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

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  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,119 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    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.

    Really? That's an awful lot of food to stomach in one day. Wow.

    It erases so much progress, I can't afford to do that very often. OP is talking about a cheat day every weekend... that sounds like a good way to gain weight to me.

    Am I reading that right ... 12,000 to 28,000 calories in one day?

    This is only if I eat what I want without restriction.... which is what I define as a "cheat day."

    I realize some people call it a "cheat day" when they eat at maintenance / TDEE. As others have pointed out earlier, there are differences of definition - both denotative and connotative definition - among MFP users of the phrase "cheat day."

    How is 12,000 to 28,000 calories in one day even possible? I'm in awe!

    I've been told I have a huge appetite, but I'm stuffed to the gills if I eat over about 3600 calories in one day.

    And when I was cycling long distance events ... 24 hour events and longer ... it was all I could do to eat an average of about 250 cal/hour (6000 cal/day) which was what was recommended to keep riding with any degree of energy.

  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    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.

    Really? That's an awful lot of food to stomach in one day. Wow.

    It erases so much progress, I can't afford to do that very often. OP is talking about a cheat day every weekend... that sounds like a good way to gain weight to me.

    Am I reading that right ... 12,000 to 28,000 calories in one day?

    This is only if I eat what I want without restriction.... which is what I define as a "cheat day."

    I realize some people call it a "cheat day" when they eat at maintenance / TDEE. As others have pointed out earlier, there are differences of definition - both denotative and connotative definition - among MFP users of the phrase "cheat day."

    How is 12,000 to 28,000 calories in one day even possible? I'm in awe!

    I've been told I have a huge appetite, but I'm stuffed to the gills if I eat over about 3000 calories in one day.

    And when I was cycling long distance events ... 24 hour events and longer ... it was all I could do to eat an average of about 250 cal/hour (6000 cal/day) which was what was recommended to keep riding with any degree of energy.

    3K is not a huge appetite at all... that is only 1 large taco pizza from my favorite local spot. But then what would you have for dessert? What about breakfast and lunch or dinner? What about when you get hungry in between meals? When I'm restricting calories, I have to say no to delicious foods like pizza and I have to say no to hunger. When I'm not restricting, I can have those delicious foods. Isn't that the point of a cheat day? To not say no to hunger? And to eat the foods that are delicious?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,119 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    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.

    Really? That's an awful lot of food to stomach in one day. Wow.

    It erases so much progress, I can't afford to do that very often. OP is talking about a cheat day every weekend... that sounds like a good way to gain weight to me.

    Am I reading that right ... 12,000 to 28,000 calories in one day?

    This is only if I eat what I want without restriction.... which is what I define as a "cheat day."

    I realize some people call it a "cheat day" when they eat at maintenance / TDEE. As others have pointed out earlier, there are differences of definition - both denotative and connotative definition - among MFP users of the phrase "cheat day."

    How is 12,000 to 28,000 calories in one day even possible? I'm in awe!

    I've been told I have a huge appetite, but I'm stuffed to the gills if I eat over about 3000 calories in one day.

    And when I was cycling long distance events ... 24 hour events and longer ... it was all I could do to eat an average of about 250 cal/hour (6000 cal/day) which was what was recommended to keep riding with any degree of energy.

    3K is not a huge appetite at all... that is only 1 large taco pizza from my favorite local spot. But then what would you have for dessert? What about breakfast and lunch or dinner? What about when you get hungry in between meals? When I'm restricting calories, I have to say no to delicious foods like pizza and I have to say no to hunger. When I'm not restricting, I can have those delicious foods. Isn't that the point of a cheat day? To not say no to hunger? And to eat the foods that are delicious?

    One of my favourite pizzas is the Godfather (without the capsicum) ... 4976kJ (1188 cal) for the whole pizza.
    https://www.dominos.com.au/menu-pizza/godfather-P008
    https://www.dominos.com.au/media/1177/traditional-chicken-prawn-range-august-2015.pdf

    Last time I ate a whole Godfather pizza, I cycled 100 miles that day. So I ate a good breakfast (one of my favourites ... 3 hardboiled eggs and toast); I had snacks throughout the day while cycling including ice cream, of course; I had the Godfather pizza after the ride; and I had sorbet for dessert. Total calories: about 3600 ... and that's the most calories I've eaten in one day in a long, long time. I wouldn't have wanted to eat more.

    Calories burnt while cycling at 100 cal/5 km = 3200 cal + some daily life cals for the time I wasn't on my bicycle ... and those 3600 calories were still within my calorie limit. :grin:


    But ... I suppose it is possible I may go over 3600 cal by a little bit if I do make a pavlova on Christmas Eve.

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    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.


    I'd say a 3800 TDEE is pretty high compared to an OP with a 1200 calorie goal. The rest is your problem...
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 688 Member
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    It's not a planned thing. Some days I am going to drink a lot and have nachos and consume a bajillion extra calories. Some weeks are good, some weeks are bad.. and I use the term "bad" liberally because I don't consider overeating or gaining some weeks to be negative, it's just life. I aim to stay in the 1500-1600 calorie range most days but life happens.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    SLLRunner wrote: »
    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.

    Really? That's an awful lot of food to stomach in one day. Wow.

