To think most people don’t have huge ‘pig out’ days once a fortnight?

[Deeryme1]

Went for brunch with a friend earlier who, when we came to order, said she was still feeling full and bloated from her ‘pig out’ day yesterday. I asked what that was and she said ‘oh once a fortnight, DH and I have a complete pig out day, it’s great. We start off with bacon sarnies in the morning, followed by a McDonald’s for lunch and then loads of crisps/ chocolate/ sweets etc.

I was like oh right and she said ‘do you not ever have a day sometimes where you just eat anything and everything you want?!’ And I said no, not really. She rolled her eyes and said ‘no wonder you’re so skinny’

The thing is, I eat a bar of chocolate pretty much everyday and if I go out for a meal (once every 2-3 weeks) I’ll always get at least 2 courses, sometimes 3 and I don’t care what I eat on those occasions, so I’m hardly an Angel in terms of food. However, no, I don’t ever really let myself have a day at home where I just eat whatever the hell I want for a whole day. I WOULD put on weight.

She seemed shocked and like I was uptight for not doing so, but I don’t think a regular pig out day like that is the norm for most people, is it? Or am I just really uptight?

I eat whatever I want every single day.
The difference is that "whatever I want" wouldn't include things like McDonald's, crisps or three courses out. I'm not in great shape in the sense that I'm not fit and not at all toned, but I'm a healthy weight for my height (always been a size 8). All of this to say: I think what you eat probably matters more than how much of it you eat, and even how frequently you eat it.
I agree with you.
I eat what I want and am the middle to lower end of a healthy weight for my height.
Day to day I don't want to eat lots of junk food, so eating what I want doesn't equal chocolate and biscuits every day. But on the days I feel like getting a McDonald's breakfast or having a biscuit I do without any guilt or shame because it's just food

I find the idea of restrictions and then planned binging to be a weird attitude to food

@Ohthatsabitshit me too if I want it I have it
Surely a bacon butty and a McDonald's isn't that unusual on a weekend

I don't believe in treat food, I follow my appetite( now called intuitive eating!)
Everyone is different but I think it's a bit odd to fixate on others eating habits

Well I only really do this deliberately at Christmas.
Whether three courses is pigging out depends hugely on the restaurant. Posher places have smaller higher protein portions. If it’s garlic bread followed by pizza and a sugary pud it will feel like pigging out.
I have to admit I pig out often when depressed and for me that means eating about 1000cal of biscuits. Co op do a particularly nice chocolate chip shortbread in their bakery. If they sold it in smaller packets it would help 🤣

Everyone has their own method of maintaining their weight. There's nothing 'weird' about your friends way.
Then you have to take into account that there are people who 'eat to live' and those who 'live to eat'. If you're someone who falls into the former category, then of course it's hard to understand how someone might regularly enjoy a day of eating all the foods that they normally deny themselves.
It's a bit like how if you're not a big drinker, you won't be able to understand why someone wants to go to the pub and get smashed every weekend🤷‍♀️

I’ve never heard of a “pig out” day and think I’d feel constipated after that menu you’ve described. And I’m hardly a calorie counter! But I don’t think of McDonald’s or crisps etc as a “treat” either, and tbh think the whole concept of “treating yourself” with food is a bit strange. I’m sure your friend would think I’m very stuck up.

Both sound extremist.

I'm breastfeeding so every day is pig out day for me at the moment! (I'm not gaining weight but in normal circumstances I would)

Same. I buy all the stuff I don't usually have in the house as I can't not eat it when it's there
Sounds bad but it's usually a tub of pringles, a chocolate melting pudding and custard and whatever Christmas stuff Aldi has

Fortnightly 'pig out' days sound absolutely terrible.

They should be weekly.

What’s weird is that you say you won’t ‘let yourself’ do this as if it’s something you have to consciously not do - i.e. that you’d like to, but restrict yourself.

Whereas I wouldn’t do it, but it wouldn’t occur to me either to do it - schedule a ‘pig out’ day - consider doing it (you’re wondering if you should, which is weird) or feel like I was missing out by not doing it.

