We All Have Our Cheat Days

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Alright, I’m just going to go ahead and say it: we all have our cheat days. There. I’ve admitted it. Nothing to be ashamed about. We’re all humans, and naturally there will be times where we will get cravings that unfortunately will lead us to ditching our diets and overeating. That said, there is such a thing as “strategic cheating” or “overfeeding,” which basically allows you to eat all your favorite foods and still help you accelerate your fat loss. You see, after you overeat your metabolism runs at full speed and you can use that to your advantage! I call it my new Post-Cheat Day diet breakthrough. It’s a three-day eating program that will allow you to burn all that fat and calories consumed during your cheat day. The way it works is by controlling a fat-storing hormone called insulin. Here’s how.

The first day of the program will be your Protein Shake Day. Don’t consume anything but healthy protein powders with almond milk. Drinking nothing but shakes will help your stomach shrink naturally. That way you will get fuller and more satisfied with less calorie intake. For example, I’ll consume 4 shakes throughout the day (every 3 hours or so). Each shake should be high in protein (15-20 grams), have no artificial sweeteners, and low in carbs (less than 5 grams).

Day two will be your Protein and Veggie day. It consists of five mini meals, again about every 3 hours or so. The goal of this day is to increase your fiber intake dramatically and cleanse your bloated digestive track. Each meal should have lean protein sources like fish, turkey, chicken, or lean beef. Make sure these proteins are either broiled, baked or grilled – not fried! The meal can also have low-fat cottage cheese, eggs, and vegetables. Stay away from heavy veggies like corn, which is really a starch. You want to stick to veggies like lettuce, peas, green beans, asparagus, peppers, carrots, etc. Skip the fruit as well. Remember these have a sugar content to them. Not eating heavy carbs will make your body burn off the extra food you ate during your cheat day. Yey!

Your third and last day will be your Splurge Day. The goal here is to keep your metabolism burning at maximum speed. And after enduring day 1 and day two, you will be hungry for some of those heavy carbs. Therefore, split your day with five small meals consisting of lean meats, veggies, and about ½ cup of high energy carbs to 3 of the 5 mini meals. These high energy carbs can be beans (black, pinto, kidney, lima), sprouted grain pasta or bread, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, barley, quinoa, and wild rice. The point is to stick to  slow-absorbing carbs that will most likely not get turned into body-fat once consumed. Lastly, for one of those five meals, splurge yourself eating whatever you want. The trick will be to not overeat and to not make it your last meal of the day. So, eat whatever you want, but keep it a mini meal.

In terms of beverages, stick to water, green tea, or coffee sweetened with stevia. After you’re done with the three-day program, repeat the cycle again until you lose all those extra pounds you gained during your cheat day(s) and then you’ll be back on track!

 

LOSE Weight with a Cheat Day

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Naturally, when we are surrounded by the ones we love we want to eat what they eat. No one wants to worry about their caloric intake or their excess carbohydrates when they are relaxing around a low-key tailgate or barbecue. I mean, just let me eat my bacon-wrapped cheeseburger, right? Who possibly diets as a lifestyle without ever cheating? I’ll tell you. No one; and that’s because cheat days don’t have to be bad for you. They can actually help you to LOSE weight. Really. Here’s how I do it following a day of excess:

Day 1: Take a protein shake day.

During this day I only consume healthy protein powders mixed with almond milk to cleanse my system and reinvigorate my muscle fibers. This actually, and naturally, “shrinks” my stomach so that in the succeeding days I am less hungry overall. My appetite decreases. For the record, I eat four shakes about three hours apart give or take.

Day 2: Eat protein and veggies.

Throughout the course of the day I eat about five very small meals, also three hours apart. The meals are composed of solely low fat, lean protein. Occasionally I’ll add some cottage cheese and eggs but I generally like to keep each of these meals pretty restrictive in terms of size. Although, I will include healthy fats like coconut oil and/or organic butter for a little flavor. There’s no reason food has to taste bad just because you’re dieting!

Day 3: Binge Day

This is the fun one. On the third day after a cheat day I’ll dive into some thicker carbs over the course of my five mini-meals. However, I will also make sure to include an additional half-cup of “high-energy” carbs through slow-absorbing mediums to take care those carbs that are not converted into body fat. Then, I’ll eat one, just one, splurge meal, and obliterate whatever I want. There’s no holds barred. I just make sure to not get overly full. Basically, it’s a mini meal that’s just a little smaller. I also ensure that this binge meal is not my last food of the day.

By following these rules, I not only get back on track to losing whatever extra weight I may have gained from my cheat day, but my metabolism is actually accelerated. This way I lose weight even faster than I was before my cheat day. Sometimes, our metabolisms begin to plateau in the way of speed when it becomes too used to the same diet. So when you switch it up a bit, it has to adapt and thus runs at optimum efficiency.

Anyway, I hope these tips and tricks help you to capitalize if you fall a little off-track. Good luck!

The Proper Cheat Day

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Cheat days come a dime a dozen during a proper diet. Regardless of the circumstance, weather it’s a family vacation, a holiday, a birthday, hanging with friends or just your weekly “cheat day”.

What if there was a way to strategically cheat on your diet with all your favorite foods but still allow your body to accelerate your fat loss. What if the plan consists of a 3-day eating program that allows you to burn-away maximum flab and calories in minimum time? How is this possible? By controlling that horrible fat-storing hormone called insulin.

Here’s How It Works:

Day 1: This day should be dedicated to consuming nothing but healthy liquids filled with protein.

Feeding your body only shakes helps you naturally shrink your stomach. Drinking shakes should be a natural thought process and the way you “staple your stomach”.

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Day 2: This day should be committed to protein and vegetables.

5 small meals are acceptable but should consist of nothing but protein sources i.e. fish, chicken, turkey, lean beef (broiled, baked, or grilled), low-fat cottage cheese and eggs, and vegetables like lettuce, cauliflower, peas, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, squash, zucchini, okra, green/red/yellow peppers, carrots, spinach, kale, celery, etc. (No corn, it’s way to heavy!)

Try cooking your vegetables in healthy fats such as organic butter or coconut oil. A salad is also a great alternative for those who like their vegetables raw.

Day 3: This is your Splurge Day.

Imagine two days of eating minimal calories. On the third day, eating 5 mini-meals is still a given. These meals also consist of the lean meat and vegetables mentioned above. But instead, each meal consists of about ½ of a cup of “high-energy” carbs to three mini-meals in the form of “slow-absorbing” versions that aren’t as likely to get converted to body-fat once eaten. Examples include: black/pinto/kidney/lima beans, sprouted grain pasta or bread, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, barley, quinoa, and wild rice. An alternative option would be fruits or heavier carbs”. Then for ONE MEAL on this day and  ONE MEAL only, you can have a SPLURGE meal and eat whatever you want. The one exception is, don’t allow yourself to get overly full.

Josh BezoniRemember, you are now on a smaller mini-meal diet. Also, try not to make your splurge meal the last meal of the day. You don’t want to go to bed on a full stomach. Remember what I told you about those horrible fat storing places?

After this 3-day cycle, simply repeat the cycle until you’ve lost the extra “baggage” and your diets back on track.

 

This article is based off information drawn from Josh Bezoni’s personal website.