# Do you count calories on your cheat day?



## pickle21 (Oct 22, 2009)

Hi all,

I was just wondering whether you guys work out the calories for your cheat day when trying to lose fat to ensure you stay in a calorie deflict for the week? Or do you literally just go for it and still manage to lose wait regardless of the amount of calories on your cheat day?

xx


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## Pictor (Jan 10, 2011)

Go all out, it gets your metabolism fired back up!

It will do you more good than bad in the long run for fat loss


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## Fullhouse (Mar 31, 2010)

No I know what I eat every day so I just eat extra


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## pickle21 (Oct 22, 2009)

big ste said:


> Go all out, it gets your metabolism fired back up!
> 
> It will do you more good than bad in the long run for fat loss


Even it raises your calories over your calorie deflict?

For example, i'm trying to lose 1lb a week so need a 3500 calorie deflict - what if my cheat meal means I'm still in a deflict but only of say 750? Will it sort itself out in some hormonal way so I lose my 1lb or will it just slower my progress?

xx


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## Pictor (Jan 10, 2011)

pickle21 said:


> Even it raises your calories over your calorie deflict?
> 
> For example, i'm trying to lose 1lb a week so need a 3500 calorie deflict - what if my cheat meal means I'm still in a deflict but only of say 750? Will it sort itself out in some hormonal way so I lose my 1lb or will it just slower my progress?
> 
> xx


I think you might be over thinking it to be honest

If I stick to my calorie deflict diet all week and have a blow out on a Saturday or Sunday I still lose weight at a steady rate!

Are you training as well as having a calorie deflict diet?! If so you should be ok


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## HJL (Apr 26, 2009)

pickle21 said:


> Even it raises your calories over your calorie deflict?
> 
> For example, i'm trying to lose 1lb a week so need a 3500 calorie deflict - *what if my cheat meal means I'm still in a deflict* but only of say 750? Will it sort itself out in some hormonal way so I lose my 1lb or will it just slower my progress?
> 
> xx


i have always been under the impression that a cheat meal or day means ram as many calories as you can in? i assumed this ment eat way over your "allowance".


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## Guest (May 23, 2011)

If your calorie deficit for the week is 3500 cals and then you eat maintenance + 3500 cals on your cheat day. Your total for the week is not a deficit and you will not lose much if any weight.

The people who eat massive piles of **** are usually in a big big deficit, on PEDs and more. A non enhanced woman doing this won't result in weight loss.

When dieting hard I aim for 1000 under maintenance, and on my refeed day I eat maintenance + 500. so 1800 on diet days and 3300 on refeed. This is enough and fat loss of 2lbs a week is standard.


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## s3_abv (Feb 10, 2010)

ALR said:


> If your calorie deficit for the week is 3500 cals and then you eat maintenance + 3500 cals on your cheat day. Your total for the week is not a deficit and you will not lose much if any weight.
> 
> The people who eat massive piles of **** are usually in a big big deficit, on PEDs and more. A non enhanced woman doing this won't result in weight loss.
> 
> When dieting hard I aim for 1000 under maintenance, and on my refeed day I eat maintenance + 500. so 1800 on diet days and 3300 on refeed. This is enough and fat loss of 2lbs a week is standard.


Nice post.


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## pickle21 (Oct 22, 2009)

ALR said:


> If your calorie deficit for the week is 3500 cals and then you eat maintenance + 3500 cals on your cheat day. Your total for the week is not a deficit and you will not lose much if any weight.
> 
> The people who eat massive piles of **** are usually in a big big deficit, on PEDs and more. A non enhanced woman doing this won't result in weight loss.
> 
> When dieting hard I aim for 1000 under maintenance, and on my refeed day I eat maintenance + 500. so 1800 on diet days and 3300 on refeed. This is enough and fat loss of 2lbs a week is standard.


Thank you!

My maintenance for the week works out about 14000 (2000 cals a day). So to lose a pound I have to eat just 10500. I'm eating roughly 1250 on my diet days so if I stick to about 3000 on my cheat day I should be fine??

Of course this is just diet wise.... i'm also exercising 9 times a week so in theory should lose more than 1lb??

xx


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## Andrew Jacks (Sep 29, 2010)

HJL said:


> i have always been under the impression that a cheat meal or day means ram as many calories as you can in? i assumed this ment eat way over your "allowance".


The use of the word cheat has led to this commonly held thought, refeed would be a better term, which means adding Carbs without breaking out of Keto, your body should still be burning fats whilst you sneak in carbs required by some organs which find it hard to use ketones. You need to keep cals to around 10% below maintenance level during a refeed


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## BIG BUCK (Mar 26, 2010)

Depends on your age and metabolisim, as i'm a bit older i can't get away with ben and jerrys and a large stuffed crust any more, i just don't lose weight, my cheat meal (not day) is twice a week and would consist of Nandos or a lot of protein at the Harvester! knicking a few chips from the kids is my cheat meal!


