"Freeday" Great Article!

[DarleneGetnFit]

FREE DAY

Q. Should I "GO OVERBOARD" on my free day?

A. DO go overboard on your off day! Bill actually encourages it. 2 reasons why... #1. Eating that junk re-informs your body that there's not a nation-wide shortage of food so it will stop holding on to your fat. #2. It makes it easier to resist those not so good for you foods the other 6 days of the week when you know you can gobble down whatever you want on your free day. I often see/hear of people not taking advantage of their free day and it does them more harm than good! You need that day to help you with your will power the other 6 days. Seriously, Bill says it in the book. Eat WHATEVER you want. (make sure you have some gas-x though cause it will tear your stomach up after a while). Eventually you will not want those foods so much, but while you are starting take full advantage of your free day. During my first challenge I would scheme all week about what I was going to eat during my free day. Word to the wise though, don't buy large portions of the "not so good for yous". You don't want them haunting you when you restart! Bill wouldn't have bothered to put it in the program and write almost 2 pages about it if he didn't want you to do it.

A. On page 92 he (BILL ) talks about the free-day, "There is actually a physiological reason to purposely overeat once a week---it may help convince your body that it is not starving. Giving yourself a good feed once a week may calm that thousand-year-old encoded alarm inside your brain that goes off everytime you begin to burn stored body fat for fuel." Do you know what that made me think? Holy Cow, I must have been burning some stored body fat and my alarm went off and I only thought I was starving. And I felt awesome thinking that I have started burning stored body fat in only 3 days!!

Q. Am I totally messing up my progress if I eat a lot on my free day?

A. Eat EAT EAT! In the Body for Life book on page 92 it reads "If you want a Big Mac or two for lunch, go for it. If you want a thick pizza with everything on it for dinner, be my guest. If you want apple pie and ice cream for dessert, that's ok with me. There is actually a physiological reason to purposely overat once a week- it may help convince your body that it is not starving. Giving yourself a good feed once a week may calm that thousand year old encoded alarm inside your brain that goes off every time you begin to BURN STORED BODY FAT for fuel. Beyond the biological resons, there are psychological benefits to the free day." My last free day (which was Thursday) I had a McDonalds xtra value meal (LARGE!), some milkduds, a pint of Mayfield ice cream, and half a loaf of cheesy garlic bread and then weighed myself the day after and there was no change. At the end of this week, even after eating all that gunk, I still lost 4 lbs and 6 1/2" overall inches. Mommies, there is a REASON this is in the program. Sure, you may feel like trash that night before you go to bed, which may reduce the AMOUNT you eat the next free day, but I know that if I don't take it then I am going to majorly screw up during the other 6 days. It is not going to majorly hinder your progress. Bill says so himself. And if you can't trust the founder of the program, who can you trust? I still lost over 25lbs and 6 dress sizes my first challenge and I ate junk EACH and EVERY free day. Ok, I have said my peace. EAT UP LADIES. It will make it a lot easier to resist that cookie on Wednesday when you are planning to eat a hot fudge sundae on Saturday.



HAPPY LITTLE REMINDER ABOUT FREE DAY

(excerpt from doctorelite.com)

Helga says that fortunately science has discovered the most effective way to lose weight without starving and without crashing down your metabolism. “Quite simply you reduce your calories for a few days, say 4-5 days, then before your body has time to adjust, and slow the metabolic rate, you increase your calories for 2 or 3 days. We call it the “zigzag method for fat loss”. It is very effective and it’s permanent,” she adds.

For safe and healthy results however the team believe that this zigzag method should only represent one piece of the overall puzzle. Another important factor for weight loss is your activity level. This activity should include both aerobic and muscle building exercises. Muscle building is useful because muscles burn calories even at rest. Therefore by building muscle mass you will help to speed up your metabolic rate, even when you are not exercising. So instead of burning muscles to lose weight you should build lean muscle to burn fat and let the muscles do the work for you. The remaining pieces of the puzzle should number of meals, timing of meals and the type of food you are eating. This should then be balanced against your body type and your own personal goals.


Sound familiar, folks?? This is what Body For Life is all about!! SOOO, with that said, let me reinforce that Bill DOES say to go crazy on your free day. Here is his quote directly from the book:

Page 91:
Six days a week, you need to follow the eating guidelines I've been telling you about in this section. And on the seventh day? Forget about them.
I mean forget them all. Eat whatever you want. If you want to have blueberry pancakes with syrup for breakfast or a cinnamon roll with coffee or milk, that's fine. If you want a Big Mac or two for lunch, go for it. If you want a thick pizza with everything on it for dinner, be my guest. If you want apple pie and ice cream for dessert, that's okay with me.

TAKE NOTE that Bill mentions EVERY SINGLE MEAL. Not just one or two meals, but every "regular" meal. He is giving you full permission to have ALL of those things in one day. A crazy breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert!! He WANTS you to feel free to eat as you please!



ENJOY YOUR FREE DAY TO THE FULLEST!!!!!!


(excerpt from Eating For Life)

QUESTION: You recommend that once a week I should take a "free day" and eat anything I want and not follow Eating for Life. What if I eat too much?


