how many calories do you eat a day/ on your cheat day/weekend?

jackidoll

I aim for 1200 a day m-f but on the weekend i allow myself a little more. what is everyones take on cheatdays

Hornsby

I don't have cheat days cause my TDEE is pretty high so really no need. A day where I might go over my calories is usually around 4-5K. I don't consider anything a cheat day though as it implies I am doing something wrong. That being said, if you aren't active which would be about the only reason be on a 1200 calorie diet, I could see the need to "cheat".

melissabrindley1

I also aim for 1200 calories a day. I don't allow myself whole cheat days, but instead I just do one cheat meal. And I take those calories into account for the rest of my day.

kissedbythesunshine

I do 1350 a day. I don't do cheat days per say, but since I power walk everyday I have "banked" calories that I use if I want to. For instance, I was able to eat a 500 calorie slice of chocolate cheese cake one evening and didn't bat an eye about it. In fact, I don't like the concept of a cheat day. I stay within my calorie goal, I workout, and if I want something bad enough I eat it. This works for me.

My_Butt

When my calorie count was low (1,400) my cheat day was between 4,000-5,000 calories since I was so hungry. I figured out my TDEE (2,200) and I don't feel the need for a cheat day anymore since I can fit small portions of my favorite foods during the week.

segacs

I think the entire concept of a cheat day is flawed. I don't "cheat". I may choose to eat more on some days and less on others, but it's all still part of the plan.

If you're aiming for 1200 on your weekdays, you're probably eating too low. What are your stats (height/weight/age/goal weight)? Sometimes being overly restrictive on some days leads to overcompensation via bingeing on others. Better to find a reasonable calorie deficit that you can stick to every day without feeling deprived.

kshama2001

segacs wrote: »

I think the entire concept of a cheat day is flawed. I don't "cheat". I may choose to eat more on some days and less on others, but it's all still part of the plan.

If you're aiming for 1200 on your weekdays, you're probably eating too low. What are your stats (height/weight/age/goal weight)? Sometimes being overly restrictive on some days leads to overcompensation via bingeing on others. Better to find a reasonable calorie deficit that you can stick to every day without feeling deprived.

strong_curves

Hornsby wrote: »

I don't have cheat days cause my TDEE is pretty high so really no need. A day where I might go over my calories is usually around 4-5K. I don't consider anything a cheat day though as it implies I am doing something wrong. That being said, if you aren't active which would be about the only reason be on a 1200 calorie diet, I could see the need to "cheat".

This is my goal

shrcpr

I don't have cheat days either. There are a few days where I'll go over but I usually know when those will be (some social occasion or work function) so will try to minimize with extra workouts. I'm at 1,370 calories but I work out most days so it's been pretty easy to hit that and I don't really feel the need to have anything that will put me over. I'm fairly new though, just a few months in, so we'll see how I feel down the road.

SuggaD

No cheat days for me but plenty of days when I eat higher, especially the weekends. Generally, during the week I try to stick to 2000-2300. Weekends, easily at least 3000 each day because I tend to eat out for a lot of my meals.

allygory

I do 1400-1700 on regular days depending on whether its an exercise day normally. On bigger eating days I go up to 2400-2700. If i have more than one of those a week I try to build a couple of 1200s into the next week. i've been losing around 1lb a week and not feeling hungry this way.

Machka9

Roughly 1250 cals a day + a portion of my exercise calories.

No cheat days.

If I want to eat more, I exercise more.

That said, I have taken a 3-week diet break at the 4-month point + a 3-day diet break at the 8-month point ... and I'm planning a 2-week diet break over Christmas, which will be at the 10-month point. I'm also currently kind of toying with the idea of going into maintenance so I'm not quite as strict as I have been.

Liftng4Lis

Cheating implies doing something wrong. I'm not, therefore I don't. On days I go over, I eat whatever I'm eating, log it and move on.

savageman69

cutting at 3800 right now no cardio...was bulking 4000+ but shoulder injury has me resting. Weight is dropping slowly and i will not go below 3000 calories period

MelaniaTrump

I save up my calories if I want to have something big on weekends. Just use "banking calories" under daily exercise to "save up" your calories for that day.

Getty59

Why does everyone alway put in their 2 cents about terminology? U know what she means just answer the question or don't post know one wants to hear why u don't call them cheat days and how it's bad to call them cheat days and so on..... rant over

nvmomketo

My days vary a lot. Most days are around 1400-1600 kcals but some days I go as low as 500 kcals when "fasting" or well over 2000 kcals if I'm hungry.

I always stay in my WOE though so I don't consider a higher calorie day a cheat.

nutmegoreo

No cheat days, I fit things in when I want them, and if they don't fit, I'll go over a bit. I am losing about 2lb/week on 1600/day. I will be increasing that in the new year to slow my losses. I feel like my workouts are suffering. I'm 5'2" and 42y/o

queenliz99

Getty59 wrote: »

Why does everyone alway put in their 2 cents about terminology? U know what she means just answer the question or don't post know one wants to hear why u don't call them cheat days and how it's bad to call them cheat days and so on..... rant over

Because cheating means you are doing something wrong. You need to learn how to eat in moderation for the rest of your life. If you think of foods as bad and good you may never find success. Change your mindset is all that is being said. Rant over.

