I used to follow a WW plan many years back that had a "weekends off" option. I think they dropped this pretty quickly because let's face it, it's very easy to do a lot of damage in a weekend! What I did that worked for me was to pick two meals a week where I wouldn't count anything(back then WW had exchanges like protein, starch, etc). It worked for me. I probably was only consuming a few hundred calories more each meal than I normally would, because I truly appreciated being able to eat what I wanted and savored every bite.

Lately I've been having my Friday night dinner as my off meal, but I find I'm kind of gorging, which I don't think is helping me any. It's become like a free-for-all. I'll have 2 slices of Grandma pizza(very thin crust, crushed tomato, not too much cheese and fresh mozzarella) and a glass or two of wine. But then I want dessert, and instead of just a square or two of dark chocolate, I've been reaching for my son's ice cream. I don't have any problem getting right back onm plan the next morning though.

I'm now on Day 3 of a clean eating program, and I won't be doing the Friday night pizza for the next few weeks...think I finally broke through a plateau but I don't trust it yet!

I actually think this has worked for me in the past. I can't do it every week though.

This what I use my WPA for on Weight Watcher's.....worked just fine for me

I was stuck for 2 weeks or so with no weight lose. Had a cheat dinner at a restaurant because i gave into my frustration. Went back on track the next day and lost 3lbs that week..

@ joyfulloser i find myself super hungry whenever my weight is wooshing usually right before and sometimes during as well... Ive determined its my body going 'oh crap we are needing to access storage better ramp up the appitite to prevent it'... It likely isnt the cheat meal that upped your appitite but just a side effect of the woosh

That's the thing...my weight loss has been linear...not really many whoooshes...except for maybe the 1st or 2nd month into my healthier lifestyle. Additionally, I'm only 14 lbs to goal (which is really a vanity goal), and I have NOT stalled ONCE and have NOT have to DECREASE my calories...in fact, my calories may have gone up 100 cals/day...not on purpose, but by hunger needs.

It's been a while since I first started this experiment/thread. I have since been documenting all my CHEAT MEALS, and my weight for each of the 3 days following the cheat meal here---> http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/calo...op-26-lbs.html

The results of several months have shown (to me anyways) conclusively that a CHEAT MEAL once per week/bi-weekly is a great way to keep your body guessing and keep weight loss consistent WITHOUT having to lower your calories as you get closer to your goal weight.

Appetite really doesn't have much to do with it...I just INDULGE my cravings for delishous cuisine on a regular basis.

this whole idea of it 'revving' my metabolism gets me on a slippery slope. i do better to not have such strict rules. just adapting the food to less fat/carbs so on. less often. lots of healthy produce, beans, very filling foods most of the time.

i try to pay attention to what i enjoy most. sometimes all i really wanted was the crust. or a small slice of pizza. or make my own version on a tortilla.

i'm always at home, so i do much less planning than most though. each person is different.

i do the same actually. i haven't hit a plateau (and i hope i won't) yet.

every week/two weeks, i let myself have a meal that i want. whether it be a corndog and fries, a steak, chipotle, or some good ethnic food. i follow weight watchers, so i do work it into my weekly points, but i do consider those foods to be treats/off plan/cheats/or rev meals...lol. don't get me wrong, the food i cook for myself is good, and i enjoy it, but its not "heavy" like my little weekly/bi-weekly indulgences.

i think doing this makes me feel more in control psychologically, and has helped me stay on plan. and i hope it keeps me from a plateau! i have to weigh myself daily after these meals to see if there is a drop after a couple of days as per joyfulloser's experiment i usually weigh myself once or twice a week.

yes having a free day every two weeks has been really helpful for me. I know that no foods are off limits and I don't feel deprived during the rest of the time. Keeps me focused and healthy mentally and helps break those stalls.

Regular "CHEAT" Meals are still workin!

I have one "free" meal a week, which always includes dessert. The reason I'm doing this is I previously lost about 20 pounds by not eating any sugar for a couple of months, but then I had one Christmas cookie. And then I had another Christmas cookie. And then I had the whole container. Then I really went nuts after being "deprived" and gained all the weight back. So this time I am allowing one "free" meal per week including dessert on the theory that I am not going to live without dessert for the rest of my life so I need to learn how to eat it in moderation. I've also tried eating something like a Fudgesicle every day, but that didn't work well for me either.

I started at 143 pounds last december, and by june, i was at the 112 I am now. I've managed to maintain that weight until now, but i have fluctuated a LOT. During the summer I dropped as low as 100 pounds, but then I got back up to 115 in the past month. I have noticed that cheating definitely does help get off the plateau, but you HAVE to be careful; i decided to use the "cheating" strategy, and it was too difficult for me to stop! i gained so much weight, and now it is hard for me to get back into my old healthy habits. it definitely helps a lot; you just have to be EXTREMELY cognizant of your actions!

This concept is amazing!!! I seriously am so excited to try it! I fell off the wagon pretty hard, so I am really watching what I eat this week, but after this week is over, I will incorporate one or two "cheat" days a month. NOt only will it help with weight loss, but I'll be able to enjoy some of the foods I've been restricting. Awesome thread

Progress update: Weight loss has slowed this month...but still NO PLATEAU's...only 6 more lbs to go til ultimate vanity goal!

I've always done this. After I get weighed, I allow myself one good meal. I eat whatever I want. Then the next morning, I'm back on program. I can't speak to plateaus, but it certainly helps me stay on track.