20-Somethings - Planned "binge" days?

I almost hate to call it a planned "binge" day because the word binge in itself is fairly condemning. But basically, I'm referring to an extreme cheat day, lol.

One of my good friends is very very fit. She's in Army ROTC, participates in lots of sports, and just looking at her you see "athlete." She's very slender and toned, but not in the stick figure actress kind of way, she just looks healthy. Anyways, as expected, I normally see her eating very healthy foods. She cooks and packs her meals, orders salads, naturally avoids greasy empty calories whenever we go out, etc. Well the other day I saw her eating a king size Snickers bar with a whole other one on her desk. She then asked if I wanted to split a supreme pizza with her that night. I said something like "Yea, I WISH I could eat like that and look like you." And she said "so do I!" I was puzzled at first, but she explained that on the last day of the month (so March 31st), she allows herself to eat aaaabsolutely whatever she wants. She said she'd go crazy otherwise. And the next day, she feels bloated and sluggish and remembers why she only eats like that one day a month.

Well this got me thinking. I know many of us do cheat days or cheat meals. I usually plan a cheat dinner sometime in the week, but even still, it's budgeted in my calorie count, and I hardly ever go over maintenance limit. This has been a decent system to me, but I'm not going to lie, I DO miss pigging out. And as I get closer to maintaining, I feel those evil destructive thoughts of "eh, you're almost at goal, you can eat a candy bar!" I do not WANT to slack off. I'm wondering if I could sacrifice my cheat meals and eat clean for the month knowing that I'll get a completely free day where I can gorge myself like I want to.

Of course, that could be taken to the extreme, but I don't think that's necessary. If I had a day where I could eat a candy bar or two and pizza for dinner and maybe even ice cream for dessert? Shoot, I'd be in hog heaven! That would be worth waiting a month for! And if that day was "on plan" and accounted for and all that good stuff, I think it might take away the out of control panicky "omg I'm binging, might as well keep going!" attitude.

I dunno, I realize that it does sound very "naughty" and I'm not sure if it's something I'll even do. I just thought it was interesting :)

If it is planned into her, and your, month and accounted for calorie wise then it isn't a binge. :)

I do it, and have done it all along. I did at one point have to be more careful, and I don't ever have an entire planned day. More a meal, or one larger or a couple of smaller indulgences.

I'm in this for life, and there is no way my life doesn't include pizza or the occasional Milky Way bar. :)

Hmm ... I don't think that sounds like a bad idea! :lol:

I think its totally fine to have a day like that once a month! As long as you aren't doing it every week and don't let it carry over to more than just that day. You arent going to do too much damage in just one day :) I prefer to have a day like that once a month rather than smaller "cheats" throughout the month since I still have to think about and calculate those whereas if I have a day I can just not think about it at all its a nice break :D

Haha, yay! I'm glad you guys think this is legit. I kept going back and forth between thinking it's a great idea and a terrible idea.

I've had one binge since I started, actually just last Saturday. It was NOT planned, and it was a terrible feeling. I felt out of control, guilty, disgusted with myself, and absolutely mortified that I'd completely thrown my plan out the window. And the next day, while I did force myself to get back on plan, I felt the typical "well, screw it, I ruined it for myself, might as well cheat again today."

I am in this for life, and I *know* there will be binge days, it just happens. I'm human, and that's one of my weaknesses. If I knew that I had a planned day coming up, it would give me control back. As long as I stay in control, then I think I can let myself have a free for all day once a month.

I do this already! Usually once a month....It has not shown to effect my weightloss. But you will feel crappy the next day lol

I totally do it because I LOVE to eat... and if I think I can never have ice cream, chocolate, pizza, cookies, etc... I will go crazy and wont be able to stick at any plan.
What give me power to turn down all the delicious food daily is to know that I’ll be able to eat them on my “cheating” day.
I can even plan what to have. Like if I see someone eating a cheesecake, I can just say to myself... I can say NO, because I can have it on my CD and make things so much easier for me...
I do however, try go low in calories one day before and after, just to try kind make up for the indulge.
And if there is a party or any event about to happen, I plan my CD for that date, so I don’t have to turn all the good food down.
Next day, not even think about going close to a scale though. Get right back to your plan and wait few days before weighting yourself.
You will few bloated and bad, but it will go away in couple days.
When when the thought of screw it, I might as well cheat next day too... Keep in mind that the only reason you can have the CD is because you can right back to your plan next day and that you don’t want to ruin all your hard work putting all your weight back on...
Remember this is for life... and life worth a indulge once in a while ;)

My binge night was last night...
I went to the Brazilian Churasscaria restaurant called Fogo De Chao in Bev Hills. ITS SO GOOD. Basically its unlimited meat and salad bar...its indescribable. We went around Valentines Day and I ate so much I could barely move..this time I think I was more in control but I know that I was definately still over eating. It was only one time though, so Im not really worried about it, but this morning I felt really really sick.