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## Belinda (Mar 26, 2009)

Have to say I just give myself an evening every week (usually a Saturday) where I cram in anything I want. I have steadily lost fat through a CKD over the last 4 months and have even taken a whole weekend off a couple of times. Plus a week at Easter. During these off periods I ate what I wanted when I wanted it and still made progress. It's so important to give your body a rest from dieting every so often and fire the metabolism back up otherwise you end up constantly at low calories and fat loss stalls due to the body's adaptation mechanisms.


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## pickle21 (Oct 22, 2009)

Belinda said:


> Have to say I just give myself an evening every week (usually a Saturday) where I cram in anything I want. I have steadily lost fat through a CKD over the last 4 months and have even taken a whole weekend off a couple of times. Plus a week at Easter. During these off periods I ate what I wanted when I wanted it and still made progress. It's so important to give your body a rest from dieting every so often and fire the metabolism back up otherwise you end up constantly at low calories and fat loss stalls due to the body's adaptation mechanisms.


Plus I need them for sanity! I'm a huge foodie and my life without pizza and curry is not worth living LOL.

At the mo my cheats are all over the place and I need to sort them out as its not helping with my fat loss.

I think I will start having half day cheats on Saturday or Sunday from about 12pm. Then I can either increase it to a whole day or try to cut back to just a meal depending on progress.

xx


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

ALR's post was bang on, a cheat meal is very unlikely to put you over your deficit but a cheat day could ruin your hard work for that week, a cheat meal is good when dieting to knock your body out of homeostasis and for leptin levels to prevent fat loss from stalling which it will do after weeks and weeks of dieting.

a day of cheating will be too much imo, a meal or 2 is all you should be aiming for


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## leveret (Jun 13, 2007)

Disagree with ALRs logic as in my experience of dieting 6day and having a cheat on the 7th, eating as much as possible, to point of bursting etc, i maintained weight loss for 3 months. This was with semi controlled dieting during the week, regular cardio + weights, grenade fat burners. No other 'supplements'.

However in all things regarding life; what works for one may not work for another.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

leveret said:


> Disagree with ALRs logic as in my experience of dieting 6day and having a cheat on the 7th, *eating as much as possible, to point of bursting* etc, i maintained weight loss for 3 months. This was with semi controlled dieting during the week, regular cardio + weights, grenade fat burners. No other 'supplements'.


This is the point I don't understand when people talk about cheat meals/days... why do you feel the need to stuff yourself. What's wrong with just having a curry with all the trimmings and a few beers or a roast, pud and wine.


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

2004mark said:


> This is the point I don't understand when people talk about cheat meals/days... why do you feel the need to stuff yourself. What's wrong with just having a curry with all the trimmings and a few beers or a roast, pud and wine.


exactly!


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

leveret said:


> Disagree with ALRs logic as in my experience of dieting 6day and having a cheat on the 7th, eating as much as possible, to point of bursting etc, i maintained weight loss for 3 months. This was with semi controlled dieting during the week, regular cardio + weights, grenade fat burners. No other 'supplements'.
> 
> However in all things regarding life; what works for one may not work for another.


maybe because youre total cal intake including the cheat day still kept you in a deficit, would be very surprised if most people can get away with a day of eating a ton of crap and still lose as much weight as intended unless they have a fast metabolism coupled with aas use and fat burners or unless they starved themselves for that week.


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## pickle21 (Oct 22, 2009)

I have only been having one cheat meal a week - not a cheat day.

However, i've been slipping up lately and having one in the week too - therefore I didnt know whether changing to a cheat day would be better as this would hopefully satisfy me more than just one meal so I could get through the other 6 days without slipping up and caving in??

I have increased my carbs a tad on diet days to help keep me full (no more than 100g though!) and give me more cals to help stop me from cheating

x


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

pickle21 said:


> therefore I didnt know whether changing to a cheat day would be better


Mentaly - maybe

Physicaly - I doubt it



pickle21 said:


> I have increased my carbs a tad on diet days to help keep me full (no more than 100g though!) and give me more cals to help stop me from cheating
> 
> x


Do you include fats with every meal too... they slow down digestion.


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

lol if you feel like cheating i came across this site a while back

http://www.lowcarbmegastore.com/

all sorts of stuff like zero carb sweets etc

if you slip up and have a cheat meal just make sure your total cal intake of the day still meets somewhere near your target.


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

yeah healthy fats do a better job of keeping you full than carbs


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## Siasix (Jun 8, 2010)

2004mark said:


> This is the point I don't understand when people talk about cheat meals/days... why do you feel the need to stuff yourself. What's wrong with just having a curry with all the trimmings and a few beers or a roast, pud and wine.


