Days off?

slobcat
slobcat Posts: 5
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
I know a lot of you will be really strict at sticking to your calorie intake but are there any of you who give yourself days off? Perhaps maybe once a week/month? Or maybe just on holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving etc or even on your birthday?

I think I'm definitely someone who will need to have a day off somewhere but it is only day 2 for me on MFP so I will wait and see but in the mean time I'm curious about everyone else!

Replies

  • melainemelaine
    melainemelaine Posts: 127 Member
    I have days off, I still log everything though, just to see how bad I was lol
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    I certainly give myself the holidays off :]

    and maybe about once every 6 weeks I give myself a day where I go WAY over calories :]
    I always log tho!
  • Nikki582
    Nikki582 Posts: 561 Member
    I don't have day's -off- but i dont' really have them on. I'm not looking at this as some quick fix diet, this is a rest of my life thing (not the counting, but the portions, the choices etc) So over Christmas I will still try to make good choices BUT I'll also want to have fun, to me it's not a big deal if I feel like having another slice of ham, you know?
    I feel if I thought of this as a big bad diet I'd probably be off the rails and beating myself up at every moment.
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    Not sure if you mea exercise days off or diet? ... But exercise wise usually I do 3 early morning workouts a week and the other days a lighter session in afternoon with one day a week off.

    Diet wise I have 1-2 treat meals a week now, but when I first started for first month I stuck to really low carb and lost quite a lot to kick start my weight loss.
  • aWashCloth
    aWashCloth Posts: 198 Member
    I consider a cheating day when I go over my calorie limit. I have done it maybe three or four times in the 65 days I've been doing this. I try and make up for it the days before and after, so I am prepared for it.

    I eat ice cream and bread all the time, but I won't go over my calorie/carb intake when I do that, so its not cheating to me. Its eating to fuel my body. It has everything I need it in just like everything else.

    I've been so good as far as my diet goes, when I try to "cheat" i end up not eating that much, since my stomach gets so much fuller with less food.

    That way in the future I will never have a cheat day, Ill be just eating different things and stopping eating when I'm full, since I am programming my body to do that now.
  • TrekkerCynthia
    TrekkerCynthia Posts: 155 Member
    I log every day. But I don't always stay below or at my calorie target. In fact, there always seems to be one day a week where I do go over because of some event - book (wine) club, holiday, birthday, visiting friends, etc. I still log because it does keep me in check somewhat and I like the accountability. It is amazing how much food or drink I can "forget" that I had. And if I don't track one day, it makes it that much easier not to track the next day. With the MFP database you can find about anything you eat, too.

    For exercise, it depends on the week. If it's been a really hard workout week I make sure to take one day off. If the exercise hasn't had too much high intensity then no days off.
  • tunabob
    tunabob Posts: 3 Member
    A meal off is OK in my openion but a day off of can lead to stopping all togeather, I guess its depends on your goals. For me it is life style change, I was 250 in 1998 and 222 in jUNE 2010, TODAY i AM 174, i MAY HAVE A "BAD" meal but try to get right back on track.
  • tjbeer
    tjbeer Posts: 90 Member
    Glad to hear you a normal like me!!

    :happy: I always have a "treat" day once a week, but on those days I do try to do more exercise, then I can really enjoy my treat. I still log what I eat and then get back on track the next days.

    Good luck and enjoy your journey. Add me if you need some more support.
  • tunabob
    tunabob Posts: 3 Member
    as mentioned above I still log everything I eat, knowledge is power
  • cbear017
    cbear017 Posts: 345 Member
    If you mean in terms of diet, yes. I have one day a week where I'll eat whatever I want but log it. It's good to mix things up. I find it actually stimulates weight loss and keeps my body guessing.

    If I want something in particular during the rest of the week I'll try to fit it in my calories and macros.
  • Rachaelluvszipped
    Rachaelluvszipped Posts: 768 Member
    Some of us call it a "spike day"..(eating wise)

    If your talking about exercise wise..yes, we all need a day or two off from working out...body needs rest :wink:

    or eating wise (spike day)..is a day you go over..lol, not a binge day..but a day you would just enjoy your fave things and not worry about stressing if your meeting your calories that day..

    I have these once a week..but then again I work out 6 days a week..:wink:

    Hope this helps:flowerforyou:
  • smb0701
    smb0701 Posts: 234
    absolutely, i definitely take days off. it's whenever i feel like it. i don't have some strict regimen that i follow. i just go with what ever mood i'm in that day.
  • DaniellePF
    DaniellePF Posts: 308 Member
    After a while I liked my days on better--not liking the way I felt on other days, I decided not to have them any more. After a while it becomes a lifestyle and it feels better than indulging. Not saying I don't mess up or slip, I just dont want to anymore.
  • Teliooo
    Teliooo Posts: 725 Member
    I have a day off a week, as in I eat a meal or two that I like and don't worry too much about cals. Sometimes I log, sometimes I don't. I still work out that day if I am not busy. oh and I don't work out every. My uncle who is a fitness trainer told me that 3 days of work outs is enough. I usually walk every day and as I am on a sedentary setting, this is usually enough for me
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Do you mean days off from working out?

