It really is just a personal thing, that works for some people and not for others. Before I tried the "free day" and ended up using it and then some extras when special occasions came up. We have lots of family so there seems to be lots of things going on all the time, so during really special occasions if there is something great going on I will relax a little and indulge, usually though I look around and say its not worth it.

I ALWAYS write stuff down, it is amazing to me that on those days I can say, wow I ate way worse before counting and look at that! Ugh, one day I ended up at 3300 calories and my hubby and I were amazed because it wasn't that big of a deal day (but I needed to relax that day for my sanity!) I ate way worse regularly before calorie counting. So for me it made me feel better that yes I am making a huge difference in my life by paying attention to what I eat, even if the weight doesn't fly off like I wish.

Also for me I have certain days that I just allow myself to be more relaxed (usually only at dinner) and those are my "stress days" just one or two a month. Those are the days where suddenly I feel depressed or frustrated and fed up with calorie counting cause "its so hard and I seem to never eat without running to the computer first". Then usually the next day when I see where my calories went I am back to normal.

Usually I try for 1600 calories a day, jump up to 2000 or 2200 MAYBE on relaxed day and then try to keep my weekly average at 1600-1700 for now.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone. Yes, I don't want to have a slippery slope situation happen. I think what I'll do is play it by ear and make the smartest choices I can as I go and see what happens. (And by play it by ear I do not mean lots of off plan days, but just seeing how things are going as-is and if I feel I need to work in a more regularly scheduled relaxed day, I can assess that as it comes.) I do think that I will continue to write everything down--even in the short time I've been doing it, it's really started to give me a much better understanding of the food I'm eating. What a portion should actually be, what items fill me up as opposed to just leaving me hungry and more likely to snack.

I don't journal each item separately, by the way. I write down an entire item. Like today I had a turkey sandwich and wrote it down as such, rather than each component (though I counted each item in the sandwich towards the total calories). I'm also rather old-fashioned in how I journal--I thought about tracking online, but the physical act of writing things down really helps me process them. So, I splurged and bought myself a nice little Clairefontaine journal and nice pen to lend a little something extra to the entire endeavor.

And there ya go. You're doing what works for YOU. Buying yourself a nice journal is a great idea

And congrats on your weight loss so far!

Hi Bobbie - Well, I've only been dieting 2 months. However, I decided when I started, that once a month I will have one meal where I eat whatever I want. Anything. However, I DO write it down. To me, that is very impt. Otherwise, my total calorie count is off. Also, in my case, knowing that I have to write it down reigns me in a bit.
Last month, I made sure that I wasn't starving when I went for the meal and ate a salad to start. I really enjoyed the meal. My calorie count for the day was 2000 vs the 1100 I am currently averaging.
For me, it helps me not slip up. I don't have to eat something now because I can have it in a couple of weeks. And I can't do too much damage in just one meal. I could not do a "free" day - I could do a lot of damage in a day.
So that's what I do. Once a month but write it down & track it carefully. I had a very hard time starting a diet journal and I feel like the first time I "cheat" by not writing it down, everything will go to **** in a handbasket.
So that's what works for me. Like many said tho, it's different for different people. Whatever you decide, I think you should plan it, like I did, and not do it spur of the moment. It's a very good question!

I don't schedule free days or meals into my plan, either. HOWEVER, something new that I have done is this: If I'm coming to a point where I feel like I'm going to "binge" or lose control or if I'm just getting really weary of the calorie counting then I reiterate to myself why I'm doing this and exactly what I'm wanting out of it. Then I calculate the calorie limit I could eat to MAINTAIN my weight that I'm at. Then I allow myself a day of that. A few weeks ago I allowed myself a week at the maintenance level and STILL lost 1/2 a pound. No, this isn't ideal for everyone but I have found that for me it saves my sanity AND it keeps me on plan.

My advise is look at all the different responses you've gotten AND at all the success that each response has with it. There is success in MANY ways of doing this. You just have to do what's right for you. It takes time. If you're committed and determined you WILL figure out what it takes for you to take the weight off permanently.

I have done exactly as Tricia (royalsfan1) describes. If I'm feeling extra "bingey" I will eat a little more and call it a maintenance day. But I also have weekly weigh-ins at my TOPS meeting, so that keeps me from going off plan very often. And I still record everything.

Good luck finding your weight loss groove.

Everything gets entered in my FitDay--the good, the bad, and the ugly! That's called "accountability." I ate it--it's listed.

Jay

Myself as well. If anyone is looking for inspiration this week, then don't look at my Fit Day. I've been excessively hungry due to mucho exercising, and let's just say I'll be lucky to maintain this week.......