'Day off' but still counting calories?

Sofithomas
Sofithomas Posts: 118
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
For example, if you were to eat exceptionally well 6 days a well - i.e. no processed foods, sticking exactly to a deficit etc, but on one day, going slightly above the MFP deficit (but still under a normal person's maintenance), and eating not so HEALTHY foods (but still keeping that not as on target deficit), is it still possible to keep your weight loss under control? I have a family sunday roast every sunday and whilst I resist every sunday the potatos and normally just have veg, today I am having a massive craving lol (thinking its my TOM soon thats doing me in :p), would it affect me if I had one small roast potato or two with my meal?

Replies

  • pamelad77
    pamelad77 Posts: 292 Member
    If you fancy a couple of potatoes once a week, I'd say go for it. This needs to be a life change, not a diet, and I certainly can't imagine NEVER eating any potatoes again!

    Good luck :-)
  • wcsangel
    wcsangel Posts: 40
    Go for it!

    I have a Sunday Roast once a month with my extended family, and I usually treat that as a day when I'm allowed to go a little bit overboard - roast potatoes, a decent helping of pudding rather than my usual little half-portion, that sort of thing. I always log everything, and I rarely go more than 100/200 calories over my limit.

    I figure that if you deny yourself all the time, that's when you have a problem. If you're never allowed to blow out a little bit, you can get depressed, and stop enjoying your food. So long as you're logging, and don't do it all the time, I think having a couple of roast potatoes once a week is perfectly acceptable.
  • lhughes404
    lhughes404 Posts: 42 Member
    My boyfriend and I have gone to Friendly's every Sunday for over a year. We get the same thing every time: coffee fribble, mozzarella sticks, grilled cheese and fries. Its a tradition now and we aren't going to change it. I still count all the calories and I usually go a bit over on Sundays. I have still lost 12 lbs in about 12 weeks.
  • Sofithomas
    Sofithomas Posts: 118
    Thank you so much guys, I had a lovely roast! My mum made loads of sweet potato which I love so had alot of that, some chicken and mostly veg and gravy and I'm so full now but not sicky sick! I feel very satisfied now :D
  • cjw6
    cjw6 Posts: 94 Member
    Every now and again I give myself a day (or a few days) 'off' on which I log my calories, but ease up on the strictness of the diet and have a glass of wine/some chips etc. I rarely go over what my 'maintenance' calories are, so I figure although I might not lose so much that week I am unlikely to gain. And giving myself a break now and again stops me falling off the wagon altogether.
  • kwest_4_fitness
    kwest_4_fitness Posts: 819 Member
    If you fancy a couple of potatoes once a week, I'd say go for it. This needs to be a life change, not a diet, and I certainly can't imagine NEVER eating any potatoes again!

    Gasp! No potatoes never again? :noway: No way! I'm with you on that, lol. I eat everything, and I mean everything, that I want. Just not everyday and not in unlimited quantities. I have never had a moment during my transformation where I felt deprived or questioned my sanity for trying to resist a food I would normally eat otherwise. Eat the potatoes!!!! :happy:
  • jessicart77
    jessicart77 Posts: 15
    Great post! :) Today is the Superbowl and I've decided to give myself a day off as well. I will log everything but I'm going to enjoy the food no matter what. I'm cooking so at least I know exactly what is going on with the foods. :) The other good thing is that I've had my life change for over 30 days now and my stomach as shrunk and I cant actually do too much damage anymore. :)

    We should all enjoy ourselves and eat what we love sometimes. :)

    PS
    My most favorite food is mashed potatoes and cupcakes! LOL Tough ones to completely cut out.

    Good luck to all in our weight loss adventures!
  • christinezappella
    christinezappella Posts: 34 Member
    I eat a carb at dinner every night--potatoes, rice, pata, whatever. I lost 13 pounds last month. As long as you stay under your calories it won't matter, and 1 day slightly higher is not going to ruin your life.
  • Abbigayle
    Abbigayle Posts: 2 Member
    You are actually supposed to have a "cheat day" once a week. It's to fool your body about your "diet". If you body feels like it's being shafted on food an fuel it will lower your metabolism to keep your fat store for fuel. So one day a week it's actually good to eat a cpl hundred more calories then you would normally for your body to go along with your mission of losing weight. Here is a link to one of my instructors at gold's gym. What he says totally makes sense. http://fitnessfrp.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/breaking-through-those-darn-plateaus/
  • whatshewants
    whatshewants Posts: 30 Member
    Not sure how the potatoes are prepared but is it possible to have one that's baked instead? I ended up making that change - one medium to large baked potato with dinner with the recommended serving size of salt (no butter, nothing else) has actually worked out great for me. I actually love potatoes and this worked out well for me. I couldn't go without eating them either :-( I don't do this every day or anything but it's at least once or twice a week.

    If you want to have the potato as is, would it be possible for you to enter the ingredients that go with it as a recipe on MFP? Then you could figure out your serving size. I've done that with some of the more "unhealthy" recipes that we have at home and found out that I could still have my favorites, just had to change the portion size :-D

    Also, I think that one "cheat" day isn't a bad thing. For me, I've limited myself to have no more than 1-2 dinners/food at restaurants and when I have those, I try not to overeat. It hasn't been bad.
  • Verity1111
    Verity1111 Posts: 3,309 Member
    I eat dreadful foods a lot because I am pregnant and I still lose weight even now. I don't eat them because I should of course, just to clarify, but because I crave them sometimes.
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