Cheating and Discipline

[LAGMuXle]

How many of you here have difficulty with your cheating and/or discipline involved with cheating? (This is mainly directed towards strict cutting diets)

I seem to get to around friday and I start to crave a cheat meal... when Saturday is my "cheat day." So then if I slip, like I did yesterday, I decided that "I'll just cheat today, and not tomorrow." Here it is, Saturday, and I'm wondering what I'm going to eat tonight.

I can't argue that anyone is perfect at this, I'm sure we all have our difficulties involving cheating;

How do you avoid cheating too early? Does the cheating neccesarily have to be included within one 24 hour day period? Or can it be spread out. What would the negatives be of cheating spread out.

I've had some people tell me the following two are good options for cheating (while cutting).

All Day Saturday (2-3 cheat meals)

-Or-

One cheat meal two days a week. Example: (wednesday/saturday), etc.


Hmm...just some thoughts and questions I've had.

[Myka]

so right now your on a strict cutting diet and you cheat once a week?...IMO you shouldnt even do that...

[LAGMuXle]

so right now your on a strict cutting diet and you cheat once a week?...IMO you shouldnt even do that...

Damnit.

See... I continue to hear different opinions on cheating. Even in the cutting sticky it says that it is important to cheat.

I don't know NewKid. I'm getting lost.

However, I have lost 5lbs in two weeks... so I'm doing ok for cheating still.

[MarkyMark]

How do you avoid cheating too early? Does the cheating neccesarily have to be included within one 24 hour day period? Or can it be spread out. What would the negatives be of cheating spread out.

Hmm... Well if you were to break up cheat meals throughout the week ... would you really be dieting ???

I am a fan of a Cheat meal ... That way I am able to go out with friends and eat once a week and not change the menu drastically...

Do what works for you... but dont kid yourself .

[Myka]

Im not gonna whore your thread but let me say this...

I believe from first hand experience that cheating early in a diet can be very beneficial to fat loss...after about a month of cutting the benefits of cheating start to drop...

At that point I personally have become hungry for my cut food...such as tuna out of the can...So if I crave a cheat meal I go for conservative stuff...such as a big sandwich with turkey cheese and whole wheat...plenty of carbs and protein...and you stayed basically clean...

Or a block of cheese...I can down one of those in one sitting...about 1500cals 48g protein...0g lactose...

And then after cutting for a while(non-comp) I go a little dirtier and have some bologna sandwiches or hotdogs...

[SwoleCat]

A cheat day per week is a staple in all of my clients programs, and for a myriad of reasons.

It has not affected them all gettin' ripped up and extremely lean. Then again, I have my own ways of doing things, so I take the cheat day into account w/the rest of the protocol.

~SC~

[novastepp]

if you feel stressed because of it do it...
it will lessen stress on your brain and nervous system...
IMO emotional cheats are pretty important early on down the road to rippedness

[xtinaunasty]

if i didint have a cheat meal about once every 10 days i would rip someone's head off!!

like nova said...cheating is good for you emotionally as well as physically. but you can't get carried away and eat all the calories you burned throughout the week (something i have learned the hard way). so i think you have to have discipline even while cheating.

lastly, i think people set themselves up for failure when they have a specific cheat day planned. if i were you, LAG, i would have my one cheat day/meal whenever i felt i needed it. dont feel guilty about it...that will only lead to more trouble.

[bigsd67]

I have read a great article by Dr. John Berardi stating that if one eats a 90% perfect (37 out of 42 meals per week) then one can achieve a lean ripped physique. This leave 4 missed meals/or cheat meals per week. I employ this to my clients as well and it seems to really work well when they follow it. Personally I'll cheat once a week with a small amount of something (last night it was 3 glasses of wine, a baked potato, and two chicken breasts non PWO at a wedding). Today I will do some extra cardio and burn some off. This was a very controlled cheat and I find that if I dont overdo it I can maintain a very low percent bodyfat (7ish).

[steve0]

i havnt had a cheat in like 17 days ok ok ok.....i had a Ribeye with like a basket of chips and salsa from Chilies on Friday but hey thats nothing like pizza and cake !!!!

[Liftnainez]

yea.. i know many people who have 1 cheat meal a week.. keeps them sane lol

[TREN-dy_Party_Dancer]

be careful, cuz my cheat day last sunday turned into a week... getting back on track 2morrow, NO CHEATS AT ALL NOW!!!!!!!!!!

[novastepp]

be careful, cuz my cheat day last sunday turned into a week... getting back on track 2morrow, NO CHEATS AT ALL NOW!!!!!!!!!!

[Lugar]

no cheats for me.........not for years.....when you go w/o for awhile, you have no desire......

[hawktribal]

it's tough not to cheat... LAG the only thing I could recommend would be not incorporating just the "Saturday" cheat day. Instead, cheat when you feel like you really need/want to. When I had a specific cheat day, i cheated more often. Now I just do it when I feel the need to and it's been a lot less. Might not work for you, but it worked for me.

