cheating

[Terrymundo]

slowly working into my diet. My goal is to do some much needed composition maitenance. Looking to lower the BF to around 12% by november whilst maintaining all of mucle from previous years bulking.

My questions:

when do you cheat? how often? weekly? fortnightly? never? are there benefits? is three a week too much? Can i eat slightly dirtier if i don't cheat?

[Android]

damn I thought this thread was spousal-related...i had so much to give

whenever I feel like cheating is the answer (to both).

When you feel hungry isn't the time for me, it's when I feel physically drained that it's time to cheat

[Phedder]

Cheating, or re-feeding? Both have their places, but for quite different reasons, and I suppose it depends on the type of diet your eating (low carb, low fat, IIFYM etc). Cheating implies food you've been craving and allows for that mental break, it's psychological. Whereas refeeding serves a physiological purpose, and is especially useful on low carbohydrate diets to periodically refill your glycogen stores and boost leptin levels, which helps raise your metabolism after the low carbs have caused it to plummet. Often when people stall on a low carb diet, a simple refeed will help get them past their plataeu.

What type of diet are you planning on undertaking?

[Terrymundo]

damn I thought this thread was spousal-related...i had so much to give

whenever I feel like cheating is the answer (to both).

When you feel hungry isn't the time for me, it's when I feel physically drained that it's time to cheat

by your advice i would be doing alotm of cheating :pfft:

Phedder:

my diet today (every day is slightly different but follows similar macros)

M1: 5-6eggs 4 weetbix

M2: 60gram protein sake

M3: 300gram chicken plus cup rice little bit of satay

M4: 300 gram Chicken plus cup rice little of satay

M5: pos work out shake 60 gram wpc plus sugar (ie cranberry juice)

M6: 300-400gram steak with vege

often grab a sushi or subway (not a cheat meal in my book) if im on the road

[AgentOrange]

Interesting topic,

I'd be interested to know whether people work their cheat meals into their macros or just enjoy a food without thinking about the macros?

[crazyfacials]

Often when people stall on a low carb diet

I know that feeling, lol...bodyfat is going down but total weight isn't...normally isn't an issue but I need to be 75kg in like 9 weeks and 4 days not taking in account dehydration lol, but it's pretty intersting that a few people have said the exact same to me, might give it a shot.... anyway back to the topic as AO asked I too would be keen to hear what everyone's take on a cheat meal is.

[Shutupandsquat]

What's your current %? And please don't say 15% if you don't have visible abs and you have moobs...

[Terrymundo]

im 75% sure i am 16-17%ish. just a visual guesstamation.

[Shutupandsquat]

I would say, since you're at a high bf% that you're probably better off cheating once fortnightly.

[Terrymundo]

I would say, since you're at a high bf% that you're probably better off cheating once fortnightly.

will once a week slow my progess too much? im only intersted in dropping to 12ish. I assumed that reducing cheat meals mite be a way to push through a weight loss plateau. don't think i'll stall on one cheat meal a week. 12% seems pretty achievable without going to drastic. but hey havn't been 12% for about a decade

[trainlikeafreak]

I would say, since you're at a high bf% that you're probably better off cheating once fortnightly.

i disagree i reckon once a weeks fine...if its 18% or whatver you either eat too much or have bad habbits..so if you eat less or break your bad habits having a cheat/treat meal a week should be fine and BF levels will still come down..and especially if your not dieting for a show etc. just be sensible :nod:

[Gym rat]

I have a cheat meal every second fortnight and when I it is mostly fish n chips or if I am in town at the time mostly Burger King the meal deal =P~

[Phedder]

damn I thought this thread was spousal-related...i had so much to give

whenever I feel like cheating is the answer (to both).

When you feel hungry isn't the time for me, it's when I feel physically drained that it's time to cheat

by your advice i would be doing alotm of cheating :pfft:

Phedder:

my diet today (every day is slightly different but follows similar macros)

M1: 5-6eggs 4 weetbix

M2: 60gram protein sake

M3: 300gram chicken plus cup rice little bit of satay

M4: 300 gram Chicken plus cup rice little of satay

M5: pos work out shake 60 gram wpc plus sugar (ie cranberry juice)

M6: 300-400gram steak with vege

often grab a sushi or subway (not a cheat meal in my book) if im on the road

Looks decent enough, probably a tad low on the fats for a guy your size, maybe add an avocado with dinner or drizzle a Tbs of olive oil over the vege. Handful or two of mixed nuts would be another option.