Mines a mix
With McDonald's I usually try to have it as a treat
On Sunday's it's usually just a hot choc, then as and when I have a burger or two.

Overall with my eating I'm not to strict but I do try to eat mostly healthy and it depends on the yellow sticker section.

Can't help feeling this is really a non-issue op....

It sounds a bit odd, although I'm aware of people who are otherwise quite strict having 'cheat days'. If that's not the case, I do find planned regular bingeing while just sitting at home a bit strange in a way that say, getting stuck in at a holiday / family event isn't.

Which is not to say I never eat like that. I do a fair bit of endurance cycling & hillwalking. My diet on a day with a 100km + ride and a cafe stop or two would probably horrify most folks: processed meats, sugary drinks, cakes and high fat dinner will often feature. That said, I don't eat like that on a typical workday, because I have very little urge to do so. So I guess for me it's the highly scheduled aspect that's a bit odd (what if I've scheduled a carby binge day and actually I'd quite like a nice piece of fish with some veggies & a glass of white wine?)

@BuggersMuddle I guess because some people (me included) would never look forward to a piece of fish and vegetables. But if I know I have a "cheat day" coming up, it can motivate me to continue to eat healthily until I get to that designated day, and feel like I've earned it. As it happens, I don't pre-plan a cheat day, but some days I wake up and just don't have the motivation to resist all of the (unhealthy) things I like to eat, so resign myself to having an off day and starting again tomorrow. I really wish I was someone who enjoyed lots of vegetables/salad/fish/low carbs etc., I'm just not!

I'd also like to add that my chest days are not quite in the realms of the "pig out" days. I still try to be fairly restrained but will have a piece of cake or some sweets after dinner and not feel that I've let myself down by going over my calorie allowance for the day.

Why does it matter to you? Unless she’s saying that but then complaining she wants to lose weight. Personally I know I’d feel awful if I ate McDonald’s, loads of snacks etc so I’d never do it, but each to their own

I feel sick just thinking about you and your friend's eating habits.

Gross.

If I had a pig out day I'd eat about 2000+ too many calories and it would take me several weeks to lose the weight I'd gain.

I have regular pig out days, although I don’t call them that. But I’m quite strict with what I eat normally, which I wouldn’t manage if I didn’t have days where I was more relaxed about it. But eating whatever you like if you’re quite strict normally means you get fuller much quicker. I think some people on here are taking ‘pig out’ far too literally and imagining someone gorging themselves until they feel sick, which I’d be very surprised if that’s what’s happening.
As for eating chocolate every day. I was doing that for a little while and lost quite a lot of weight when I cut it out.

I have a pig out day every time I get the weekend to myself, usually once or twice a month. Actually it’s a pig out weekend 😂

I eat normally otherwise and I usually do at least 1.5 hrs of cardio everyday. I’ve actually lost weight since doing this which has surprised me since I’m over 50.

Pig-out sounds repulsive. No wonder there's an obesity crisis here.

While elsewhere droves of people are dying of malnutrition.

I do it but call it a cheat day. But I'm really strict the rest of the time with what I eat.

Track my calories, macros etc.

Then one day on my weekend off - I only get one weekend off every 3 weeks, I'll eat whatever I fancy.

Bacon sandwich for breakfast and then a takeaway for dinner. Maybe go out for lunch or have some cake 🍰

Personally I wouldn't eat a chocolate bar every day. But everyone is different 😄

Really? You ‘feel sick’ to think that on some days some people eat a lot more calories than their bodies strictly need? That’s a very extreme reaction.

OP - I’m more like you, I work best factoring treats into my every day diet. So maybe having one ‘treat like’ thing like a chocolate bar or pastry each day. I don’t think scheduling a treat day every couple of weeks would work for me. Basically I’m greedy and impatient- I need to know there’s a treat on the horizon in the next 24 hours, not that I can eat whatever I want a week on Saturday!

Well I pig out everyday. You're both weird