Cheat day. Does it help???
Okay let me tell you what I ate today. A pizookie which if you don't know is a chocolate chip rich cookie with 2 scoops of ice cream on top (at least at the place I ate at it is). Your choice vanilla or chocolate. Also with that I had a massive triple meat cheeseburger with fried onions on it, along with all the trimmings. Oh and two heping sides of chili cheese french fries.
Okay instead of me just talking about the delicious shit food I ate today and saying "nanny nanny boo boo," to you all I'm gonna say some smart shit I've learned and figured out thats worked for myself. Hopefully people understand what I'm trying to get across here... I literally would eat dog turds to keep my diet on point if I needed to right now. I've done the eat like shit and hope for the best. Or my favorite old excuse was "I'll burn it off super fast" So then, why do I or people like me eat these types of meals still? For individuals (like myself) with a higher metabolic rate and with longer amounts of tissue, things can be a bit more fast paced as far as weight loss, muscle fullness, and training performance. I have found it best to create at times an energy deficit (not to much of one because with my metabolism I'd burn muscle so fast) but remember I'm also attempting to keep as much muscle around as possible and not just chase the scale down...bad idea, trust me I've fought the scale constantly as an up hill battle. However, for individuals like me, a sudden, unpredicted drop when left unchecked or noticed can add up in terms of decreasing training performance, seeing muscle loss or gain, etc. so to react to these things and get back into a fat burning and muscle building mode as quick as i can, sometimes a massive cheat meal is needed. Now some of you here know this to a T or have been at this for years and no how to maximize your cheat days but for someone like me who just wants to be healthier, be in great shape, no trainer guidance what so ever, and not compete this took believe it or not time to figure out without abusing the "cheat day" method. So does a cheat day help? IMO yes. Sometimes you gotta stray or you'll burn out.
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As a person who has been born into a restaurant family, I believe it is best for someone to have a cheat day or be able to eat what they enjoy for the most part if they're not getting ready to do a show or something but besides that you will burn out so easily eating plain and boring foods its not fun, how are you supposed to eat boring ass foods fueled with a passion you are pursuing and love? Gotta be able to enjoy it somehow.
When it comes to prepping a refeed is imperative. If you haven't fasted or trained below maintenance level nutrition and watched the mirror what a good refeed does your missing out. The body will soak it up like a sponge. The mirror doesn't lie. This does not include sweets and garbage by any means.
AnonI'm still working on figuring out the fasted training below maintenance level of things but while I posted about a meal I had by no means do I eat that every day or more than once a week IF that. It was just a nice change of pace in food for me and I felt great afterwards.
Basically to change the pace so you don't lose your mind type of thing?
AnonYes that is correct
it helps. Just cant get too out of hand a little goes along way.
Cheat days are for pussies!!!!
Grit whispers. "Yes ma'am, that's correct. Two double cheeseburgers, a large fry, and one large chocolate shake"
AnonThen I guess I'm the biggest pussy lol
You don't get to be as big as you are by eating chicken and rice. Sometimes you have to partake of the entire cow. And start on her friend.
AnonChicken ands rice is great and all but doesn't get the job done. Well haven't you heard? Two's always better than one?? Lol
I good friend who is going for his pro card and is a trainer told me cheat meals are only cheating yourself I'm sure if you are below 10^ bf you won't even notice a cheat meal but people trying to cut bf is a no no imo
AnonWell of course. I agree 100% if it's for people who are trying to cut but I'm over 10% and given the day and my active level I usually don't notice a cheat meal or day. I guess it ultimately depends on the individual.
I think it does boil down to individual I will usually have a cheat meal when I'm starting to feel weak and depleted but I don't eat horrible just eat more calories than normal
AnonSometimes my job keeps me from making my calories for that day which then throws me off when I workout. Not enough calories=wasted gym time IMO.
I agree nothing worse than getting to the gym and gased before you start cause you haven't eatin enough worst workouts ever
All I know is I've got Salmon, quinoa and broccoli about to be ready for my pre dinner warm up meal and now all I want is one of these bad boys:
Good post mate.Even if you did ruin my salmon ;)
AnonI just really started eating salmon. Not really a fan of seafood but adding it to my diet. Thanks for stopping by man!!
Give them a vote if you find it helpful.PermalinkI look at it this way, I've never walked on stage and never will and of your in deep contest prep or preparing to start on that journey then cheat day/ meal is an absolute sin. Now for the gym rat in all of us who just want to be better than the man next to us or bigger than your uncle was enjoy your cheat day. Have a beer eat something fulfilling and have that huge slice of cake with a big cold glass of whole milk. Other wise just eat to fuel the machine as needed
AnonYea I've heard "horror" stories from guys who didn't stick to their diet hardcore and how it just fucked their world up. I eat to fuel the machine but i don't neglect the finier things in life! Such as cake, milk, beer lol
I think that cheat days are only psychological tools and not so physiological. Many people say, they are doing it to "Reset" their hormones but something like this hasn't been studied yet and further, hormones like Leptin need a bit more than one day of being in a caloric surplus to get back to "normal" levels.
But, physiological it has some benefit as well. Most often people feel more energetic due to glycogen refilling, etc. and they feel like they can hit the gym harder after a day of refeeding.
That being said, the psychological factor comes in big I guess. If cheatdays/refeeds help you stay on track and hit the gym harder, then it's absolutely worth it.
AnonWhile there havent been studies on this you can't help but see, and feel your body absorb the change in nutrients and "refeed" your body. My body adapts so fast to what I take and eat that I absolutely have to change or kink the diet at some point during the week. I just feel that in doing so the body is kick started back into some type of overdrive.
It's all person dependent. But I never get a client a cheat "day" that's just a little much no matter how you look at it.
AnonAlways heard that it's better for a cheat meal than day. That way said person doesn't over fulfil on desires at hand and can stay more on track.
Depends on how high your bf.... No point cheating if your over 12 % bf...
I've always liked the idea of eating all my days square meals and having a bonus cheat meal once they are all down... I'm at 9% bf atm prob the highest I've ever been , cheating 3-6 times a week...
I think for the avg gym junkie a cheat meal or 2 with a loved one like a nice dinner and dessert is priceless both physically and mentally...
AnonRespect for being 9%. I'm having hell hitting single digits as is but finding hitting a cheat meal once and on the weekend is giving my body what it needs to jump start for the following week.