    When I was at the height of my weight loss journey, I took one full week off every 4-6 weeks. I also took at least 1 day off each week. Our bodies need a chance to rest, relax, repair and recover from what we put it through when we're working out. I know once I started giving my body days off -- it helped move things along faster.

    As for "diet" days off - I eat what I want, when I want it. For me, it's all about moderation. So, I never have on or off days - they're all the same to me. If I want a piece of cake, I eat it - but, I know that I have to account for it in my daily calories.
  • judykritikos
    judykritikos Posts: 161
    Since I'm not "dieting", I don't have ON or OFF days. Once I realized that eating healthy is a life choice, all my days are on. I don't exercise everyday if I have a meeting or other event, but if I don't have something going on, yes, I walk, elliptical, zumba or Shred every day. I made a decision on my birthday (9/14) that I would not eat chocolate or candy. I felt I was addicted to the sugar and would easily give up GOOD or HEALTHY food for that sweet taste. It's been well over 2 months, and I don't miss it like I thought I would. If I set a cheat day - knowing what my calories are for cheat foods - I'd be working the next week just trying to eat off that one day. It's just not worth it - while I'm in weight loss mode. Now - once I reach my desired weight, I might enjoy a light desert, because if it takes me a week to work off those extra lbs, I'll be doing it to maintain the weight, not lose it.
  • mmhenry28
    mmhenry28 Posts: 163 Member
    I don't have day's -off- but i dont' really have them on. I'm not looking at this as some quick fix diet, this is a rest of my life thing (not the counting, but the portions, the choices etc) So over Christmas I will still try to make good choices BUT I'll also want to have fun, to me it's not a big deal if I feel like having another slice of ham, you know?
    I feel if I thought of this as a big bad diet I'd probably be off the rails and beating myself up at every moment.

    This EXACTLY
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    What I consider ON day - hit calories and macros
    OFF day - way over calories or didn't get enough protein/fat

    So yes there can be ON or OFF days IMO

    Lifestyle change yes, but that doesn't mean everyday is a "good" or"perfect" eating day
  • it_be_asin
    it_be_asin Posts: 562 Member
    On very special events I eat what I want. I didn't count my sister's wedding, not planning on counting on my birthday, may or may not count Christmas. You only live once.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Holidays are an all out free-for-all with caution thrown out the window.

    As far as normal days, I try to nail my kcal and macros 6 days/week. One day per week I choose not to log anything but I also don't binge. On my off day I'm near maintenance/+a few hundred.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    I'll have a meal that's not the healthiest option every two weeks. I get bored otherwise. I log everything tho.

    Of you're two days in tho I would t even think of it for a month TBH. It's hard enough when you're starting.
  • cbear017
    cbear017 Posts: 345 Member
    After a while I liked my days on better--not liking the way I felt on other days, I decided not to have them any more. After a while it becomes a lifestyle and it feels better than indulging. Not saying I don't mess up or slip, I just dont want to anymore.

    I was going to say the same thing. I find that I look forward to my "cheat" days less and less and find myself cheating less and less on them. The novelty wears off believe it or not.
  • 99Tinkerbell
    99Tinkerbell Posts: 384
    I try not to take any days off because you will come across days when you are over because of poor planning or just being more hungry that day. So I don't plan for them but they happen!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I don't schedule days off, but if I know there are events happening (like birthdays or parties) I don't get stressed about going over cals on these days. Usually I try to fit in a long run on the weekend which makes it easier to stay within my net calories too.
  • amberpryor
    amberpryor Posts: 14
    I tend to go easy on the calorie-counting on the weekends. It's just harder to keep up with in IMO - I'm out of the house more, not necessarily cooking my own food, not near my laptop where I can log cals. But I still try to make fairly healthy choices, and keep portion sizes in check.

    I see special events (birthdays, holidays, weddings, a night out w/ the hubby) as a treat time. Usually, though, the splurge doesn't take up the whole day, so I try to stay on track with all other meals that day, and exercise if I can. When Thanksgiving came around, I just filled my plate with appropriate-sized portions, ate as much as I wanted off my plate, and chose not to go back for seconds. That in itself was a big change for me!

    Yes, I'm going to have a piece of cake at a wedding (and secretly wonder how many calories it has!), and I'm going to enjoy it. But I will probably choose NOT to have petit fours and punch as well. If I'm at a potluck/buffet where there are lots of yummy-looking dessert choices, I just take a small dessert plate, and put sample sizes of several things on there. That way I still get to try and enjoy all of the desserts, but in total I'm only eating about one normal serving size. I'm definitely full after all of it anyway!

    And I definitely find that when I do "cheat" or "splurge", I don't end up eating nearly as much as I would have before this diet. And truth be told, I don't usually enjoy it nearly as much as I think I will.
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