Do you take a "day off"?

2

Replies

  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
    You will find all sorts of conflicting advice from both sides of the fence.

    I take a "refeed" day once every week or two - generally on the weekend. I don't call it a cheat day, I still track my calories, still try to eat healthy, but eat to my maintenance calories or a little higher (about 2700 for me), add more carbs into my diet, and use the higher target to allow myself to eat any food I may crave, and/or have a couple drinks with friends.

    Eating more calories will increase leptin production in your thyroid, it's a hormone that helps regulate your weight (low leptin = slower weight loss)
  • DBiddle69
    DBiddle69 Posts: 682 Member
    I am today solely for the reason that it is my birthday and I want a cheat day.

    ETA That means that I will be working out extra HARD tomorrow.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
  • RealWomenLovePitbulls
    RealWomenLovePitbulls Posts: 729 Member
    my intake fluctuates a lot as it is anyway, some days i am right at my goal, some days under and some days over, so hopefully that is enough to keep my body guessing.
    i tried the foodlovers weightloss system and they do say that ur body averages out ur calorie intake for every 3 day period and resets ur metabolism accordingly, so there could be something to it.
  • ChappyEight
    ChappyEight Posts: 163 Member
    I'm a couple months into my weight loss but I try not to allow myself an off day. Not because I don't believe they're a good idea, it's just that I know that the next day will be very tough for me to not do the same thing.

    That's what got me into this predicament. Hopefully I'll get mentally strong enough in the future to ease up on myself a bit. But right now, it's a slippery slope.
  • noweightfisherj
    noweightfisherj Posts: 220 Member
    No cheat meals.

    No cheat days.

    Workout, don't workout.

    Eat what you want as long as it's in your daily calorie allotment.

    Eat at a calorie reduction and you will lose weight, plain and simple.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    Absolutely I take days off now and then, from both diet and exercise. I usually love my routine food/exercise but if I feel a need to change it up, find I'm not feeling well, or life offers nice opportunities for celebration or vacation, I change things around. I find it refreshes me both mentally and physically, and often find that I'm really happy to go back to "normal" lol.
  • brandilacey
    brandilacey Posts: 47
    I lose the most weight on the days I "cheat"- which should be no more than once a week. Most professionals agree to having at least once meal or day a week you do eat whatever you want, as much as you want (within reason).
  • wiltl
    wiltl Posts: 188 Member
    Yep. It was part of the deal I made with myself when I joined this site. My internal conversation was all over the place, but one basic thing was that I wasn't going to "deny" myself, that all of the past attempts that avoided specific food groups or eat certain ways just didn't work before and this needed to be a life style change. I also don't call it cheating, which to me makes it sound like I'm doing something wrong.

    So, when I go visit my parents & friends about once a month, I don't count as closely and I also don't worry about it. I've found that I am actually eating less and making smarter choices at the exact same places we went to before I joined MFP, I'm still losing and I don't have any feelings of guilt whatsoever. I don't dread my jeans being tight after a weekend home and think it has helped me from plateauing.

    Actually, my next off day will probably be August 17th/18th, since I'm going to a Batchelorette party and plan on drinking some and eating tasty foods.:drinker:

    Everyone will have their own thoughts on "days off" and "cheating" and how best they can handle it. But, its really a brutally honest conversation you need to have with yourself and determine what you're comfortable with. If you are triggered by having a burger, then maybe you shouldn't. If you can say "yeah, that was dang good" and move on, great!
  • redscylla
    redscylla Posts: 211 Member
    I have "cheat days" precisely because I believe it's a lifestyle change. I'm good nearly every day, eat and exercise in a way I know is sustainable for the long haul. On special occasions, like a birthday, or other special event, I indulge. That's what indulgence is for--special reasons. That's what makes it different from a binge, which is usually the opposite of a special occasion. I still avoid the truly junky food I know isn't good for me ever, but it means I can have foods that are more calorie dense than my daily fare. I can have a piece of cake or piece of lasagna. No biggie.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    For the most part, I eat what I want every day, so long as I can spare the calories. If I decide to have a fattening dessert, then I will exercise extra to make up for it. I am still new to trying to lose weight, so I have been strict on my calories. My problem was mostly that I wasn't paying attention to what I ate and was being lazy.
  • thnin2010
    thnin2010 Posts: 1 Member
    No real day off per se but if I have a special day like my birthday or some sort of personal "food function" Wedding Anniversary etc then I will be kind of loose in what I eat. Like everyone else I never give myself permission to "pig out" but just eat a bit different than normal as far as sugar, fat etc.
  • kbbradley
    kbbradley Posts: 19 Member
    The Skinny Rules by Bob Harper (Biggest Loser Guy) suggest one splurge meal a week maybe not the whole day. To me if I had my weight at a "normal" number for my height I could afford to take a break more often.
  • bailuna
    bailuna Posts: 56
    My husband and I have a cheat day ... well, it's not even really a cheat day, it's a cheat meal. Once a week, on Wednesdays, we go out with our friends after work and have dinner. It's usual pub food, and the one time a week we'll allow ourselves to have it. And it's the one time a week that I'll drink a diet soda.

    Even on our cheat day, we do our best to have proper breakfast, lunch and snacks and do some extra exercise so that we'll fit that meal into our calorie limit.
  • shelbynicole32
    shelbynicole32 Posts: 179 Member
    I am today solely for the reason that it is my birthday and I want a cheat day.