OMG!!!!!
Tomorrow will be my day at the Churrascaria....
I'll go to NJ with my bf to buy some low calories ice cream in a diet store and before we are going to this Brazilian restaurant!!! I wish we had one around here, but we dont...
Let me tell you what... I'll not hold myself... and will take easy in the veggies, beans and rice, because I want indulge in all that great meat they have....
I miss Brazil so much :(

As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. One crazy binge day could backfire badly. When you eat one meal, you're still in control. But when you let yourself totally gorge, one day turns into two and two turns into I'm going to start clean Monday.

She seems to have always been in control of her weight and eating, for her a binge day is nothing because eating healthy has become her normal way of eating for so many years. For someone who still fights the battle of food, a major binge could be a deal breaker.

Just speaking as someone who knows, after a major binge, going back to healthy eating can be miserable.

For me this wouldnt work. I'd feel terrible, bloated, fat and those are the feelings I'm doing all this work to get away from. Plus I see this as a lifestyle change, so reverting back to old habits for me wouldnt help reinforce that. I can see why it appeals to some people, and I'm saying you must be on plan, eating perfectly all the time or you are a failure, I just think for me personally this would be a bad idea

I think this is completely ok...I think allowing yourself to have the things you love like pizza, candy bars, helps keep you on track. Plus I've always heard that you should have a day where you take in more and throw your routine off, it keeps your body from getting used to things.

Happy Indulging! (one day a month, of course! :) )

Hmm ... I don't think that sounds like a bad idea! :lol:

HAHAHA I like the way you think.

I just don't think I could be on plan good enough for an entire month to all myself to do it. I have a few little "slip ups" or treats here and there. It doesn't always work for me though. I like the idea or just one day a month... just don't think I could be good enough the rest of it.

But also, I don't need two chocolate bars in one day. I would rather have half a one four times a month! I am trying to work on the just a taste type thing. The second half of the chocolate bar or the second slice of pizza will taste the same as the first!

I used to have binge days the other times I've lost weight but this time, I haven't felt the need. If I want pizza, I'll make it and it'll be good. If I want garlic bread, pasta, ice cream, brownies, I'll make it. I just haven't felt the need to have a binge day but I also don't restrict myself to "good" and "bad" foods any more. I count my calories because I'm trying to lose weight, but if I want to carb load one day, I will.

I think you do whatever you need to keep sane. Mental health is required for weight/physical health so if you're miserable because you really want that piece of cheesecake/cookie/pizza/whatever it is, have some! Most of the time lately, I feel like one to four bites is enough to satisfy my cravings and I'm over it.

But I've been in the binge position before so I know how that feels.

See, I can't have the 1/2 a candy bar once a week and be satisfied. I CAN have two candy bars in a day, and be good for a loooong time, especially knowing that I'll get another candy bar day in a few weeks. Just the way my brain works, I guess. Little tastes of treats are torture for me, they make me want to have more little treats. A day of lots of treats is completely satisfying to me. And if it's planned, that means I get right back on plan the next day, which doesn't include treats. I'm okay with this.

I'm not saying it would work for everybody. It may not even work for me, but I'm going to try it and see how it goes.

Personally, I'd rather incorporate treats into everyday life instead of "binging" all in one day. But I don't think small tastes are torturous, because after those small tastes it just doesn't taste good anymore. I'm so used to getting my sweet fix from fruits and smoothies that when I have a bowl of ice cream, a 1/4 cup is more than enough. Then it just starts tasting sticky and blah.

But if you work differently, it doesn't hurt to try.

It's different for every person. I don't think I could control myself on one binge day. I think it would continue on to bad eating habits. If you think you can control it, and it would help then I say go for it. If it doesn't work out the first month then you don't have to repeat it the next month.

