How many additional calories to have on 'cheat day'

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gemmamummy
gemmamummy Posts: 185 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just curious to know what people do on cheat day. Do you go over your normal allotted daily cals and if so, by how many?

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  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
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    I don't count calories on a cheat day. The point of cheating is eating whatever and however much I want.

    I prefer to do structured refeed days if I'm going to be counting things.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
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    If I'm going to cheat - I cheat big- pizza, ice cream, Krispy Kreems , eat like a pig and no counting -you get the idea.
    If it's going to be a high carb day then it's a little more structured - sweet potato, rice, oatmeal banana, or a pb& j sandwich, those day are usually squat days or a day off after a squat day
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    As little as possible.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Whatever I want---I don't worry about it.
  • tennisgirl444
    tennisgirl444 Posts: 57 Member
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    How often do you all have cheat days? Would that change your calorie intake?
  • gemmamummy
    gemmamummy Posts: 185 Member
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    I have cheat day once a week. I try not to go o.t.t perhaps 250 cals over normal goal. I'm trying to reduce body fat so, its probably not in my best interests to blow 3000 cals on cheat day......although it would be nice!
  • Gabriall
    Gabriall Posts: 101 Member
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    as many as i can fit in my belly

    i record it all, and never feel guilty, but it has to be a high yummy to calorie ratio or its not worth it aka pizza
  • Naley2322
    Naley2322 Posts: 181 Member
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    usually about 300- 400
  • AmyG1982
    AmyG1982 Posts: 1,040 Member
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    A cheat day could easily derail your entire week if you're not careful. I do a cheat meal (with desert of course) and I allow myself to only go up to my maintenance calories (so at my settings an extra 500 cals). I still log every single calorie to make sure I'm not ruining my whole week.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I found I was staying within calories on a cheat day, so I've decided to not log if I do a proper cheat day, so maybe once every two weeks. I figure staying within calories defeats the purpose of having a cheat day!

    I had a cheat day for my wedding anniversary recently...I had some chocolates, an ice-cream, a slice of cake and some prosecco. But I ate salad for lunch and dinner lol. I expect I went over calories a lot that day! I wouldn't usually be that greedy though. That was my first no logging day in about 3 months, and I only didn't log then as I'd just had a baby.

    In the future I'll stick to a cheat meal, which is what I used to do, just a more calorific meal than usual, with a dessert.
  • JeralynSh
    JeralynSh Posts: 139 Member
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    I (we) will only cheat maybe once every other month or so now. And it's usually pizza and a bottle of wine.
  • Firehawk734
    Firehawk734 Posts: 132 Member
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    If you are stuffed after 4k calories a cheat day probably won't hurt you much.

    But if you are like me that binge eats 15000 calories or more, it can derail progress for 1 or 2 weeks. Sadly. Lol
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    I don't believe in the concept of "cheat" day or meal. If I decide that I have a special occasion, I choose to eat a special meal or a special dessert. That is not cheating; it is conscious decision. Generally, I plan for it ahead of time by exercising a little more or reducing a snack to accommodate the special meal.

    If I call what I am doing mindfully "cheating," I think I am doing myself a disservice. That said, I think I've only gone over my calories maybe 10 times in two years. That's what "lifestyle change" means to me.

    I'm sure others have a different philosophy, but I am sure that if I allowed myself a day to eat whatever I wanted in unlimited quantities, I would like it so much that I would start doing it more often and pretty soon, I would gain all my weight back. So that would not work for me. But if your calories are set correctly, every day can be a culinarily satisfying experience.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
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    As little as possible.

    lol
    I go for as many as possible. enough to wipe out any deficit for the week, so I can wonder why I'm not losing weight.

    eta. the lol is at myself.
  • melissaw78
    melissaw78 Posts: 214 Member
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    I don't really have a cheat/treat DAY, but rather about 3-4 meals spread out over a week.
    Any day under TDEE is a win.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,087 Member
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    I don't do cheat days as such.

    But I look at my calories as a weekly amount and so I can have days when I go over as long as it is balanced by under days so my weekly total is still about on target.

    I might add that some weeks I am slightly over and others slightly under, say a couple of hundred calories either way - as long as average is on target, it all evens out.

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