    I have a hard time believing it myself.

    28k calories would cover 18 meals at McDonald's in a single day. Where a meal was a Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese (740 calories), Large Fries (510), and Large Coke (280). Even 12k calories would cover 7 meals plus a desert. I might be able to knock down 3 in a day (4590 calories), but 7 or even 18?

    Maybe he drinks 14.6 cups of olive oil on those big days?

    Is this like the Micheal Phelps diet? Are you a competitive eater?
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    The Michael Phelps diet was around 7000 calories a day. I can't imagine 4 times that. Even the amount of time alone to eat that much is tough to fathom.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    The Michael Phelps diet was around 7000 calories a day. I can't imagine 4 times that. Even the amount of time alone to eat that much is tough to fathom.

    It was 12k calories and a bunch of crap - http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/05/michael-phelps-12000-calorie-diet-just-a-myth/1#.VnF2n0qDFBc - much like this claim of eating 12-28k calories.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    I ate roughly 9000 calories on thanksgiving and thought I would explode. 28k seems ludicrous.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    28,000 calories.

    There are 160 calories in a 74 gram serving of Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate ice cream.

    28,000 calories is 175 servings. There are 16 servings in a half gallon. There are 11 half gallons (10.9375) in 175 servings. That's five and a half gallons.

    28,000 calories is one of:

    5 and a half gallons of chocolate ice cream.
    400 Double Stuf Oreos.
    112 52.7 gram Snickers.
    45.75 pounds of roast turkey breast without the skin.
    2,923.5 pounds of broccoli.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    edited December 2015
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    For fun, I looked up the hot dog eating competition, where the record is set at 69 in 10 minutes, that would be ~19,320-24,150 calories depending on how many are in the dog. Granted, they most likely vomit all of the calories back up.

    (a humorous read, and the comments are great too)
    http://deadspin.com/5923566/how-do-you-get-the-contest-out-of-your-system-trying-to-answer-the-only-question-on-anybodys-mind-at-nathans
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    It doesn't surprise me that other users on these forums / other people in general cannot comprehend having such a large appetite. That's why I describe myself as having a large appetite... because that is exactly what it is. In fact, that is one of the many challenges I've had with weight loss. It's discouraging to feel like I'm starving myself all the time.

    Consider this: If I eat a pizza as described above, add some cheese sticks, a beer or 2, and cookies or brownies for dessert; then I'm at 5K-6K calories easily. That is a single meal. Now do something similar for 3 meals, then add snacks and beverages. See how fast that adds up?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    Three meals of that pizza, cheese sticks, beer, and brownies doesn't even get you 2/3 of the way to 28,000.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,224 Member
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    I don't have cheat days. I do have days (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Weddings, Birthdays) where I will go over, but I don't count, I just get back to my calorie goal the next day.
  • percolater
    percolater Posts: 55 Member
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    I hear you Midwesterne, I have a large appetite, too. I can easily eat half a pie in one day along with three large meals and a gigantic bedtime snack running from about 7PM till the post prandial stupor sends me off to bed. So no, no cheat days, planned re-feeds, maintenance practice, curve replacement meals, or anything else you might want to call them.

    It's 1200 to 1250 a day everyday. Otherwise I would just undo all my hard work.
  • geminiswede
    geminiswede Posts: 903 Member
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    I try to not do the typical version of cheat days at all unless there's a holiday or a special occasion, and even then I try to plan and not go completely overboard. What I mostly tend to do right now is eat between 1600-2000 calories during the week depending on activity and then usually closer to maintenance on the weekends. It makes progress slower, but more obtainable for me, even if it's mostly because I hate food prep and cooking and just want a break from that on the weekends.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    Three meals of that pizza, cheese sticks, beer, and brownies doesn't even get you 2/3 of the way to 28,000.

    It does put me squarely within the earlier stated range of 20K +/- 8K.

    With 3 meals conservatively estimated at 5K-6K, that's 15K-18K, which is in the range of 12K-28K. If I eat even 1 single snack (very conservative) of a bag of chips (1K-1.5K) and 1-2 tubs of dip (1K-2K), that brings the total to 17K-21.5K. Does that alone get me to the high end of the range of 28K? No, it doesn't. The conservative estimates wouldn't be expected to add to the high end of the range... they should be closer towards the low end of the range... and 15K is pretty close to that.

    Look, I don't really care whether you can comprehend what it is like to have a truly insatiable appetite. It really isn't fair because I have to be hungry all the time in order to avoid weight gain. I have to feel like I'm starving in order to lose weight. I wish I could be like those who can be satisfied with tiny portions because if I decide to have a true cheat day, I erase so many weeks of feeling like I'm starving myself and I end up satisfying my hunger for just 1 single day. This is why I just can't have a true cheat day.
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
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    I am not hungry at the end of the day on 1300 to 1400 calories. It is interesting to me that everyone is always pushing to eat at the top end of what you can to lose weight. If I hit 1300 and I am full and it is bedtime should I stay up for an hour and snack? Doesn't make any sense to me. That being said, I haven't had a cheat day yet since I started in August, but I have had meals. I went to eat at the melting pot with my guy, and didn't look up what it would "cost" me because... um delicious! Or if I want an extra beer on Friday night I will have it.