How Many Calories Can I Have On a Cheat Day?

seliciaowens

I would like to know how many calories I can have on a cheat day? I was told it is good to have one one time a week but mine is only a couple times a month. Thank you for all your help.

DrWhoodles

I want to clarify that I don't believe in cheat days because I don't think there's anything to cheat on - it's just a lifestyle.

That being said, I think the purpose of the cheat is to have what you want and just enjoy it. But as I don't do the cheat thing my thought is just have something, enjoy it, log it, go on with life.

bajoyba

How many calories you can consume on a cheat day really depends on what your weekly calorie deficit is. Cheat days do work out well for a lot of people, but you have to be sure that you're not wiping out your deficit in one day of overeating. It's all about the numbers.

MerlinWilliams

I've never done cheat days. Once my sweet cravings were dealt with, I didn't feel any need for them.

cassylee

I do like cheat meals but it is a double edge sword for me. Its good to have it but then you either dont like it any more or you have it more and more and more. Soon you will be back to eating all the food that got you into this mess in the first place. Well that is how it is with me. The real trick is to find something to treat yourself with that you dont eat. For example - a massage, facial or a new out fit. This changes our mindset from food being a reward TO food being fuel for the body.

The amount of calories you eat on your cheat is up to you. However, I would not think of it as a cheat day but a cheat treat. For example, I love icecream and chocolate. I used to have a small bowl of ice cream or a chocolate on my cheating day and that will be it. However, the next few days, I will be fighting my urges all over again and I struggle with getting everything back on track.

Good luck

czechwolf52

What is your current daily calories? What is your weekly weight loss goal?

I don't purposely do cheat days. I just save them for the occasional day where I have no control over my calories, such as birthday parties, weddings, holidays, etc. If I want something I will find a way to fit it into my daily calories, I regularly eat "junk" food and still lose weight. For example, on Sunday I really wanted a DQ red velvet blizzard. I looked up the nutritional info and saw that I had enough calories to eat a small one, so I had it an enjoyed it.

If you think that you can control yourself then I would do a cheat day once every two weeks. One really calorie day every week could impede or undo a few day's worth of effort, depending on how much you eat.

sshintaku

I'll typically have a "cheat meal" one day a week. I make my other meals that day small and healthy, and typically go over my normal daily goal by 400 calories or so. I typically go under my calories by 100 or so the rest of the week, and work out almost every day. I figure it balances out so that maybe I don't lose that day, but I also don't gain.

My one problem though, is that I crave salty foods, so my "cheat meals" do tend to make me bloated or retain more water or whatever after. I notice the difference in the way I feel, even if I stay within my calories, if I've eaten a grilled cheese or if I ate a spinach salad.

rudarbe

Honestly, just don't go overboard. Because you can gain all your week's hard work back. I'd say anything you can fit on a plate

Mr_Knight

I would like to know how many calories I can have on a cheat day? I was told it is good to have one one time a week but mine is only a couple times a month. Thank you for all your help.

A "couple of times a month" is not "only" - that's a lot.

You can have as many calories as you want - they're just calories - the more of them you have, the slower you will lose weight (or gain, if your cheats are too large/frequent).

David_AUS

opinions will vary on this one considerably - my personal opinions "Cheat Day" - Lets call it "Treat Day" or "Re-Fueling Day" as what you are aiming to do is re-ignite the spark in your metabolism.

* Once a week is too frequent from my personal experience (some can do this but I think they over compensate in the week lead-up with lower calorie days or their metabolism is really firing ) - aim for once every or 13 - 14 days (as this fits better with weekends and you can plan an event with friends / family )
* I would say less than double you normal calorie intake but at least 33% more (IE: Min 1 additional meal more than you usually would). If you want to have a "Party night" you can "save" the calories by extending your fast and have your first meal later in the day.
* Don't obsess on the weight gain the day after (I find the weight takes about 3 days to drop and this "Treat Day" has helped me break plateaus. You can try following with a Fasting day to drop the weight / water retention off (just see how you feel)
* Avoid - over treat with Alcohol
* Make sure you use the time to "Treat yourself" to something you enjoy - but do try to avoid processed foods

cafeaulait7

When I did it once a week, it was maintenance for my current weight. If it's less frequent but still regular, I'd do up to 150-200 over that maintenance.

For special days like holidays, I don't have a limit but I don't go crazy

ottermotorcycle

Whatever you want as long as you are still, ultimately, meeting your calorie deficit and thus weight loss goals.

If you're operating at a 500-calorie deficit and you decide to have a "cheat" day once a week, you would have to have an EXTRA 3000 calories in order to "undo" your weight loss efforts. If you decide to go over your maintenance by 500, you would only "undo" one day. This is a simplified example, but that's the idea. Personally, if I were aiming for weight loss, I would have a maintenance day instead of a cheat day, especially if you are having them often - it's a day off from my weight loss efforts, but it's not going to be a detriment to my goals.

