LOSE Weight with a Cheat Day

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!

In a recent blog on the official BioTrust website, Joel Marion discusses a few foods that he believes should stay out of the refrigerator. Despite what most people think, refrigeration can accelerate the spoiling of certain food items. Here are a few of the most common of these food items.

Sweet Potatoes: The starch in these potatoes will actually transform into sugar if exposed to the cold temperatures of the refrigerator for too long. Not only does this lead to an increase in the item’s sugar content, but this also causes an alteration in its taste profile and texture.
Avocados: Many associate avocado, given its taste, with the idea of freshness, and assume that it belongs in the fridge door. Don’t fall into this trap! Refrigeration interferes with the process of ripening in Avocados.
Apples: If Apples are in the refrigerator, a loss in their intense flavor and crunchy texture will likely occur. If you are amongst the camp who enjoys your Apples on the colder side, you can try placing the fruits in the fridge a half hour or so before you plan on consuming them.
Coffee: Room temperature storage is absolutely vital for allowing the beans’ natural oils to release the robust aroma. In fact, coffee beans tend to soak up all the odors that are in the fridge. So you certainly want to avoid this.
Tomatoes: When placed in the fridge, tomatoes are susceptible to becoming mushy and losing their bright flavor profile. If you aren’t a fan of mushy and tasteless tomatoes, leave this one out of the refrigerator.
Onions: Storing onions in your fridge is bad on two levels. Firstly, the taste and texture of the are corrupted by the cold. Secondly, the intensity of the onion’s flavor actually permeates the fridge and affects the flavor profile of the other items in your refrigerator.