Do You Give Yourself An Off Day?

I allow myself one day a week, usually friday or saturday to eat what I want without overeating. I'll eat pasta or pizza, something I'm not eating during the week. I feel if I dont do that I may fail the diet altogether. And it gives me a day to look forward to.:drinker:

Its a "hit" and "miss" type of thing with this. Meaning that I did this before and went off track but other times would get back on the wagon. Its your personal strength that will allow you to do these off days or off meals. Overall the goal is to enjoy life while you are losing the weight, just got to balance the foods and how much you are taking in. :flowerforyou:

I started out with off days....but It always made me crave that food more and more so I stopped...now that I've stayed away I dont want it anymore....

I have joined Farrell's Extreme Body Make over and they require you to take a day off. You are to eat what you want and as much as you want on that day. Along with that you eat 6 smaller meals per day instead of three. Just about two weeks into it and I am seeing some progress compared to the direction I was going.

I give myself a cheat day once a week.

:drinker: i do not,i have to be 110% or nothing!

I used to use the day I weighed in to eat whatever I wanted for the whole day. And then I would feel yucky!!

Now that I am making lifestyle changes I find that on Thursdays the day I weigh we usually go out to dinner to somewhere that has something that I might be craving. I still try VERY gard to keep it close to my calories, but I still enjoy myself.

I have found ways to work into my meals things I enjoy very much. If I don't do this I wont be able to make lifetime changes!!

Sometimes I think you do have to give into your cravings a bit. Otherwise, you can make yourself miserable and you can only live in misery for awhile before you just completely fall off the wagon and quit. I don't do designated cheat days or cheat meals anymore. I am living a lifestyle, a more healthier one in general, and that lifestyle does allow for the occasional treat or binge. Weight loss and getting fit is a mental process as much as healthy eating and exercise. If you spend all the time looking at it negatively and thinking about what you CAN'T have instead of what you CAN have you won't succeed.

Over time, you'll find that your cravings diminish and things you used to not be able to live without (for example, soda and candy bars) you no longer have an appetite for. Its a lifestyle change, and it doesn't happen overnight. It evolves over time if you set your goals and go for it. We all fail sometimes. I quit MFP for awhile and fell into an old lifestyle for 2 months. But I am back, realizing that the new lifestyle I gained was so much better and I want to sustain it for life. Once it becomes lifestyle changes there is no perceived day on day off stuff. Its just everyday is the new lifestyle and sure once in awhile ya have that piece of cake or treat or soda or nacho platter or chicken wings or whatever, but you don't obsess about it and have constant cravings and it doesn't set you back.

We do a lot of travel on the weekend so we eat out a lot. I think that with a little planning you can have what you want and still fi it in your calories. I am a huge buffalo wild wings fan I knew I could not cut it out completely I used to go about 2 or 3 times a week for lunch, so I started ordering less when I go and slowly going less now I only go about 2 times a month and only get 6 wings and I love the days when I go it's kind of a reward for my hard work. It's a treat and it makes m enjoy it all h more. So I think hat you can eat out just be sensible with the choices you make and as you said maybe try to work out a little more to burn some of those extra calories you eat.

I don't have a cheat DAY per say but I do have a cheat meal normally twice a week. Normally Wednesday and Friday nights suppers. Wednesday isn't to far off base normally a footlong Subway and a grab bag of chips but Friday evening is a big meal. Only rules are I can have whatever I want but it has to be eaten there and nothing gets brought home. Saturday is my Weight training day and interval cardio training so it is nothing for me to burn 2000+ calories and the carb loading the night before actually fuels my workouts so it is a plus plus for me.... Then I go back to my normal regimen of Chicken, Fish, and Tuna and lots of fresh veggies and fruits..... Those cheat meals keep me honest and on track.......

I started out with off days....but It always made me crave that food more and more so I stopped...now that I've stayed away I dont want it anymore....

^^THIS. Its easier to stay away than to eat a bunch of crap one day here or there, which in turn made me crave the crap all over again....not worth it. Everyone is different though, so find what works for you!

Today is my off day. I have to be "dads taxis" this evening and so don't have time to fit in a trip to the gym. So I'm chilling a bit today and will treat myself with a couple of glasses of wine. Back to it no probs tomorrow!

I used to take Saturdays at my cheat day and it really slowed my weight loss down so now, instead of eating my exercise calories the day I earn them, I am pooling them for dinner out (once a week). It also keeps me motivated to work out because if I don't earn those calories I can't go out to eat. I also look at the online restaurant menu ahead of time so I know what i'm going to be eating ahead of time.

Sometimes I'll make a conscious decision to go over on my calories for a special event or just because I really feel like it.

It's not an "off day" though, only ever an evening.

At a weekly deficit of only 250 calories a day, I can't afford to go nuts. If I have 1,000 calories extra, that's four days worth of healthy eating wiped out in terms of weight loss. Frankly it's not worth it.

EDITED TO ADD: On average I must have gone over by about 400 calories, probably once at week. It has not stopped me from reaching goal weight.

Sundays are my day! Even God had to rest one day. Bottomless Mimosas are my reward for being good all week. But like someone else said, it's different for everyone. If I never had that day, I would easily fall into old habits. My friend heard of where one person would list everything they heard of or started craving during the week and then on their cheat day would allow themselves three things off that list. I like that too, since I don't just have anything. I can still plan some calorie counting with it.