For me; food makes me happy; i enjoy food much the same for some enjoy beer; some enjoy drugs; so enjoy other things; mine is food; i have been far too involved with trying to eat like a bodybuilder and noy enjoy food and be sociable.

Its about balance; and to enjoy life; lifting weights; for the majority should be a lifestyle change; not a rulebook which says you cant enjoy things; yes; you wouldnt want to eat crap every day; as that would result in a bad approach to nutrition for training; but 1 day per week; i enjoy foods; lots of food; so what...


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

Siasix said:


> For me; food makes me happy; i enjoy food much the same for some enjoy beer; some enjoy drugs; so enjoy other things; mine is food; i have been far too involved with trying to eat like a bodybuilder and noy enjoy food and be sociable.
> 
> Its about balance; and to enjoy life; lifting weights; for the majority should be a lifestyle change; not a rulebook which says you cant enjoy things; yes; you wouldnt want to eat crap every day; as that would result in a bad approach to nutrition for training; but 1 day per week; i enjoy foods; lots of food; so what...


sounds good, but when dieting and you have set goals to achieve then you have to make sacrifices for a certain amount of time


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## Siasix (Jun 8, 2010)

ricky23 said:


> sounds good, but when dieting and you have set goals to achieve then you have to make sacrifices for a certain amount of time


I have done; been there; done that; got abs; then what?!?

I feel a bit happier when i can enjoy training more; watchg my strength increase and size gains come; and enjoy life too; rather than worrying about having striations everywhere;


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

Siasix said:


> For me; food makes me happy; i enjoy food much the same for some enjoy beer; some enjoy drugs; so enjoy other things; mine is food; i have been far too involved with trying to eat like a bodybuilder and noy enjoy food and be sociable.
> 
> Its about balance; and to enjoy life; lifting weights; for the majority should be a lifestyle change; not a rulebook which says you cant enjoy things; yes; you wouldnt want to eat crap every day; as that would result in a bad approach to nutrition for training; but 1 day per week; i enjoy foods; lots of food; so what...


I totally agree about finding a balance, and you won't find a post of mine stating anything differant. Most of what I eat is the usual chicken n rice type stuff as this is what I take to work, but I eat what I want every evening (within reason)... then again I'm not cutting so I'm not saying that's the best approach for doing so.

It just seems to me that some seem to cheat *just *because it's cheat day...


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

fair play, everyone has different goals and ambitions etc


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## hsmann87 (Jun 22, 2010)

i never count but my aim is to eat as much as possible as my metabolism just shoots up

i only have a cheat evening, and that evening i eat a LOT. next day i poop 4 times before midday lol and i am STARVING again. i can literally feel my metabolic furnace burning. it works for me


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## kernowgee (Jan 30, 2011)

ricky23 said:


> lol if you feel like cheating i came across this site a while back
> 
> http://www.lowcarbmegastore.com/
> 
> ...


The stuff they use in them sweets carries a warning and will turn your stomach and give you the runs if you eat more than a few


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

2004mark said:


> I totally agree about finding a balance, and you won't find a post of mine stating anything differant. Most of what I eat is the usual chicken n rice type stuff as this is what I take to work, but I eat what I want every evening (within reason)... then again I'm not cutting so I'm not saying that's the best approach for doing so.
> 
> It just seems to me that some seem to cheat *just *because it's cheat day...


good post, balance is key in everything and people cheating when they dont have to or feel the need to is when things go pear shaped.

but when dieting cheating should be restricted, this is also helpful for after the goals have been met because there wont be a need to cheat all the time and the metabolism will be improved from the fatloss so its win win.

a couple of cheat meals a week wont do any harm but a cheat day of binge eating and the fatloss will stall imo.


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## Guest (May 25, 2011)

hsmann87 said:


> i never count but my aim is to eat as much as possible as my metabolism just shoots up
> 
> i only have a cheat evening, and that evening i eat a LOT. next day i poop 4 times before midday lol and i am STARVING again. i can literally feel my metabolic furnace burning. it works for me


females tend to have slower metabolisms than males, will work for some but not everyone.


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## pickle21 (Oct 22, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies guys! Its all very helpful and is really helping!

I do have healthy fats in my diet.... salmon, walnuts, eggs, peanut butter etc. I try to eat a balanced, healthy diet including protien, fat and carbs as this workss best for me.

As for the cheating I normally cheat because I feel I need it - like lack of energy or because I had a bad day ([email protected] reason I know but sometimes it helps!)

I'm currently doing a 12 week "cut" and have 3 weeks left. I did the first 6 weeks fine and had one cheat meal a week if I felt I needed it and even these werent bad, like a BBQ (I had tonnes of the meat and salad but stayed away from the bread!). Its just the last 3 weeks have been shocking for some reason.

I'm going to try to do these last 3 weeks as before with just one cheat meal a week *if needed*.... fingers crossed I can!

xx


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