Lucille4444

I've eaten at maintenance instead of deficit if I feel hungrier. I don't 'cheat' because if I didn't have some structure I could easily destroy a weeks worth of deficit eating.

richardgavel

I have 2 methods of cheating. First is that I normally don't eat my exercise calories. So if I want a little more, I have calories to spend from exercise and still keep to goal. Second, I might eat to maintenance instead of my loss goal. With that, I'm at worst making the day no loss, no gain. That may not be enough to go for broke for the whole day, but certainly for one meal.

nutmegoreo

Getty59 wrote: »

Why does everyone alway put in their 2 cents about terminology? U know what she means just answer the question or don't post know one wants to hear why u don't call them cheat days and how it's bad to call them cheat days and so on..... rant over

Because:

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

Cheating implies doing something wrong.

There is way to much guilt and self punishment that seems to surface in dieting. People feel bad about themselves because they are overweight. Then they eat something that is not in their plan and they feel guilty for 'cheating,' typically going on about how weak willed they are. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it happens enough to be concerning.

The words we chose have a much stronger psychological effect than we would like. Cheating, just like using the words good or bad to refer to food choices (carbs are bad, sugar is bad) implies moral judgment where none should exist.

arditarose

I don't have cheat days. I log everything and hit or don't hit my weekly goal.

blankiefinder

I also don't believe in the philosophy of cheat days. What I did was to allow myself to eat at maintenance when my body told me I needed to (hungry!) or for special occasions (birthday, or walked by the cupcake shop...)

bethclabburn

I do 1,200 calories and work out daily. I don't allow any cheat days/meals as you will then continue to crave sugary/fatty foods

rankinsect

I don't really have cheat days. I eat anything I want to as long as I am at a deficit (1800 calories on non-workout days, 2200 on workout days) and give myself a few days where I have no set goals - Christmas, birthday, weddings, etc. - but fewer than 10 of those per year. Those days are eating in moderation, so no more 5,000+ calorie days for me, at least not unless someday I decide to get serious on lifting and bulking.

Some days I may not make my goal, and some days I'm not entirely sure because I'm estimating someone else's cooking, but I still do my best to make my goal.

JustMissTracy

No cheat days here, but I do let myself go over my calories sometimes. The odd Saturday I might go over my 1220 goal by about 200-300 cals, if I drink. (My goal is much higher on workout days, between 1400-1600). But I don't look at it as cheating, I look at it as living

T1DCarnivoreRunner

Hornsby wrote: »

I don't have cheat days cause my TDEE is pretty high so really no need. A day where I might go over my calories is usually around 4-5K. I don't consider anything a cheat day though as it implies I am doing something wrong. That being said, if you aren't active which would be about the only reason be on a 1200 calorie diet, I could see the need to "cheat".

It's a matter of perception. Your TDEE must be less than 4K based on your response, which I'm not sure I would consider to be "pretty high." Mine on average is around 3K and I consider that to be pretty low. So "pretty high" / "pretty low" are going to be a matter of perception.

As to the OP: My appetite is insatiable. I rarely have cheat days because it takes way too long to recover from them. It would be unusual to eat less than 10K calories on a cheat day, but normally is right around 20K +/-8K. So a typical cheat day is somewhere between 12K-28K calories. Again... I can't do that very often.

pinggolfer96

When I was super low on calories, I would have refeeds once a week with 3000-3200 cals (which is funny cause now that I knocked some sense into myself in maintaining on around 3500 cals a day), and then I would have an all out cheat binge once a month or once every 2 months that would easily be over 6-8k calories in my guess. Now that I'm managing my nutrition wisely, I don't feel the need to have those all out binges. I definitely do incorporate some yummy foods though!:p

BurnWithBarn2015

Dont do cheat days

And on 1850 calories a day. Aboutish lol
Log everything and sometimes i eat more. But it all levels out.

Trying to find maintenance but still losing ( very slowly)

SLLRunner

jackidoll wrote: »

I aim for 1200 a day m-f but on the weekend i allow myself a little more. what is everyones take on cheatdays

I don't do cheat days, but I have been known to save up calories for the weekend. I work hard to stay within my weekly calorie goals, as I'm in maintenance. There is really no room for error when you're in maintenance.

My take on this is that cheat days are not a healthy mentality because it implies I am doing something wrong. It also seems to me that cheat days are a food reward for doing so well during the week, which not great either. I spend many years yo-yo dieting, having cheat days, rewarding myself with food for losing 10 pounds, and it never ended well.

I don't know your stats, but if you are "cheating," that can signify that you are not eating enough food overall.