How Cheat Day Calories Are Calculated
The maximum cheat day calories are set at your maintenance level (TDEE). This means on cheat days you eat at maintenance — no deficit, but no surplus either. Your weekly deficit comes entirely from the other days. The more days you diet each week, the larger your actual weekly deficit will be.
Tips for Effective Cheat Days
Focus on high-carb, moderate-protein foods on cheat days rather than high-fat junk food. Carbohydrates replenish glycogen stores and boost leptin more effectively. Avoid going above maintenance by more than 20% — that's where cheat days start turning into fat gain rather than metabolic resets.
Frequently Asked Questions
A cheat day is informal — eat what you want up to a calorie limit. A refeed day is structured: increase carbs to maintenance level specifically to replenish glycogen and reset hunger hormones. Refeed days are more controlled and generally preferred by bodybuilders.
Multiply your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) by your activity factor (sedentary: 1.2, lightly active: 1.375, moderately active: 1.55, very active: 1.725). Many online calculators can compute this from your age, height, weight, and activity level.