Well, my birthday is in a couple weeks, and I'm planning a big cheat! For dinner I want ANYTHING that has cheese on it, and I definitely plan on cake! But is it worse for me to cheat if I'm on the Ideal Protein diet? Will it set me back a lot? If anyone knows, I'd appreciate the advice.

Thanks guys :)

I definitely see this as an experiment, and if it works then great, if it doesn't work, I obviously will not repeat.

I have set my date for April 20, which is about a month after my UNplanned binge disaster about a week ago. It's also my friend's wedding date, so that's convenient. Again, for these "planned binges," I'm not going to camp out in the McDonald's drive thru and just gorge myself all day, it'll be treats that definitely don't fit in my daily/weekly plans, but still within reason. For the wedding, I'll enjoy the dinner, have some drinks, and a piece of cake and just not worry about it!

I WISH that I could feel completely satisfied with a taste or two of treats, but I just don't seem to work that way, at least not yet. However, I can go for long periods of time without any treats. I hadn't had chocolate since October when I started losing weight until last weekend (other than a teaspoon of Ovaltine or something, lol). I know that if I got a fun size candy bar, I'd want 20 of them. Or if I let myself think about getting 1/4 cup fat free ice cream, I'd end up getting a huge double fudge something or other. I'm okay with not having it at all for long periods of time, but when I have it, it's either go big or go home, lol.

I hate to sound like I'm getting defensive or anything, because I'm not :) I'm kind of just brainstorming "out loud" about this new addition to my plan, haha.

Well, my birthday is in a couple weeks, and I'm planning a big cheat! For dinner I want ANYTHING that has cheese on it, and I definitely plan on cake! But is it worse for me to cheat if I'm on the Ideal Protein diet? Will it set me back a lot? If anyone knows, I'd appreciate the advice.

You and I were posting at the same time :)

First of all, I say go for it on your birthday AS LONG AS you get *right* back on plan the next day. That's the hardest part about these cheat treats/meals/days is limiting it to just that one event and not letting it continue.

I'm not sure what the Ideal Protein diet is, honestly, but I'm guessing it's a low carb kinda thing? I had my first UNplanned binge last weekend, I ate tons of cookies, cake, brownies, and other treats all stinking day. It was a disaster. I did exactly what they tell you not to do, and got on the scale the next morning. I was up 4lbs! I forced myself to get back on plan, and accept that most of that had to just be water weight from all the junk. Sure enough, the weight came back down to normal, it took three days though. I still ended up with a 1lb loss for the whole week.

After one of these cheat days, or even just a meal like restaurant pizza or something that you plan into your calorie limit, can make your body retain water weight. Especially if you normally eat low carb. But, it's just that, water weight and not fat gain. So yes, your weight will jump up a shocking amount over night, but it will come down back to normal after a few days of drinking lots of water.

That's the hardest part about these cheat treats/meals/days is limiting it to just that one event and not letting it continue.

So true, this is what caused me to fall off the wagon in October... I turned 21 and let myself cheat all day, which turned into all weekend, which didn't end until last week :o But as long as you can keep it limited to just a day, OF COURSE let yourself cheat on your birthday!

i end up having treat meals every week, so i can go off plan more often! i don't think i'd have a problem with a cheat day though. i know i can get back on plan the next day. now i can't decide which i wanna stick with! lol.

Good luck to you with trying this! I truly hope this is what you need. We all have to find what will work for us in the long run. This may be a great addition to YOUR plan and if it isn't well you learned something about yourself and what is good for you.

I do think one thing that is important for all of us to learn is how to forgive ourselves. Through a lot of the stories I read here it isn't the binge itself that is the disaster it is the guilt and condemnation that occurs after that often leads to more binging. The sacrifices and changes we make in our lives is so amazing. We are human and we are going to fail or slip. It is inevitable. None of us our perfect nor can we be. It isn't our failure that defines us it is how we handle it. I do believe that along with learning how to eat better we also need to learn how to love and forgive ourselves, failings and all.

When I was deciding how I was going to handle this, I went and talked with others on here who had lost over 100 pounds and I pretty much got the same answer from all of them, so that's what I did. Their advice was this:

1. You should be able count the number of free days on one hand, which meant no more than 5 in a calendar year.
2. Have a plan, don't do it spur of the moment. Pick the day at least 2 weeks ahead of time.
3. Increase your exercise by 20 minutes a day for a few days before and a few days after.
4. If you bring anything into your home, give it away the next morning. Don't leave it laying around and within arms reach.