ANSWER: Having had the opportunity to help so many thousands of people begin Eating for Life, I’ve noticed that, at first, their free days become feasts. However, what they discover is when you eat right, six days a week, and then you pig out once a week, I mean really go for it, it hurts. Stomachaches are the rule, rarely the exception. And this becomes a learning experience. Psychologists call it "aversion therapy." Kind of like when parents catch their kids with a pack of cigarettes, which they might puff on at school to try to look cool, and the parents actually "make them" smoke a few. They turn a little green, become just ill enough that cigarettes no longer seem cool; in fact, they seem disgusting. And this is why free days tend to become self-regulating, self-limiting and part of the overall solution, not part of the problem. They teach you to manage your food intake. And this is something I point out to those who initially are concerned that their free days will be so out of control, it will cause them to gain fat, even if their six Eating for Life days are right on track. I haven't seen that become a real issue, long term. So don't worry about it. Even I've learned there are only so many Krispy Kreme doughnuts I can eat before I make myself absolutely, positively sick and sorry.




Q: I would like to "split" my free day. Do I have to take my free food day and my non-workout day on the same day? I really want to work out on Saturday and have a free food day and then eat cleanly on Sunday and not work out. Is there anything wrong with this?

A: Bill does not specifically state in the book that your unauthorized food day and your non-workout day be the same day. However, it is implied. The reasons for taking this day as one in the same are:
1 - You don't have to worry about working out, eating right or meal scheduling for one whole day.
2 - You won't be working out and then fueling your body with junk.
3 - You are less likely to de-rail yourself for the entire weekend if you commit to ONE day of "freedom".

The managers on the Mommies site strongly suggest that, for best results, you take ONE day and make that your free day from exercise and clean eating during your first challenge.

However, if you insist on splitting your free day, this is what some of the "vets" suggest:
Work out in the morning of your free day. Wait one hour before eating. Eat a clean meal of protein and carb, correctly portioned. Wait 2 hours. Then, start your free day.
Please be advised, however, that this routine most probably will give you lesser results than one completely free day.
__________________

[hockeymom]

Oh yay! Uh Huh! Shimmi Shimmi! Doin' my little happy dance! That's my favorite artical in the Whole world!!!! I think I love you Darlene!

[DarleneGetnFit]

I love you too! and doesn't Freeday Rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! whoot wooot xooxo Darlene

[lillyo]

Darlene: Thank you for sharing! ) It spoke to two questions I've had for a long time at one time.

[parrothead]

I have a question that may sound strange. I think I may have the stomach flu. I don't feel like eating, much less working out. Does this count as my free day. (Becase if it does, that sucks)

[hockeymom]

IMO, sick days don't count! I'm sure other people think differently....

[Chris]

I agree... sick days don't count. It's your call though. Sometimes I am forced to take "free days" off schedule and then I usually opt not to take my usual free day, but that's just me. If I was truely sick, I'd probably take as many free days as I need to get back on track when I'm healthy. And even if you are feeling better, an extra day may make all the difference.

So again, do whatever you feel comfortable with.

[Sunshine]

parrothead - get well soon! Definitely get better first!! Then you can give your 100% instead of 50% cuz your sick!

[lillyo]

Parrothead: Sorry for your tummy. I hope it passes, soon...Depending on how long it lasts you might decide to use it as your free day...but try to remember, life happens, baby!

[mygirls]

Hi all, I'm new to this so I hope I'm doing this right........I went WAAAAAY Overboard on superbowl sunday....my weight 3 days later is up 3 lbs Is that b/c of what I ate or will it all balance out. I'm not going to weigh myself until this sunday which would be my next freeday....i feel if it hasn't adjusted then maybe it's not worth taking a free day.

[DarleneGetnFit]

it is worth it and you will level out ..try to weigh yourself "Before" your freeday or the farthest away from it you can., don't forget to measure too the scale is not always accurate! the freeday is wonderful and it really works! xooxo Darlene

[hockeymom]

TAKE YOUR FREEDAY! It will keep you on track in the long run. Some people think it will really jump start your metabolism too. I loooove freeday!

[Sunshine]

mmmmm Free Day!!!!

[mygirls]

thanks all! Actually, I'm really mad at myself for not doing any beginning measurements. I think I will do them tomorrow and go from there. Darlene, I'm loving your daily menus. I also use alot of bfl recipes. I think I'll try the vanilla/choc shakes you talked about - they sound yummy. Do you have them for meal 6?

[DarleneGetnFit]

I have it in the afternoon! thanks anytime you need clairification on something in my menu just ask and I will be happy to share! xooxo Darlene

[parrothead]

Thanks all for the well wishing. I am still not feeling the best. I skipped the work out today, but considering all I had to eat was a coke and a sleeve of salteens most of the day, I think skipping the work out will be OK. One of my girl friends turns 30 this weekend, any my hubby has volunteered to be DD, so I would have hated to use this as my free day. (I just hope my tummy is up to a free day by Saturday, or I may be the DD). I was thinking that if this doesn't clear up soon (and for some people who have had this gunk, it lingers), I may just extend my challenge. Make it 13 weeks. I also just realized that I am the queen of run on sentences. Sorry brain not working.

Thanks again for the warm thoughts and wishes.

[hockeymom]

Me too! I use lot's of ...'s

[lillyo]

Parrothead: Take it easy and try to keep up on your water (if you can keep it down).

mygirls: IMHO, you should DEFINITELY take your free day!!!!!!