Do You Give Yourself An Off Day?

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  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    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!
  • xo_morgan
    xo_morgan Posts: 298
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    Fridays are my day to go drinking. But i usually dont go crazy. ill have a rum & diet coke. as far as eating unhealthy if i want something i usually eat it. i just make myself eat less. so my calories match up. Or if i know im going to pig out on some wings ill make sure i **at least ** burn 500 calories before i go out. You only have one life to live..if you want a certain type of food..with moderation it shouldnt be a problem. its just all about learning not to go overboard.:drinker:

    ETA: like today for example. craving some chocolate so i had half of andersons candy bar!
  • TonyG111160
    TonyG111160 Posts: 48 Member
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    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!
  • ajlarz
    ajlarz Posts: 155 Member
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    Yes, but I didn't allow that until I was well into my new lifestyle routine. And to be honest, I feel sick when I try to eat the foods I used to enjoy. I love going out to eat with friends, but I would much rather get grilled chicken, steamed veggies, a side salad (with light dressing and no cheese/croutons) and feel good afterwards. OR have one piece of pizza versus 3!
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
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    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.
  • candykay0605
    candykay0605 Posts: 1,019 Member
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    i havnt had an "off" day since i started I also do not plan to take an off day, when i reach gw I may consider taking one day off
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
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    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.
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,139 Member
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    I don't think I would want to splurge. It would just make me feel yucky and sick. If you want some wings, have some wings but don't go overboard! If you want pizza, have a slice! Just don't eat the whole thing! I figure I have worked too hard to blow it on something bad for me!
  • Angelap1121
    Angelap1121 Posts: 18
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    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.
  • marbit
    marbit Posts: 108
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    Fortunately the new foods that I have been eating the last few months are delicious, and I have never really been a pizza, wings kind of person so I have very few day to day cravings. But in the last few weeks I have found myself craving American Joe's Nachos Grande and their bread. And not craving just a taste, I want to eat every chip and bean and maybe even the plate. I start off by saying I'll manage my portions, but then my willpower crumbles against the awesome power of the nachos.

    That said though, I have only had them once or twice in the last two months. Unfortunately I feel terribly guilty afterwards. I am usually happy I ate them, but I really need to find a way to work around the guilt factor.!
  • kiesh82
    kiesh82 Posts: 131 Member
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    If anything I would prefer to have a "cheat meal" rather than an off day. In one off day you can eat enough calories to completely cancel out your hard work for the week. Trust me I've been there, you end up losing and regaining the same 2 lbs for weeks. I don't believe in cheat days...this is a lifestyle change so when I go out to eat I need to still make good choices. There are going to be times where I will just eat the pizza or whatever, but this should not be a weekly habit if I can help it.
  • chatterbox3110
    chatterbox3110 Posts: 630 Member
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    I have a 'relaxed' day on the day I weigh and then get back on track straight away - but as time has passed and the weight loss increases I find myself eating less 'bad' things on my relaxed day, so maybe my mind is adapting to my new, healthier lifestyle.

    Where once I wouldn't have hesitated to have a takeaway followed by a bar of chocolate, I have the takeaway (much smaller portion) and NO chocolate........ or if I really do fancy something sweet then I'll just have a square.

    Having said that, today was not a good one for me - I weighed in this morning and had my lunch all planned. By mid-morning I was starving, which is unusual for me now, so ate my lunch early, then met hubby during my break and we went to the chip shop. I've over-indulged, but I went for a half mile brisk walk on the way back to the office and I'm going out again in a while, so although to me I've eaten badly, I'm making amends by upping my exercise to cover the additional calories.

    At the end of the day, the only person I'm hurting is myself, and I'm growing to love me more and more as I lose weight!
  • marbit
    marbit Posts: 108
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    Yes, but I didn't allow that until I was well into my new lifestyle routine. And to be honest, I feel sick when I try to eat the foods I used to enjoy. I love going out to eat with friends, but I would much rather get grilled chicken, steamed veggies, a side salad (with light dressing and no cheese/croutons) and feel good afterwards. OR have one piece of pizza versus 3!

    I totally agree. For the most part its weird how your body adjusts. I changed my eating habits long before I was trying to lose weight for health reasons, and now I find that heavy greasy things, non whole wheat pasta, dr pepper even, just dont taste as good as I remember them being.
  • misscase
    misscase Posts: 36
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    For me personally, this is all about a lifestyle change and not a diet.
    With that in mind, I know that I can allow myself to eat pretty much whatever I want on those types of occasions when I'm out with friends or whatever, as long as I'm not doing it all the time. If the majority of my eating is healthy, I don't see how splurging on one meal is going to hurt me in the long run. I know if I don't enjoy myself, I'll go back to how I was before (making bad food choices all the time)
    Like you've probably heard time and time again, moderation is key. So I say, as long as your regular, day-to-day eating habits are healthy and intact, go for a splurge on those special occasions. :)
  • LuciaLongIsland
    LuciaLongIsland Posts: 815 Member
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    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....


    Agree
  • Emellon
    Emellon Posts: 36 Member
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    Yup, I definitely give myself a cheat day. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, either.
    I eat healthy Mon-Sat, then Sunday it's go time! Un-skinny Starbucks? Sure! (Don't forget the whip!) Burger and fries? Yes please! Chocolate is my lover on Sundays. If I don't give myself a day off, I'm more prone to cheating during the week, 2 or 3 days. I hate that feeling, because I feel like I failed and have to start all over again. And for me, it works. I can feel my jeans getting baggy and I'm not depriving myself. If you want that piece of cheesecake, go for it! :tongue:
  • iuangina
    iuangina Posts: 691 Member
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    I have a cheat day once a week and maybe a meal here and there the rest of the time. I make sure that it's on a day that I workout extra hard, so that my "cheat" isn't a disaster. I love chicken wings and I think they are directly from the devil because they taste so good and are so bad for you (especially with blue cheese). I always look forward to my cheat meals and usually plan them out in advance. For example, this week I think I want Mexican. So that's what we'll do tomorrow night.

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