How often you cheat or refeed depends how quickly you want to reach your goal of 12% as well. You don't have that much to lose so I assume you're wanting a slow and steady drop, maintaining as much strength and muscle as you can? A weekly cheat should be fine, try and make it something high carb with a bit of fat thrown in. If you're not dropping bodyfat quick enough you can always change it to every 2 weeks and become a bit more strategic with your 'cheat' food choices, but you're not going for comp condition or (I think) in a hurry, so I don't see any reason to deny yourself something you're craving so long as you can maintain the steady loss.

[Shutupandsquat]

I agree. I'll blame it on my own diet brain.

I meant to say once in the first fortnight, since you'd look like you're a high % there's probably quite a bit of water. Let the water slip away (unless you're running test) and then do it once fortnightly 'cause you won't retain it like crazy. I dunno, sort of makes sense today. But then again, once a week isn't bad, it just depends on the portion. You'll always get different answers for shit like this though. 12% is easily attainable.

[Terrymundo]

churs guys will stick to one a weekand see what happens. I have had steady loss for the last 4 weeks by just weening out the heavy carbs and tasty snacks (sugar loaded energy drinks and cookie times :cry: ) plus have been adding 10-15mins cardio on the back of some lighter workouts. All about the slow loss at the moment. not competeting or anything just need to tighten things up a wee bit of some sloppy bulks.

Pheddar:

I thought he fats in satay/peanut butter would hold me over. maybe the milk in my weetbix aswell or no?

[AZIDE]

.

[Shutupandsquat]

I meant to say and then once weekly. f*ck I'm a retard.

[crazyfacials]

this thread made me decide to do a mini cheat day today...brb one of those small 90 sec cups of rice+2 of those cheap 74 cent countdown energy drinks with lunch and a carbless bar I better be down to 80kg next week or else I won't sit next to you when we have the next mods only meeting Phedder

[Terrymundo]

":6wvzksxu]Are you cutting for RnV?

whats RnV? im generally trying to sexify myself for sexings with sexy females

[HarryB]

this thread made me decide to do a mini cheat day today...brb one of those small 90 sec cups of rice+2 of those cheap 74 cent countdown energy drinks with lunch and a carbless bar I better be down to 80kg next week or else I won't sit next to you when we have the next mods only meeting Phedder

Don't forget the nicotine gum!!!

On a serious note I personally see cheating as a refeed I guess, I eat low low carbs mon to fri and this allows me to eat a fair few carbs on the weekends. Therefore satisfying my mental desire to eat something other than protein and also giving me some glycogen so I can get through another week without eating up all my muscle tissue.

That's how I do cheating when it comes to nutrition. Long periods of ketosis aren't particularly condusive to hard training for me so I bump out every weekend and hammer a lot of carbs. Means my weight fluctuates a fair bit but as long as my sat morning weight is down from the week before and I feel like I'm visually leaner then I feel like I'm on track. That's what works for me and my somewhat sluggish metabolism. I do work with guys who's bodies race so their carbs are a lot higher than mine from day to day and those bastards still get meals off. As long as your bodyfat is moving in the direction you want it to then IMO its all good.

[Dinahlady]

I dont understand why some people think that not cheating, or being more austere is some how more noble or hardcore than having a cheat or a refeed?

In my opinion if you're competing and you've been having cheats and refeeds, then more fool the others who are on stage at similar bf etc to you and haven't been having them.

Theres people out there (possibly pros possibly top level npc etc) who look amazing who have them, some who don't, some who count carbs/calories/protein etc and some who don't count anything.

I've lost 9kgs and I've been having a 4000+ calorie refeed of carbs on a sunday. I don't see how me not having that would have made me in any way a better bodybuilder or person?

Another point is a lot of people with this "go hard" attitude look drawn out and stringy on stage looking like they have dieted "too hard"

Whats the difference if the end result is the same...? surely you'd rather eat more... ? And what about your metabolism?

Isn't dieting at 1k calories (over exaggerating) for 16 weeks pretty much going to f*ck you up way more than using a refeed and higher cals and not plateauing so hard?

At the end of the day its your diet and your show so do it however you like, as long as you are working towards your goals, losing weight losing fat and improving then you are winning!

I read a siouxcountry article the other day about girls who diet too hard and mess up their metabolism permanently that had a quote that said:

"Just because you win a show doesn't mean you have the winning formula"

Just my 2c. Not directed or meant to offend any one at all.

I love everyone.

[crazyfacials]

Dinah pls

you can't be the $100 dollar voucher back to back crew