Does anyone do free days or off days? How do you do it? What are you allowed to eat? Do you write it down? Do you even think it's a good idea?

I'm thinking I may not like free days, because I like them too much

Well, I usually allow myself a "free night". I eat whatever I want for one meal a week. I do try to estimate the calories though. This estimate probably keeps me from eating as much as I would have prior to calorie counting. I am losing about 1 lb a week and have had one free night each week.

It just comes down to two things--your personality and your impatience.

The fact is that "free days" can add tremendously to your average daily calories, especially if you tend to binge on those days because you can. It's not hard to eat 5000 calories in a day if you really aren't watching it: three bakery cookies can be over 1000 calories: a cheeseburger and fries from a Chili's-like place can be 1500. Two margaritas are another 1000. A 5000 calorie day would add over 150/calories to your daily average for a month. That's a significant amount.

If "free days" are a psychological necessity, you've got to pay for them somehow. One way is just to accept a slower rate of loss--and this isn't a bad plan. Lots of people find that a slow, indulgent path gets them there just fine in the end, and they don't mind it taking longer. The other way to "pay" for a free day is to cut all your other calories--basically, if you want to gorge for a day, eat 1200 calories a day instead of 1500 calories a day for the week on either side. This is where the personality/psychology thing comes in. Some people are good at doing this. Me, I don't handle hunger well, so the weeks of hunger would do me more harm than the "free day" would do me good.

I absolutely think you should record what you eat and see what it does to your average daily calories. Refusing to face facts is never a good strategy.

Me, I eat one free MEAL a month, to deal with intense cravings (i.e., if I am really craving X, for weeks, I can make it my meal on the 15th). But I try not to eat more than I genuinely enjoy, and I always record it. I have recently learned to make my free meal lunch, because then I can not eat the rest of the day (not really hungry!) so my daily calories on that day are not that much higher than usual, they just aren't very nutritious.

My theory on this is if you don't allow yourself an indulgence once a week or once a month then you will end up quitting because it will be too difficult to keep with. I do the Weight Watchers points program because I can have that indulgent night or thing once a week and I don't feel deprived.

hmmm...For me it's better not to "plan" a free night but to have one when the occasion presents itself - dinner with friends, special restaurant etc. I just have to make sure these occasions don't happen to often. Like the above post says - 5000 calories can up way too quickly

I am doing the zig-zag thing that I learned about on here and LOVING it. You basically view your WEEKLY calories instead of daily. For me, I am doing 1400 a day, which is 9800 a week....So I plan each week how many calories I'll have every day to add up to 9800 at the end of the week.

So, some days will be 1300 and some will be 1500 or even 1600. This way I can plan my higher days for when I know I'm going out to eat or whatever. It's not really "cheating" but it feels like it when I get to a higher day and get to eat alot more

Here is what my current attempt is, whether it will work or not, only time will tell. Every pay day (every other week) I let myself have one meal. But I am still conscience about what I am choosing to eat. Like if I am craving nuggets I will have the nuggets and fries, but no sauce and no drink. I still put it in my daily calories, and try to still not go over by eating veggies etc the rest of the day.
Then I am letting myself have 4 indulgent planned meals 4 times a year. Mine and DH's birthday, Anniversary and Christmas. But same as before. Still conscience. I can indulge, but listen to the inner voice. There are months between these meals, so I am thinking it shouldn't technically do too much damage. But I think my taste buds have changed too, I am finding I can't even eat as much as I used to in one sitting. The other day I got a large fry from Mcdonalds and only had half. So yeah. That's the plan for now! We will see if it works!

I don't do free days because my personality wouldn't cope with it.

Either
I'd either eat so much, or so much of the wrong, trigger things, that I'd want to keep doing it the next day and the next day....
or
I'd eat low calorie for the 6 days leading up to the 7th, free day and then not dare to have the free day but get fixated with eating the lower calorie amounts the next day and the next day...

The only zagging I do is if by accident I undereat one day, I try to make sure I'm at least 100% up to or slightly over my budget the next. For example, yesterday I had under 1100 calories of my 1400 budget ~ I just wasn't hungry for more, so why eat? but today I'll eat 1500. I've got to admit the 1500 gives me a bit of a gulp but I'm making myself do it, it's part of teaching myself not to be afraid of food.

I'm averaging 2.25lbs a week.

I have a somewhat free day on Thursday, but I have to still watch it because I could blow my whole weeks worth of calories in that one day! But it gives me some freedom do go a "little" crazy!!

Yep! Every Sunday i don't count. It helps keep me sane I do watch my portions, eat only if I'm hungry and don't go completely 'unconscious'. It usually ends up being one indulgence meal that day.

In the past i have tried to cut this day out but would fail miserable during that following week. So i need the mental break.

I look forward to Sundays, hehehe

I have been allowing myself one evening off on the weekends. I will still calorie count that day and try to stay low. When evening comes and I sit down to movie night with my hubby, I chose what I want to eat. usually it's popcorn, and a bit of cheese and chocolate. I am considering letting this practice go because my "treat" usually turns into a mini binge and I always feel guilty the next day. I am still losing but looking forward to a weekend binge isn't healthy behavior. I guess a treat day is alright depending on how disciplined you are.

While I was losing, I did not want a self induced plateau. I ate low calorie. I record everything I eat and I weigh daily. No more isle of denial. I did not hit a plateau, I lost steadily, and now at maintanence I enjoy my splurge/treat meals. I was not taking any chances losing.

Sign my name to Karen's post, above.

Now that I'm maintaining, I have a controlled, thoughtful, planned splurge meal about once every two months. For me, it's a good maintenance strategy but would not have worked for weight loss.

I'm losing slowly but steadily (about a pound a week), and I splurge every once in a while (once or twice a month-ish). Here's what I do:

Planned splurges
* don't ever forget that splurging is not the same as falling off the wagon
* don't ever forget that "splurge" is not the same as "binge"
* eat less and workout more the day before and the day after
* eat smart the whole day of the splurge

Unplanned splurges
* don't ever forget that splurging is not the same as falling off the wagon
* pick smart foods to splurge with
* the very next snack/ meal/ whatever is back "on plan", and the next workout is harder than usual

ALL SPLURGES: count every calorie that goes in. If I'm going to EAT it, I'm going to OWN it and it's going to be WORTH it.

I only do it if it's gourmet -- like a date in a really fine restaurant. There's nothing worse than wasting an opportunity for an uncommonly good meal, not to mention watching your date look a little disappointed when you order a salad, dressing on the side!

Otherwise, I don't think it's worth it. I think it's important to learn to savor food, not snarf down a cheeseburger! But this is just my strategy -- we're all different. When you have a goal and work hard to reach it, why stall your progress?