How many Calories are acceptable on Cheat Days?

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Replies

  • TravisBikes
    TravisBikes Posts: 674 Member
    My wife doesn't let me do cheat days. She says it would end everything.

    YMMV.
  • MrsPong
    MrsPong Posts: 580 Member
    No "cheat" day. I eat what I want if it fits into my calorie goals. If it doesnt... I work out a little harder.
    Weekends are tough....and sometimes I go over due to eating out and such...but i always track it. I also try to keep under maintenance if I do go over.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    Don't have cheat days.... I eat what I want (without going crazy) and just work it into my calories for the day. If I have to sacrifice somewhere else to have a brownie I do.

    That being said, I NEVER eat out because it is too hard to control your calorie intake. If I DID have a "cheat day" though... I would try to keep it reasonable on the calorie front.... not going more than say 100 over your goal for the day... maybe work out harder to make up the difference.
  • bnorris2013
    bnorris2013 Posts: 256 Member
    I have to say I used to call them cheat days and i generally would go over about 2k in calories

    Now more recently what I have found to be even better is rather then having cheat days as others call them cheat meals -- So for example ok so tonight i know i am gonna have tacos so since i know my taco meal runs me about 1445 calories - So I figure out what I am gonna eat the rest of the day generally try to make the earlier snacks/meals low calorie as possible maybe carrots for a few of the snacks so i am getting filled plus getting low calories and then I figure up the total calories I will use so say I knew I was going to 390 calories for my other snacks/meals during the day so i know i will end up at 1835 calories for the day - So instead of saying ok well i am going to cheat since I only have 1370 for the day ... So that day I did 25 minutes on the eliptical and 10 minutes of strength training so I would earn an extra 526 calories which resulted in me still having 61 calories left over for the day - So all you need to do is put in a little more exercise for the day and you dont have to worry about cheat days because you will have enough exercise calories to cover it
  • vikkistarr89
    vikkistarr89 Posts: 122 Member
    My allowance is 1200 and i stick to it,

    Even when you exercise?

    Nah, i exercise every day, so my total is usually 1500/1600
  • vikkistarr89
    vikkistarr89 Posts: 122 Member
    I gave up my cheat days. I tracked a couple and they were 4000 - 5000. Total waste of time restricting myself any other days of the week!!

    Jesus Christ hahaha, the most ive ever got to is about 2500!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    Jesus Christ hahaha, the most ive ever got to is about 2500!

    2500 is a normal day!
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
    I don't do "cheat" days, but I do eat less some days and work out more others to either make up for or plan for larger meals. In the end, I try to stay within calories for the week.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I don't have cheat days. I make healthy choices most of the time and if I feel like having something more, I eat it in moderation or compensate during that week. It all evens out in the end.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    I don't do "cheat" days, but I do eat less some days and work out more others to either make up for or plan for larger meals. In the end, I try to stay within calories for the week.

    lol. I should have just read this and quoted it.
  • dymaxxion
    dymaxxion Posts: 9 Member
    Sure, I've had days where I've splashed out and had beers and terrible snacks since I started but I still make a point of logging them so I can visualize what I've done and use them to make better decisions later on.
  • ruwise
    ruwise Posts: 265 Member
    I don't do cheat days either however I do have what's called a social life and I do eat a couple of hundred calories less for a few days prior to a meal out with friends or a night out so I can be less concerned with what I eat on the day. I don't think it's healthy to think right I can have up to 3000 calories today or else that's what you'll aim for.
  • Coyoteldy
    Coyoteldy Posts: 219 Member
    I don't have cheat days or reward days, rewarding yourself with food perpetuates the idea that food solves problems. I eat in moderation all days.. some days I WANT that chocolate cake ( yes that IS my drug of choice LOL) and I will have a bit.. just not the whole cake (which I could CHEERFULLY polish off with a carton of milk) .. I have a reward in place for me when I hit goal weight one ( I breaks goals into manageable chunks) I will meet a friend at Disneyland...other rewards include things like a beach trip...or other non food rewards... 2.2 pounds till Disney YAY
  • Maximumresults
    Maximumresults Posts: 175
    most peoples' minds respond to choices, not restrictions....in other words, don't view what you do as good and bad..factor in your choices and keep working toward the results you want to achieve ..there is nothing off limits to me and I've found when I have decided what I do instead of feeling like I can't do certain things, I get much further...

    maybe there is an emotional or anxiety tie to why you feel you need to eat this way one day or week..or just some opinion or information you read or heard that has now stuck with you? challenge those things and keep moving forward in what results you want
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Or you could screw the cheat day and eat what you want in moderation... and eat more then 1200 calories.

    this! i HATE the phrase 'cheat day'...

    Another one for this ^^^
  • neacail
    neacail Posts: 228 Member
    I think that eating at maintenance is the most "cheating" that I would ever be comfortable doing.

