Cheat days: How much should I go over my limit?

Yes, I looked through threads before posting. I just wanted to know how much people who  lost weight while using cheat days went over their calorie budget. I know that alot of people don't cc on cheat days but estimates would be great.

I just don't want to overdo it. I'm at about 1200 cal a day and am 4'11 at 105 lbs. trying to lose a few more. I was wondering if 1800 on cheat days seems like too much?

Hi, I my aunt says that if you cheat once every 2-3 weeks it will help speed up your matabolism which helps you loose weight. If I was eating 1200 calories ( which I'm not because it said i should eat 1500 for my activity level) I would cheat up to 1500 instead of 1800 because it will help keep those pounds off and by going to 1800 is not a very healthy jump. It could make you bloated or sick, which has happened to me just going up to 1600. So keep up the good work and be sure to not over eat or it could also set you back.

If I'm going to have a "cheat" day I try to keep it to my daily burn amount which gives me plenty of room for a treat but won't cause me to gain.  Even if I go over I don't sweat it cause I know that I'm back to my weight loss program right after the cheat (I don't usually do a whole day of cheat - it might just be for one meal/snack).  Its like practising for maintenance when I get there :)

 Edit: I also know that I have to stay away from high sodium foods or I retain water and feel bloated so I take that into account when I choose my cheat!

If I know I'm going out to dinner or something like that, I will eat less the rest of the day to make room for the extra calories and plan ahead by checking the restaurant nutrition information and choosing what I want before I even go to the restaurant.  Instead of having 500-600 calories throughout the day before dinner, I'll cut it down to 200-300 and just enjoy my larger dinner and appetizer and non-diet soda without snacks, and a lot of the time it doesn't even go that much above what I should be eating that day so I don't feel as guilty afterwards and even though I indulged in something quite tasty, I don't feel like I cheated!

Adel, I think you're probably right about the jump from 1200 to 1800 being a little big. I'll definately consider that for next time. I've already planned the food for today and it's about 1700 and the burn meter is at 1400 so...I dunno. We'll see how it affects me the rest of week.

I eat no more than what my maintenance calories say I should eat.  That's an extra 400 or so calories on that cheat day only (for me, at my current weight.)

I am going to burst the bubble here......I have lost 15 pounds and have another 5 to go.  PERSONALLY when I cheat, I don't worry about it ! I dont go hog wild, but I enjoy the day.  I have never gained any weight from having a cheat day once a week.......BUT I am very active as well and exercise daily, maybe that is the difference. 

I have to agree with kdmyrick..all through my diet phase I allowed myself a Sat treat day where I never counted cals but must have ate around double my usual daily intake,...my weekly trend was always down....I too exercised almost daily having one rest day per week. I looked on this as my fun food day where I could eat curry , drink wine and just recharge the batteries.

I have never had a cheat day!! I have been missing out. Last night wast the first time since I began that I fell off the band wagon and I ate an entire box of ice-A-Roni at 2 am after already eating all my calories for the day!!! I was about to go try to swim for a couple hours in panic to try and burn it off!

I guess my question is on cheat days do you work out more to compensate or is the beauty of "cheating" suppose to be just indulgence with out guilt??

Had the ultimate cheat week while out of town at a conference....800 calorie breakfast buffets and too many Coronas at 150 cals each, two days out of the five I went way over my calorie counts for the day (300 one day, 1300 a second day, yikes).

For me, it was about realizing that the scale's gonna show my handiwork this week, and I have to get back on the horse and sweat off each of those Coronas.  I'm ok with knowing that I blew it for a few days, just with the understanding that those days are going to mean some harder work as I go along.

I can see how this could become a dangerous rationalization, though, so my challenge is learning how to maintain the diet in a reasonable shape while traveling.

I try to maintain a 500 calorie deficit, so on special occasions (like a birthday, or major holiday, or a trip -- not every Saturday) I allow myself to eat an extra 500 calories.  I still count as accurately as possible.  I often find that I don't actually eat as much as I have allowed myself, but when I do, I don't worry, because I didn't gain anything, only lost a day of weight loss.  I don't think of it as "cheating" because I am not "dieting", and special occasions will always be a part of my lifestyle that will need a strategy, even when I am maintaining.

I only have a cheat day every two weeks, so that I can *really* enjoy it. I eat whatever I want and don't even worry how much over my calorie limit it is.

jnesse-are you still losing weight or is it working against you?