat those toxic foods too much at first I just feel awful, but then I mysteriously crave them even more. ie, mcdonalds. If I eat mcdonalds it doesn't even taste good, but, the more I crave it. No idea why.
  • AnneElise
    AnneElise Posts: 4,206 Member
    You should take your wedding day off... JUST ENJOY! When you are making a lifestyle change there are going to be days like weddings where weight/calories just don't matter as much. Have a GREAT wedding day!
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    I have to refrain, especially during the wicked days :laugh: I know that I can't just have a little treat, I will keep having little pieces of cake until the whole darn thing is gone.

    Personally, the first day of my period is the best day for me to stay on track. I get a walk in and I make sure to stick to my pre planned meals. The walks help ease the water weight gain and the pre planned meals keep me from over indulging in sugars and restaurant prepared sodium piles.

    But that is what works for me. :wink:
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
    I do eat things I want. Last night I wanted a brownie so I had a brownie. It was in my alloted cals but I wanted it an ate it and I will work around it.

    As long as I am in a deficit or no more than 200-300 cals above maintenance I don't worry about the one day. Usually my days balance so there is one day I will go under by the exact same amount.:flowerforyou:
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
    I have been thinking that the first day of Aunt Flow should be my 'day off,' but I wanted to know what other people do/did, especially those with some success at weight loss.

    I don't want to go crazy or anything, just eat food that I might not eat otherwise (like a crepe, maybe a slice of pizza, or a pb&j).

    Thanks!:flowerforyou:
    I personally work out a tad harder during aunt flow....I take a full week off every 3-4months..but only from excercise..I continue to eat properly..I do not make a battle with food if I want something I eat it or take a few bites and throw the rest away....I always test stuff to see if its worth it before I commit to eating a full serving lol
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
    I look at it this way:

    Most of us here are not doing this because we're on a diet, but rather because it's time for a lifestyle change- whether you're here to lose 100 pounds, or 5, you've decided it's time to change the way you live. When I think of a lifestyle it doesn't mean what you do every single second of every single day for the rest of your life, but rather what you do/how you live *most* of the time. For example, if you have an "active" lifestyle you are *usually* (more often than not) on the go, up and moving, etc. That's not to say that because you call your lifestyle active you never ever have a day when you are rather inactive and just kind of relax. Likewise, that doesn't mean that if you think you live a "dangerous" lifestyle that you are flirting with disaster, hanging out with the wrong crowd, having run-ins with the police etc. etc. etc. every single day of your life.

    So, anyhow, I'm sorry if I'm rambling but I've been thinking a lot about this lately!:smile: To me a "lifestyle" is what you do for the most part, not every second of every day- or in our case, for every single meal and snack you'll ever eat from here until the end of time. Perfect example: My best friend's bridal shower was today- I ate cake and cookies in moderation (but was proud of myself for skipping my favorite: egg salad sandwhiches:grumble: ). However, I still consider myself a healthy eater because it's my lifestyle and way more often than not I eat healthy.

    Just my opinion!
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    I have a real hard time staying on the plan on the first day as well. I am ravenous, and I almost always go over anyway. So I have decided that day will be a day I do not log. Not that I am planning to go overboard, but just not enter it into my food diary. That way I don't feel like I have to binge (today's my cheat day so it's my only chance) but I also won't feel guilty about what happens that one day. If I stay on the right path for 30 days, and do whatever one one day, then I am doing very well on the vast majority of days.
  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
    With me it's a lifestyle change, so I don't really like the concept of "cheating." I mean, I wouldn't cheat on my boyfriend!

    But I'm trying out Tom Venuto's carb cycling plan-- 3 days of 30% carbs, 1 day of 50%. Those days, I let myself have a treat. I don't see it as cheating; I gotta keep those carbs up! Like, I might have a small bowl of Lucky Charms, or have lunch at Cafe Gratitude.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Phoenix, do you live in the East Bay? I had lunch at Cafe Gratitude and it was a wonderful, delicious experience!!! But I was completely at a loss as to how to log the calories that day.... how many calories in vegan celery based pad thai? :laugh:
  • pixiestick
    pixiestick Posts: 839 Member
    Thanks all! The day was better than I thought it would be. Went for a long walk in the park and spent a long lazy afternoon chatting with my friend in the sunshine. We ate pasta (first time for me in over a month) and that killed the pizza crave. On my way home from her place, I knew that I really wanted a piece of chocolate cake. So I bought a mini-cake at Sainsburys, ate one portion, and threw the rest away. It tasted really good. :bigsmile: I wound up having 120g of broiled chicken breast and a light salad for dinner (under 300 cals). With 900 cals from the gym and 1200 for the day, I had 92 cals to spare at the end of the day. :laugh: And that's with Aunt flow! Thanks for your support. I really needed it today.
    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :heart: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
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