    I don't have cheat days, though. I used to do one cheat meal a week, but I didn't feel good about it. As a result, I don't even have cheat meals anymore.
  • kbeaumont88
    kbeaumont88 Posts: 35 Member
    I try to eat anything I want but in moderation. Example: My BF and I are big on Buffalo Wild Wings and I used to eat a grilled chicken wrap with chips & salsa AND a few wings. Now I only eat 1/2 the wrap with the chips & salsa (no extra wings) and that's it and I stay within my 1200 calories for the day and I get what I want... better yet I am FULL after eating less.

    But I agree with some others if you want to "cheat" one day more than usual... then I would stay under your maintanence calories.
  • ddellner
    ddellner Posts: 58 Member
    I don't have a "cheat day" as such. I eat an average of 1600 cals per day which means I could eat 1200 one day and 2000 another day with 1600 cals per day in between ... or I could eat 3 days at 1200 and 3 days at 2000 and one day 1600 ... it balances out at the end of the week and keeps the body guessing, but knowing theres food coming regular :)

    I would say that a cheat day should deffo not be big enough to put your weekly totals over your maintanance allowance. and thats different for everyone, so no one could truly answer your question without knowing how much your body needs to maintain :)

    I like this idea Some days I can barely eat my calories and other days i want to eat way over my allotment
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member

    Jesus Christ hahaha, the most ive ever got to is about 2500!

    2500 is a normal day!

    same here!
  • Andrea681
    Andrea681 Posts: 178 Member
    There are no such things as "cheat days" or "reward days". Eat what you want in moderation. This isn't a diet. It's a lifestyle. If you want chocolate, have chocolate. Not a ton of it but enough to satisfy that craving and move on. I hate the term cheat days because really, you're only cheating yourself.
  • muppetkeeper
    muppetkeeper Posts: 33 Member
    I balance my calories out over a week. That way on days you are more hungry, you can eat more, as long as you ease off and hit your total for a week, you'll be fine. The iPhone app makes this easy.

    Also, you could also do exercise on "cheat day", to keep under 1200 net
  • JenniferMary_9169
    JenniferMary_9169 Posts: 164
    I read a post the other day that said "Fitness is like a marriage, you can't cheat on it and expect it to work."


    I love love love this ^^^^
  • DiscoveringOptions
    DiscoveringOptions Posts: 5 Member
    Cheat days are ridiculous!! You're only cheating on yourself!!
  • 111orBust
    111orBust Posts: 41
    i'd say upto maintenance calories as a max

    ^^ This.

    I do a carb refeed every couple of weeks (at least that's what I call it :wink: ) but I plan it the same way I plan and log all my meals and make sure it stays high carb/ low fat.
  • _kannnd
    _kannnd Posts: 247 Member
    There are no such things as "cheat days" or "reward days". Eat what you want in moderation. This isn't a diet. It's a lifestyle. If you want chocolate, have chocolate. Not a ton of it but enough to satisfy that craving and move on. I hate the term cheat days because really, you're only cheating yourself.

    This
  • BrookieHatesCookies
    BrookieHatesCookies Posts: 54 Member
    I'm vegan so on my cheat days I still have something healthy, just "bad" by my standards. Usually some sashimi and green tea ice cream! Or froyo!! I stay under or just meet my calorie limit :smile:
  • LolasEpicJourney
    LolasEpicJourney Posts: 1,010 Member
    Once a week my husband and I have "take out night" so thats usually my treat day. I dont focus on a certain calorie amount. I enjoy whatever I get (sometimes pizza, sometimes a nice salad from subway, sometimes we go somewhere to eat)
  • amber0600
    amber0600 Posts: 13 Member
    I am not into cheat days. I think you're just cheating yourself. I am working on not demonizing certain foods. If there is something you want, have a few bites but stay in your calorie range. I don't reward myself with food items either.

    I have read in a few places that alot of foods regardless of the amount of calories in them still make it harder for your body to digest and put a bigger monkey wrench in your weight loss than if you just went over your calorie intake on healthier foods. While yes you don't have to cut out "Treats" all together. The less of them you eat the better you are being to yourself
  • VpinkLotus
    VpinkLotus Posts: 849 Member
    I personally don't use the word cheat because it makes me feel like I've been naughty, and I don't need that guilt. If I'm having a day where I'm just not into it and feel like eating whatever I want, I just say that to myself. "I'm going to eat what I want today." Then i do but pay close attention to how I feel while eating. If I am eating pizza and I start to feel I've had enough, I listen to that voice and stop (which the old me would never have done.) As a result I don't go totally crazy with the cals because I'm just listening to my body. And let's be honest, if you're human your body is going to ask you to bake cookies every once in a while. Don't stress too much, just do your best MOST of the time. ;)
  • starrynight1929
    starrynight1929 Posts: 92 Member
    I can't do cheat days. I have a food addiction and can't eat any amount of certain foods, or I will lose control and literally eat 10,000 calories worth of food in one day. I can easily polish off half of a sheet cake. I'm only 5'6 and 160 pounds but somehow it fits into my stomach!

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