And of course, calories don't count on your birthday or on family holidays like Christmas! :drinker:

Spiderkeys

I had a cheat day when I possibly consumed nearly 6000 calories, in the next 2 days I gained about 7 pounds, my initial thought was weeks worth of hard work gone in 1 day, but a couple more days later my weight dropped back to the original weight, and then I was happy to see I hadn't even gained at all, this was all in under a week, and by the end of the week I even lost some weight, where I thought I would at least go through a full week week without losing.

I wouldn't worry too much in counting calories on a cheat day, if you going too then, its hardly a cheat day at all, just enjoy yourself, and reward yourself and eat as much as everyone else does, just don't do it everyday.

action_man

Like a lot of people, I don't really like calling it a "cheat day" either. I feel like thinking of it as cheating isn't exactly healthy, but that's an argument for a different thread. I don't have a better word for it, so for now let's call it a cheat day to make it easy.

I don't know how much truth there is in the whole "kick-start your metabolism" thing but a 'cheat day' is nice to have from time to time just to keep you sane. As far as the frequency, I try not to plan them. Unless its a party or a holiday that I know is coming I just try to let the cheat days happen when they happen, with the understanding that you don't do it all the time. That being said, sometimes I have two cheat days in a row and its OK.

As for the number of calories; it really depends. If its a regular old day and I feel like having a bowl of ice cream or a beer (or both) after dinner, I just try to stay below maintenance. (there's plenty of days where I budget stuff like that in. Some days you wake up and say "I'm going to eat a 700 calorie muffin for breakfast" and you do it knowing you'll be pretty hungry by the time lunch comes around, oh well).
If Its a day where I really want to go crazy, I'll look at the last week and see how many extra calories I have left before going over maintenance. Even if you're only going for .5lbs per week and you've been sticking to it you out to have about 1750 calories worth of surplus. Generally that's enough extra to go hog wild at a party and not cause horrible damage (obviously something that excessive is gonna cause a temporary gain before everything evens out, so if you weigh like every day or something don't flip out). And yes that'll stall your weight loss for the week and that's why you can't do that often, but hell, you decided to lose weight so you could enjoy life better and sometimes that means going off your diet for a day.

praevalere

I had a cheat day when I possibly consumed nearly 6000 calories, in the next 2 days I gained about 7 pounds, my initial thought was weeks worth of hard work gone in 1 day, but a couple more days later my weight dropped back to the original weight, and then I was happy to see I hadn't even gained at all, this was all in under a week, and by the end of the week I even lost some weight, where I thought I would at least go through a full week week without losing.

I wouldn't worry too much in counting calories on a cheat day, if you going too then, its hardly a cheat day at all, just enjoy yourself, and reward yourself and eat as much as everyone else does, just don't do it everyday.

This. Even if you ate 8000 calories in one day you wouldn't wipe our your entire weeks work. The biggest problem with doing it is that it might lead you to continue on the same path. Just as your body can only lose weight so fast, it can only gain so fast, most of those calories are going to end up as number 2. I would suggest doing it once so you will stop thinking about it, and see over the course of a few days if it levels back out for you. You will most likely gain some water weight but it should fall right back off.

janupshaw

I don't regularly do Cheat Days or Cheat Meals; I just wait until an occasion arises. On those days I try to stay at maintenance calories. I think to myself, "I didn't lose weight TODAY".

hortensehildegarde

I'd say it also depends on why you were told it was a good idea. To "kick-start" metabolism? So you didn't get burnt-out and quit?

There are answers already given that speak to both of these reasons, but I would suggest you think about it and decide for yourself what you think will work for you.

You are going to hear and read TONS of do-this don't-do-that etc etc. If you try and follow it all you will go mad (and lots of it is bad advice anyway LOL!!).

So I'd say think about why you are considering trying out a "cheat day", what goals you want to accomplish in doing so, etc. Write those goals down. Plan out how you are going to do your cheat day then afterwards assess if you feel you met your goals in doing so. If you did- hooray you can repeat! If you didn't try another way until you hit your mark.

I'd imagine it's a lot of number-crunching and trial and error to figure out what counts as a "cheat day" for you- there is no set right answer about how many calories you should eat for such a day.

I will also say, I like the idea about eating at maintenance for the day as then you aren't going "backwards" but that only works if eating at maintenance satisfies your goal in having a "cheat" day (also I agree I HATE that term but as already said, that's a topic for another thread).

rayfu75

I try to fit pizza and wings into my Friday or Saturday night every week. Do my best not to got over my set calories/macros but sometimes it happens. If I have some exercise calories from the day I'll eat those back unless I'm trying to make weight for a tournament.

