So, how far do you go on a cheat day?

I don't have specific cheat days I eat what I want most of the time as long as it fits within my goals if i go over then I go over.

This is my take, too. In the last year, I went over my goals about three times - Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. All three were due to beverages (both alcoholic and non).

For Thanksgiving, I sometimes call it a planned cheat day as I worked out the three days before and did not eat the calories back (which ended up putting me right about at my weekly goal) I did this because I knew that I would want to try a little of everything and that the menu was filled with delicious high-calorie foods like mac and cheese.

If I'm going to cheat I make sure its when I really want something not just because it's the weekend. So I might have a dessert when I'm out but only if there is something really tasty on the menu.

One day last week I had "the hungries" somethin awful! I ate 1200 over my calories and somehow it didn't affect my week overall. I don't do this often and I felt great about it and enjoyed every bite (2 yummy chocolate bars).

I don't like that concept. It implies that eating certain foods is morally wrong or something. I might eat more than I usually do if it's some social occasion. When that happens, I go back to my usual healthy eating the next day and move on. This is about setting up healthy patterns for life for me, not about sticking to a strict regimen that doesn't allow for any deviation or fun.

I had about 700 calories worth of beer yesterday. That's obviously not a super healthy choice, but I didn't eat excessively in addition, and I had a good time. I don't consider this as me having done something "bad." It's me living my life.

A cheat DAY will sabotage your Weekly deficit, I'd avoid those cheat days. How about a cheat meal?
I believe your weekly average cals are more important than your dailys.

I try to stay on my diet plan year round without cheating. Only because i put on weight super easy, and just having some cake and such can add 2kgs on simple as that, and ruins a week or so worth of work just for a cheat. The only time i really go all out is on birthdays and a super special occation.

IDK, I don't really have "cheat days". There are days that I don't eat as well as I should, or I may go over, but they are balanced out by all the other days that I was under my calorie goal.

This

I think my highest cheat day was around 7000 calories, but I also had an intense workout that day, so really, minus exercise cals, it was around 6000 cals.
It's because of my ability to just go all out when I'm with my friends that I allow myself to choose one thing that I can eat. Like, let's say you all go out for pizza and wings, instead of eating both, and feeling gross about it, I eat one slice of pizza, and down a bunch of water. And on the days prior to a designated cheat day, I eat below my goal to make up for it, and I try to choose the healthier option of binge foods. Like flavored rice cakes, or maybe the low fat version, just so it doesn't completely throw me off. These cheat days only happen about once a month, so in order to tide myself over until then, I allow myself to have small amounts of whatever I am craving, that way I don't go crazy. Let's say I crave ice cream, I go out and buy the fat free frozen yogurt, and have a cup of it, and that's all I need, and it's also the healthier option.

Most I've gone is maybe 100 calories, and it was a cheat meal... well not even really, as I still had a healthy entree.

But really, doing that on days when you're really hungry is a bad, bad idea. You're more likely to overeat by 1000 calories or more if you're just eating high calorie stuff that won't fill you up.

My highest cheat day was 6400 calories for the day.

That is some serious cheating!

It also happened to be seriously delicious, which is always a plus when you're going to splurge like that.

What does this food orgy consist of?

Share, share!

If I have a cheat day, it is usually 400-650 calories over goal if I'm eating at a deficit. If I'm eating at maintenance, I usually don't go over more than 200.

There have been a couple occasions where I've gone over a couple thousand, but I can count those on two fingers.

Twice I have gone over on cheat days and have had major setbacks undoing a whole week of exercise and healthy eating. It's not easy when you are craving or just really want something, but it's also about taking a step back, having that glass of water etc. And really consider what you may gain (pun intended) by having that treat and is it worth it. A lesson I need to learn too....

One of my MFP friends has two cheat days a month. She eats 1200 calories a day and exercises, but does not eat back her calories. Then twice a month she just goes all out. She logs everything in and it uaually is about 4000 calories. She has been very successful with this method and has lost close to 100 pounds.
If I really want something I work it into my day. I ate two Dove ice cream bars today and only went over my allotment by 20 calories. I am a binger so I prefer to treatmyself about once a week and make it something I really want and a generous amount. I find this works best for me. I tried having something small everyday and ended up eating way over. It has taken me close to two months to figure out what works best for me, hence the super slow loss. I have been pretty good lately and hope it will speed up the weightloss.

I'm just starting to get used to the idea of cheat days, but I've had some talks with my cousin who hit his 100 lb weight loss mark actually last week, told me that he has one cheat MEAL a week. So take Saturdays for instance. He'll ask if anybody wants to go to Taco Shop (local tex mex restaurant) or ever to the bar for a cheeseburger. He said he never takes it too far though. Like he's never going to go get a baconator and large fries.. Does that make sense?

<---first cheatday in 21 days was today! about 2600 calories