Is it ok to have 2000 calorie cheat days?

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  • ptak1sm
    ptak1sm Posts: 172
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    I took a cheat day once a week when I was losing. Didn't track anything, ate fast food, ice cream, went out to the bar. Still lost 40 pounds. You'll be fine. And don't go overboard on the cardio, you're not doing your body any favors...in fact, you're more likely to hurt yourself if you go overboard
  • karlschaeffer
    karlschaeffer Posts: 1,495 Member
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    Hi y"all. I'm doing the maintenance thing. I eat healthy Monday thru Friday (approx 1600cals/day) and "cheat" 2 weekends a month. I don't track food and figure I'm eating 3-4,000 cals/day. And yeah, like some other comments I've read on this thread, I find I'm not "piggingg out" as much as I could do before i started eating healthy. Seems to be working for me. So, my advice" you wanna cheat? Don't feel gulty about it.
  • ziggiezambi
    ziggiezambi Posts: 253
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    I think you’ll be ok as long as you exercise. Throughout my work nights I eat 1200 or less because I have 12hour shifts so I basically have enough time to drive home, go to bed, get up, get ready, and drive back in. No time to exercise. So I eat less. But when I get in time to exercise on my day off I allow myself to eat more. Last week I swam laps over 2 hours and I ate 1837calories and still put me at a 546calories deficit. :tongue:
  • beccadaniixox
    beccadaniixox Posts: 542 Member
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    2000 calories is around maintenance for most people, so it's hardly a cheat at all :)

    And as others have said, 1200 is probably a bit too strict for you. Most people need many more calories than that, but unfortunately MFP spits out 1200 as the "default" number. Check out this thread, it can help you figure out how much to eat to lose weight healthily! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    1200 is not a "default" number. It's the number MFP gives as a MINIMUM.
    So pretty much everyone sets their stuff to "lose 2lbs a week" and get stuck with 1200.
  • backlin522
    backlin522 Posts: 3
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    I am hungry when eating only 1200 cal a day, the MFP says that is my goal but I normally average 1500 and 2100 on weekends.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    2000 calories is around maintenance for most people, so it's hardly a cheat at all :)

    And as others have said, 1200 is probably a bit too strict for you. Most people need many more calories than that, but unfortunately MFP spits out 1200 as the "default" number. Check out this thread, it can help you figure out how much to eat to lose weight healthily! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    1200 is not a "default" number. It's the number MFP gives as a MINIMUM.
    So pretty much everyone sets their stuff to "lose 2lbs a week" and get stuck with 1200.

    Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Based on the settings most people put in, MFP spits out 1200 because it can't go any lower than that. Most people are complete newbies when they come to this site and don't necessarily know how to use the settings (activity level, weight loss goal) correctly.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
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    Make those days long cardio workout days and burn as much as you know you want to eat :) It'll even out!

    Well that's a healthy approach/attitude. No.

    As others have mentioned its a pretty basic maintenance number for most, you'll be fine but be better if you found a more realistic calorie goal. Exercising more just to make up for eating more is a very negative attitude to have and is not healthy. One bad day will not undo your hard work. Don't believe me? I ate 3200 calories last Wednesday that was planned and still lost this week, no guilt here.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
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    I am hungry when eating only 1200 cal a day, the MFP says that is my goal but I normally average 1500 and 2100 on weekends.

    You can manually change your calorie goal so it says a more appropriate calorie count for you.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    NO NOT IF U ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
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    NO NOT IF U ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT

    But... I lose weight eating over 2,000 some days :huh: :wink:
  • Danielle_Stg11109
    Danielle_Stg11109 Posts: 13 Member
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    ABSOLUTELY not! Depending on age/gender/weight your BMR is probably around 1600 calories a day. That's a total of 11,200 calories a week. In order to gain an actual pound (not water weight) you have to eat 3500 calories OVER your BMR for the week. You will not gain weight. If you're exercising, that's probably the amount you'd want to eat if you're maintaining weight.

    So you're doing fine, sweetie :)
  • u_mad_bro
    u_mad_bro Posts: 42 Member
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    OP, I regret to inform you that your thread is nowhere near as good as the 5000 calorie cheat day thread we've had a while ago.
    I award you no points blah blah blah...


    Anyways, 2000 is probably very close to your TDEE, so I wouldn't call it a cheat day. Eating around maintenance a day a week should do you good mentally, and shouldn't affect your progress.
  • u_mad_bro
    u_mad_bro Posts: 42 Member
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    NO NOT IF U ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT

    Did I tell you how very entertaining I find you? And highly representative of a certain part of MFP. Like an MFP mascot of sorts. Lovely.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    NO NOT IF U ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT

    LOLWUT?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    NO NOT IF U ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT

    YES YES IT IS FINE



    As long as you end up at a deficit on average, it is fine.
  • aFootballLife25
    aFootballLife25 Posts: 63 Member
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    I usually eat about 1200 calories a day. Is it ok to have a 2000 calorie cheat day once a week? I absolutely love sweets and cannot go a long time without eating them.

    A cheat day once every week or 2 is definitely OK, and I would say it's actually VERY BENEFICIAL.

    As you go day after day on a calorie deficit, a key fat burning hormone called Leptin, gets lower and lower... Kind of telling your body that it is starving. A day of high calories(and more specifically carbs), brings Leptin levels back up. Keeping your fat loss from coming to a halt/burning muscle.
  • CrankMeUp
    CrankMeUp Posts: 2,860 Member
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    NO NOT IF U ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT

    Did I tell you how very entertaining I find you? And highly representative of a certain part of MFP. Like an MFP mascot of sorts. Lovely.


    entertaining...

    not what my choice of word would be but okkk.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
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    Well does your weekly average put you in a deficit? Question answered.
  • aFootballLife25
    aFootballLife25 Posts: 63 Member
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    2000 calories is around maintenance for most people, so it's hardly a cheat at all :)

    And as others have said, 1200 is probably a bit too strict for you. Most people need many more calories than that, but unfortunately MFP spits out 1200 as the "default" number. Check out this thread, it can help you figure out how much to eat to lose weight healthily! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    1200 is not a "default" number. It's the number MFP gives as a MINIMUM.
    So pretty much everyone sets their stuff to "lose 2lbs a week" and get stuck with 1200.

    I lose 2 pounds a week on 2500+ cals

    =)
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    2000 calories is a cheat meal. 2000 calories in a day is maintenance.

    This. My cheat days are about 4000 calories minimum. Usually over 5.

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