Serena272

Bump

SezxyStef

Like a lot here I don't believe in "cheating" when it comes to food.

I eat the food I want within moderation whenever the craving hits.

Francl27

As few as you can. Ideally, stay under your TDEE always if you want to lose weight... If you have a reasonable deficit (20% or less), you don't need a cheat day. Just eat what you like within your calories. If you have a cheat day.. log it and move on. Just try to minimize the damage.

eldamiano

1 million

neanderthin

How would you know anyway, after all it's a cheat day.

lauraf130490

I don't really do cheat days, I do cheat meals or nights maybe once or twice a month. Even then I do it in moderation though, I won't go crazy and eat like 3000 calories in one meal. On the days I know I'm going to go over my limit I usually eat very low calories for most of the day and fit in an extra session at the gym so I've built up quite a big deficit, which then allows me to eat more without going too far over my limit. So I probably go over by between 500-800 calories when I do cheat. If I go out Saturday night for a meal and I go over my 1500 goal for that day by 700 calories, I'll make sure that I go to the gym an extra day the following week and go under my calories a few days to make up for it. So it's not really cheating I suppose, because I'm having to make up for the extra calories I've eaten some how.

stefanieraya

I would like to know how many calories I can have on a cheat day? I was told it is good to have one one time a week but mine is only a couple times a month. Thank you for all your help.

You need to remove with your cravings first. Calorie reduction diets don't normally work long term because you aren't changing your eatting to work FOR your metabolism. I agree with others that I no longer have cheat days because I don't have cravings anymore. I'm no better or worse than you but finally got it into my head that you have the hit the problem at the head to get rid of it.
There is a way to do it. Friend me and I can help you.

action_man

I think its important to differentiate here between "cheat day" and binge eating as well. A 'cheat day' doesn't mean you go crazy and eat a whole cake. It means if you feel like eating a piece of cake, then you do and don't feel bad about it.

I wouldn't worry about trying eliminate cravings. Firstly, I don't believe you can. Secondly, I don't know why you'd want to. Unless you're disrupting your daily life on account of your oreo habbit, I don't want to live in a world where I can't eat a donut sometimes when I want to.

In the end, it all comes out on the scale. Do what works for you and if you're not losing weight, you're gonna have to net fewer calories. If you are losing weight, great. If it's not broken, don't fix it.

spikrgrl503

I havent had a cheat day yet really, but I may do one tomorrow. What I plan to do is:

See how many calories I would need to eat for maintenance. (I'm currently at -1 lb per week). Try to stick to "maintenance" for a day.

If that's too hard, see how many I would need to gain 0.5-1lb per week. One day of eating that many calories isn't going to affect my weight in the grand scheme of things.

amoffatt

I want to clarify that I don't believe in cheat days because I don't think there's anything to cheat on - it's just a lifestyle.

That being said, I think the purpose of the cheat is to have what you want and just enjoy it. But as I don't do the cheat thing my thought is just have something, enjoy it, log it, go on with life.

:flowerforyou: ^THIS!!!!!

Lesa_Sass

Calorie spike days are important. But I agree with others, we do not use them as an excuse to binge.

I was on 1400 plus exercise cals and usually ate around 3000 on spike days.

We use calorie spike days so our bodies will not get used to eating such low calories. I would eat a high calorie meal like a cheese burger and then add a reasonable sized slice of home made apple pie, not fill the whole thing up with a tub of ice cream or something like that.

airangel59

You have to do what works for you, personally I do NOT have Cheat days, Cheat meals, Cheat anythings. If it won't fit in the diary, It's not going in my mouth. It's NOT a diet...It's gotta be a LIFESTYLE change.

I plan my meals in advance, I work in the fast food, junk food, chocolates/treats whatever and keep within my calorie goals. I don't feel deprived if I can 'have my cake & eat it too" and it FITS in my stats.

Good luck in whatever you end up doing :drinker:

ZombieEarhart

An entire cheat day every week could seriously de-rail your progress. Instead, why not look at the week as a whole, some days you'll go under, some over- try to be close to your calorie goal for the entire week.

I would also suggest removing words like "cheat," or even "good" and "bad" from your diet vocabulary. Instead, encourage yourself with things like "I hit my protein goal today!" "I ate twice as many vegetables as I used to" or "Remember in the future to pre-plan for cookies and decide how many to eat before I eat them." That kind of thinking and self-talk will take you a lot further than "when can I cheat?!" Which may make you feel like you're punishing yourself with too-strict rules you need a break from, and could even inspire guilt over "cheating"

Good luck!