Back when I counted calories for maintenance/proper portions (not losing weight), I always had a "cheat" day built into my week. It was almost always on Saturday, but it was movable to allow for special occasions, and I never let it happen two days in a row. On "cheat" days - which I called freebie days - I ate whatever I wanted and did not watch my calories.
Because I was already aware of how many calories I are, and because I naturally was eating less at that point, I naturally ate less on freebie days and they were never insane. I would sometimes go over 2,100 calories, but not by much and not very often. Also, it helped IMMENSELY with cravings during the week - if I really, really wanted cheesecake on Tuesday, I would remind myself that I only had to wait a few days to have whatever I wanted. It definitely kept me accountable and on track during the week. On the rare, rare occasion I did "cheat" during the week, I would try to balance it by either working out extra in advance to burn off the extra calories, or adjust my calories/workout regimine the next day to "catch up."
I planned to build in a weekly cheat day now that I'm trying to lose weight, but because I started on a Wednesday, I opted to skip that first weekend. After that, I thought maybe I should aim for a bi-weekly cheat day - every other Saturday - which is what I'm doing now. I do still track every single calorie I consume and burn on cheat days, just for my own knowledge. Although back when it was for maintenance, I never tracked my cheat days.
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