I have to have a few of these a year. Once a month was too much for me so the 5 times a year worked out great. Three are already taken, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas day so only two to deal with. But in the end, each person must decide what works best for them.

from mkendrick
See, I can't have the 1/2 a candy bar once a week and be satisfied. I CAN have two candy bars in a day, and be good for a loooong time, especially knowing that I'll get another candy bar day in a few weeks. Just the way my brain works, I guess. Little tastes of treats are torture for me, they make me want to have more little treats. A day of lots of treats is completely satisfying to me. And if it's planned, that means I get right back on plan the next day, which doesn't include treats. I'm okay with this.

Amen to that!!! That is how it works for me...
I am much more likely to go back next day to my plan (after a indulge day with treats) than to have only a bite of chocolate in an OP day.
I can't hold myself to only a piece of candy. It is almost impossible to me to have that little taste of sugar in my mouth and not eating the whole thing.
With the cheat day, I eat whatever I want (I don't need to hold myself to only a bite) and next day I just start over... Next morning I wont have the sugar taste in my mouth and it is a lot easier to turn down temptations. The first day right after the cheat day is harder, but I just have to think I'll be able to treat myself again soon and that keep me in track.
I've been doing it for over 6 months now and have been working great.
It doesn't mean it would work for everyone... but definitely works for me. And you should see my face on cheats day... I am like a little kid at the toy store... As happy as I can be :D

i dont usually plan binge days, since i fear that my willpower will not hold up if i do, so i indulge a little here and there. just to feed my cravings.

i dont usually plan binge days, since i fear that my willpower will not hold up if i do, so i indulge a little here and there. just to feed my cravings.

I'm the same way. I integrate low calorie sweet items into my diet so that I'm less likely to splurge.

My SIL does this each week and stays at a healthy weight. But she always runs about 5 miles each day and has a hectic job. My problem is a food addiction so I don't think this would be the best idea for me. Treats I can handle but a day where I just indulge all day will lead me right back to where I've started.

I would never have a binge day, maybe once a month or if i reach a goal i may have an unplanned meal day like going out for dinner with friends instead of planning my meal beforehand

Amen to that!!! That is how it works for me...
I am much more likely to go back next day to my plan (after a indulge day with treats) than to have only a bite of chocolate in an OP day.
I can't hold myself to only a piece of candy. It is almost impossible to me to have that little taste of sugar in my mouth and not eating the whole thing.
With the cheat day, I eat whatever I want (I don't need to hold myself to only a bite) and next day I just start over... Next morning I wont have the sugar taste in my mouth and it is a lot easier to turn down temptations. The first day right after the cheat day is harder, but I just have to think I'll be able to treat myself again soon and that keep me in track.
I've been doing it for over 6 months now and have been working great.
It doesn't mean it would work for everyone... but definitely works for me. And you should see my face on cheats day... I am like a little kid at the toy store... As happy as I can be :D

Yep, same for me! Throwing "the plan" out the window for one day only and getting right back on the next day isn't too hard for me. Especially if it's planned well in advance. For me, it's much more dangerous to allow little treats throughout the week, even if they are planned and accounted for. That taste does NOT get rid of my cravings, it only makes them 10 times worse. But like I said, I can go several weeks with no treat at all, that doesn't bother me too much.

And again, I'm not planning on doing a binge like people with binging disorders do. I'm not going to eat 7,000 calories in 30 minutes or something crazy. It's not a day where I can shove everythinge edible in my mouth, I'm just going to throw caution to the wind and eat what I want in moderation. Couple pieces of pizza, some candy, maybe 2 cups of cereal instead of one. I may not even go too far over my maintenance limit.

That one day wouldn't work for me either. The thought of eating treats I really love only 12 times a year is way too scary for me to contemplate. I've been trying to mainain (I say trying because I can't seem to stop losing!) for about 3 months now and that's through strict calorie counting but at the same time eating a treat whenever I want it as long as it fits into my budget.

So most nights a week I may have a mini bag of pretzels, 1/2 of a chocolate brownie, 20 jellybeans or anything else I feel like within limits. I avoid bread, rice and pasta on weekdays but splurge a little on Saturdays. I eat extremely healthily before that treat, never have cravings and have no problem budgeting for that 200 or so calorie treat. It's worked wonderfully for me which makes me so happy because I'm in this for life. They key for me has always been moderation every day rather than full on bingeing every now and then.