    ETA That means that I will be working out extra HARD tomorrow.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

    Hey thanks... It has been a VERRY happy birthday... Chocolate peanut clusters, chocolate covered oreo, and chocolate covered strawberries... WOOHOO!
  • sgall123
    sgall123 Posts: 133 Member
    I always take the weekends off. Infact if you look at my diary I don't even log my calories those days. And when I go on vacation I take the week off. I have done this since starting and do not think it has hindered my weight loss. I think eating is like exercise in the fact that if you do the same thing over and over the body conforms to it and adjusts your metabolism accordingly. That is why there are days I will eat all my exercise calories and days when I don't.
    good attitude... I agree that when you have a couple if days eating things you woukdnt it does keep your metabolism guessing & thus losing weight keeps happening.. I also do this as & when I need to.. For example I have a weekend of family birthday gatherings this weekend & both days will revolve around food & drink but then from Monday I'll have a full 7 days of staying within my calories to even it out & it keeps my metabolism guessing..
  • Snail313
    Snail313 Posts: 214 Member
    I really try and stay within or near my calorie goal each day, but If I really want some candy or to go out to eat one day a week I am going to do it. I may go over my calories but I still log it and enjoy every bit of whatever it was that I ate. I then go back to being good for the most part, lol.
  • rcthale
    rcthale Posts: 141
    If I eat out with friends, I shoot for moderation without turning into one of those people with a ten-minute order. So I end up with a heavy meal, but it's worth enjoying a night out.
  • Laura8603
    Laura8603 Posts: 590 Member
    I do take days off and even took a week off when I was on vacation. I don't go crazy, but am not fanatic about my eating when I'm taking an off day. I know this does not work for some people, but it works for me.
  • rumpusparable
    rumpusparable Posts: 160
    I really don't agree to days off. Varying your calorie intake is good, but I don't think allowing a regular day to eat treats is a good idea. The idea is to break yourself of eating any of non-nutritious stuff.

    I say keep unhealthy or high calorie days to major holidays if you need to have them. I just had a "day off" for my 15th wedding anniversary. For my and my husband's birthdays and such I stayed on track.
  • mscrumbyy
    mscrumbyy Posts: 116
    I eat mostly vegetarian with my mum so I've been struggling to keep up with my calories anyway. I find if I want a treat I can usually fit it in easily enough without having rest days.
  • shercoup
    shercoup Posts: 64 Member
    When I lost 100 lbs and kept it off for 10 years , I gave myself one night to eat whatever I wanted for dinner. Unfortunately due to a number of reasons I gained back 70 over the last 5 years. I just started the journey again a 3 weeks ago and I have lost 10 lbs and still am doing the cheat night thing. It works great for me.
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    No, this is a way of life not a diet and I am not a dog so I do not need food as a reward. It has worked well for me and I see no reason to change and I most certainly am never going back to where I was 8 months ago.
  • sweetpotatofry
    sweetpotatofry Posts: 209 Member
    My body naturally wants more food after a couple of lower-calorie days, so in the end it all evens out for me :) That said, my weight loss has been extreeemely slow, probably because I am eating just below or close to maintenance (not on purpose. I just can't lower my cals by too much).
  • Diamond_angel14
    Diamond_angel14 Posts: 53
    of course i take a "cheat day" and i had it like 2 days ago ... i ate macaroni with parmesan and tomatoe sauce and ate fried mozzerella... its just one day off to keep me going :)
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    I do this, but I just allow one "cheat meal" and one "treat" every weekend. I still track everything, and I don't binge, but I do allow myself reasonable amounts of foods that I don't have during the week.

    It is more of a psychological break than a metabolic booster, I think. If I'm craving something during the week or feeling deprived, I just make a mental note of it so I can have it on the weekend. Mexican food, a brownie, pasta, Cold Stone Creamery, etc... It's much easier for me to resist high calorie foods dring the week if I know that I will be able to choose something on the weekend.

    I think the key is not bingeing, deliberately gorging or stuffing yourself with junk... moderation is good all the time, but treats are nice once in a while, too.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    I have always had a "Free Day":drinker:

    At first it was a huge food orgy - 24 hours, but as time went on, I steadily cut back to a few cheat meals on that day.
    And no, I do not count calories. LOST 70 lbs doing this.
    The challenge sometimes was turning it off at day's end. Sometimes I did not, and my results suffered.
    The arguments for a free day/cheat day are both psychological and physiological.
    It may be that a cheat day shocks your body and resets metabolism. Maybe, who knows?
    I think it does...
    And it's a mental boost knowing I never need to go more than a week before I binge on junk if I want.
    And sometimes I want which is why I do it.
    And my results speak for itself. The fruit of anybody's philosophy is their success or lack of :wink:
    Anyway, good luck to YOU!
  • Pacileo4Evers
    Pacileo4Evers Posts: 129 Member
    I haven't really seen a reason to do this because my whole purpose here has been for me to learn how to eat in moderation as opposed to depriving myself of things that I love. I have had some high calorie days here and there but usually it's not from over eating, it's from eating a lot of high calorie foods in one day. I personlly don't think it is necessary, but I know that there is some research that backs it up as being a good thing.
    I'm right there with you
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
    Not really. There are some days though when I go over BECAUSE I ate a bit like I used to, but it's not a planned for thing.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    no. But if I want to have something that I normally wouldn't eat, I work it into my calories. For example, last friday I had a slice of pizza and 2 mic ultra's. My typical diet is water only, light dairy and no processed carbs. I still stayed in my calories.. but I really wanted some pizza and a night out with the girls.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I had 1-2 days off each week and lost 35 pounds in 6 months, while eating 1500-1600 net calories the rest of the week.
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