
Originally Posted by
usualsuspect
In order to fully optimize your results with this program, you must exercise and eat six days a week according to plan. Six days is recommended instead of seven because you should choose one day during the week in which you will reward yourself with a “weekly re-feed,” also known as the “cheat day.” On this one day, preferable Saturday or Sunday, you have the option to treat yourself to those foods you otherwise cannot eat during the week. This “cheat day” is not only needed for a psychological break from your weekly eating and weight training program, but it also has a few physiological benefits like increasing your metabolic rate (metabolism) and increasing the release of thyroid hormones. In fact, one of the reasons we highly recommend the “cheat day” is to give your thyroid a kick-start. Over time, the thyroid becomes rather dormant as a result of eating the same foods and meals day in and day out. The “cheat day” throws a wrench at your body, so to speak, and aids in keeping your metabolism guessing.
In addition to the psychological and physiological benefits, a “cheat day” is also a good opportunity to socialize with family and friends without having to worry about eating only the foods approved on the program.
We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this day. However, if you find that eating junk food once a week is counterproductive to your goals and causes more damage than its worth, than you may want to reduce your all day binge down to two or three satisfying “cheat meals.” Remember the higher one’s body fat percentage, the more likely cheat meals will “spoil over” and slow down progress. So rather than spending an entire day at an all-you-can-eat buffet, reduce your “cheat day” to two or three “cheat meals” early in the day and resume right back to your regular scheduled program for the rest of the day. That way, you can then have protein and fat meals if and when you get hungry later in the day. The choice is yours!
Source: New Beginnings Nutrition & Fitness