Cheat On Clean Bulk

I'm very disciplined and am able to keep away from 'bad' foods. I actually prefer my clean foods and have not eaten 'bad' foods since Christmas day- love the taste and even if it's at home (I'm 18) for my other family members, I still do not eat it or crave it. The only times I eat the so called 'bad' foods is on special occasions, and even then I actually think it tastes quite tasteless if I think about it.

However, today I had a huge craving when I saw some foods and right now I'm clean bulking on 2300, but I inserted the calories to myfitnesspal and it came to my caloric intake to 3000. Now I'm not bothered about the calories as I know that one day of a few extra calories will not have an impact on me body, and I can quite easily burn this off- if there is even any fat gains. Plus I’m 18 and I don’t want to fixate about it, I enjoyed it and I do not regret it.
My questions though is: you know when you that 3500 calories is a pound, is this 3500 extra over you maintenance, because if you ate let's say 2000 calories to maintain you would not gain weight, but if you then ate an extra 1500 this equals to 3500calories, therefore 1 pound. This is very different from eating an extra 3500 calories over maintenance.
Also, what are everyone’s thoughts about cheat days or meals during clean bulk, if your everyday foods are very very clean?

[QUOTE=jessneedshelp;1022746723]I'm very disciplined and am able to keep away from 'bad' foods. I actually prefer my clean foods and have not eaten 'bad' foods since Christmas day- love the taste and even if it's at home (I'm 18) for my other family members, I still do not eat it or crave it. The only times I eat the so called 'bad' foods is on special occasions, and even then I actually think it tastes quite tasteless if I think about it.

However, today I had a huge craving when I saw some foods and right now I'm clean bulking on 2300, but I inserted the calories to myfitnesspal and it came to my caloric intake to 3000. Now I'm not bothered about the calories as I know that one day of a few extra calories will not have an impact on me body, and I can quite easily burn this off- if there is even any fat gains. Plus I’m 18 and I don’t want to fixate about it, I enjoyed it and I do not regret it.
My questions though is: you know when you that 3500 calories is a pound, is this 3500 extra over you maintenance, because if you ate let's say 2000 calories to maintain you would not gain weight, but if you then ate an extra 1500 this equals to 3500calories, therefore 1 pound. This is very different from eating an extra 3500 calories over maintenance.
Also, what are everyone’s thoughts about cheat days or meals during clean bulk, if your everyday foods are very very clean?[/QUOTE]

First of all I want to clarify that you don't need to be afraid of "bad" foods and feel you need to eat "clean" foods all the time. Once you deprive yourself of certain foods for so long you are going to have an insane urge to binge and go absolutely insane (trust me, I've been there). A "cheat day" where you go insane on everything you see is only something that can add on unnecessary fat gain in my opinion. Why not just stick to your calories and have something you consider a "cheat" each day in moderation? For example, I enjoy poptarts sometimes and if they fit in my calories and my macronutrients, I wil have them. Do NOT feel these "clean" foods are magical. What really matters is your overall calorie intake and your macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats). Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are of course important but if you're getting a couple of servings of fruits and veggies per day or taking a multivitamin, etc. all of that is covered. Don't freak over food, this should be enjoyable for you, not an added stress in your daily life.

If you need 2000 to maintain and ate 3000, that's 1000 over maintenance which 1000/3500= 0.29# of potential gain for that day.

Don't sweat it, it was only one day. Don't overcompensate by doing cardio or reducing calories the next day, just keep chugging on.

Ok, thanks ladies.

I'll also add that if you are eating above maintenance, even if you are eating only so-called "clean" foods, some of your gains will be fat. Just because you clean bulk doesn't mean you aren't going to gain any fat. As long as your surplus is moderate and you aren't going crazy, you can minimize fat gains, but to think you won't gain any fat on a bulk is unrealistic.

[QUOTE=jessneedshelp;1022746723] Now I'm not bothered about the calories as I know that one day of a few extra calories will not have an impact on me body, and I can quite easily burn this off- if there is even any fat gains. Plus I’m 18 and I don’t want to fixate about it, I enjoyed it and I do not regret it.[/QUOTE]

You're obviously bothered, it's written all over your post. You should expect fat gains because it's a part of the bulking/building process. It comes down to calories being consumed, the food choices don't make a difference.

[QUOTE=DaniGrrl;1022849803]I'll also add that if you are eating above maintenance, even if you are eating only so-called "clean" foods, some of your gains will be fat. Just because you clean bulk doesn't mean you aren't going to gain any fat. As long as your surplus is moderate and you aren't going crazy, you can minimize fat gains, but to think you won't gain any fat on a bulk is unrealistic.[/QUOTE]

I like how Layne Norton puts it..."your body doesn't know...it doesn't say 'hey, here is some chicken and brown rice, put this all to muscle....hey, here is some ice cream, put this all to fat'".

I'm a big fan of cheat days.

I eat clean most days, but I am told it will make your body get adjusted to the food intake & slow your metabolism. So I cheat once a week to 'reset' the metabolism.
Plus, even if you don't do it for the metabolism, it just gives you something extra to motivate you. I tend to work out extra hard if reward is that I get to eat that chocolate cake I oh-so-crave.

I may be missing something but as far as the gaining a pound issue with the 3500 calories, if your maintenance is 2000 and you eat 3500, isn't that only 1500 over? Which would in turn be 2000 less than necessary to gain en extra pound? I thought is was an excess of 3500 calories would put on a pound...

[QUOTE=kryptdude;1440738031]I may be missing something but as far as the gaining a pound issue with the 3500 calories, if your maintenance is 2000 and you eat 3500, isn't that only 1500 over? Which would in turn be 2000 less than necessary to gain en extra pound? I thought is was an excess of 3500 calories would put on a pound...[/QUOTE]3 year thread bump in the female section....

[QUOTE=kryptdude;1440738031]I may be missing something but as far as the gaining a pound issue with the 3500 calories, if your maintenance is 2000 and you eat 3500, isn't that only 1500 over? Which would in turn be 2000 less than necessary to gain en extra pound? I thought is was an excess of 3500 calories would put on a pound...[/QUOTE]

Necrothread bump aside, yes you're right. In a perfect world (heh), your body would burn off those initial 2000 calories, leaving you with only the extra 1500. To gain one pound of fat you need to consume 3500 calories, so the 1500 is less than half a pound gain. Now, if your maintenance was 2000 calories/day and your daily intake was 5500 calories, that would be a surplus of 3500 calories and likely the extra weight you see the next day on the scale.

Again, this is in a 'perfect' world/body (and, seriously, when does the human body ever follow perfectly linear thinking like this?), but you'd have to eat 3500 calories ABOVE your maintenance level to truly gain a pound in a day.