[LAGMuXle]

hawktribal - Good suggestion, I think I may try it out this way.

xtina - interesting point - I hadn't put much thought into the fact that cheating did have an emotional aspect to it as well. It does hold a lot of weight psychologically.


I do believe that as a part of your overall diet it is important to take a break and cheat. As xtina mentioned - the psychological impact is quite important as well as the physical.

LAG

[bor]

The longer you go without it the less you'll crave/need it......I don't even remember the last time i had some sort of sweets, or an all out cheat like McD or something, I've been dieting for a month and a half now, and the only cheat I have is one night of drinking per week, maybe I have a chicken sandwich afterwards , but I kick my a$$ during cardio the next morning - really helps with the hangover

[WHOADY4SHOADY]

Yeah, I feel the same way. The longer I go without it the easier it becomes for me to avoid it.

[MarkyMark]

it's tough not to cheat... LAG the only thing I could recommend would be not incorporating just the "Saturday" cheat day. Instead, cheat when you feel like you really need/want to. When I had a specific cheat day, i cheated more often. Now I just do it when I feel the need to and it's been a lot less. Might not work for you, but it worked for me.

Very dangerous .. this is the main reason people dont get anywhere while dieting .. They cheat a little all the time.. Instead of making a serious decision to eat clean all week...

[LAGMuXle]

Very dangerous .. this is the main reason people dont get anywhere while dieting .. They cheat a little all the time.. Instead of making a serious decision to eat clean all week...

I agree.

I have done very well cheating one or two meals a week on the same day. I plan it for Saturday every week.

I'm sure that some people differ in their discipline. But it does make sense... a lot of people end up with no results from dieting because they eat counterproductive such as "I'll do a few minutes extra cardio to burn this cake off tomorrow morning."

That type of thinking doesn't really set a good standard for yourself.

Just some thoughts.

[chinups]

Damnit.

See... I continue to hear different opinions on cheating. Even in the cutting sticky it says that it is important to cheat.

I don't know NewKid. I'm getting lost.

However, I have lost 5lbs in two weeks... so I'm doing ok for cheating still.

Do what you want. I eat for life not for short periods of time. I do cardio eat great and workout hard. Right now I take wkends off bascily but at the same time I realize that when I say take off I barely do. for example I get up saturday and have egg whites and oatmeal because it doesn't bother me. Basicly what I am saying is I don't watch what I eat on the wkends and most of the time I am still 60% strict. Its a way of life so keep your sanity. I will have an 8 pack by summer doing this

[LAGMuXle]

Good stuff.

[chinups]

If you can't cheat whats the reward??? Cheating is fine trust me. Ask the real ripped shredded cats. They all cheat

GL

[Giantz11]

Im not gonna whore your thread but let me say this...

I believe from first hand experience that cheating early in a diet can be very beneficial to fat loss...after about a month of cutting the benefits of cheating start to drop...

At that point I personally have become hungry for my cut food...such as tuna out of the can...So if I crave a cheat meal I go for conservative stuff...such as a big sandwich with turkey cheese and whole wheat...plenty of carbs and protein...and you stayed basically clean...

Or a block of cheese...I can down one of those in one sitting...about 1500cals 48g protein...0g lactose...

And then after cutting for a while(non-comp) I go a little dirtier and have some bologna sandwiches or hotdogs...

Actually cheat meals are more improtant as you progress in your diet and much less important when you start. As you diet the body begins to adapt, leptin levels will lower and thus so will thyroid, testosterone etc... Which is why carb ups/cheat meals are very important the leaner you get and the further you diet. They should be used to break plateu's, you actaully never need to cheat at all in the begining as your hormone levels should be fine and fat loss will not be a problem

[LAGMuXle]

Actually cheat meals are more improtant as you progress in your diet and much less important when you start. As you diet the body begins to adapt, leptin levels will lower and thus so will thyroid, testosterone etc... Which is why carb ups/cheat meals are very important the leaner you get and the further you diet. They should be used to break plateu's, you actaully never need to cheat at all in the begining as your hormone levels should be fine and fat loss will not be a problem

Well said.

[L.Priest]

I have a cheat meal probably 5x a week when bulking and then an all out cheat day.....by the time I'm done, I'm pretty convinced I will be looking forward to cutting and eating clean. However, if I feel the urge, I'll schedule one every couple of weeks or so. Just keep it under control....that's my tip.

[chinups]

Also when u cheat do it and move on. Shit even if I go out and I screw around all wkend come monday back on the horse and I never look back

Its all mental and if you start to feel bad or give up because damage has been done thats bad. Just do what you have to and keep moving. Pluse when I cheat I work harder, run a bit more to make up for it. Or just bang your girl 3x that day to burn more calls. Nice reward for cheating

[L.Priest]

yup, worse thing you can do is starve yourself for the next 3 days and 24 hours of cardio.......