New here but here is one thing that helped my diet

Just wanted to finally start getting more involved, I've read forum for months and learned a lot, but felt the calling to get more involved

Anyway many find a cheat day necessary when eating a whole food, high protein, balanced diet. While I understand the aspect of rewarding yourself and keeping a balance; an idea I have found more beneficial is instead of having 1 "cheat day" per week (some people can really wreck a diet in a day) I prefer to count "cheat meals", if you eat 6 meals per day and screw up 4 of those, you still ate 90% whole food meals for the week, and I think that less than optimal meals spread out through the week will cause less damage to your diet than one day of recklessness.

Just my thoughts, would love to hear some feedback.

-Brawn

Agreed, but most of the time a cheat day is not really meant to be a gluttonous splurge into heaven. But rather a bombardment of the carbs and nutrients your body is so desperately needing to refill glycogen stores and hit the reset button so to speak for the week. It would be curious to know the difference between spreading out minimal glycogen refill instead of completely draining and then completely filling on one day. And the differences between the two methods on weight loss in general.

If I eat one cheat meal each day that would put me eating clean 83% of the time. Does that work or is 90% the cut off?

R3psForJ3sus said:

Agreed, but most of the time a cheat day is not really meant to be a gluttonous splurge into heaven. But rather a bombardment of the carbs and nutrients your body is so desperately needing to refill glycogen stores and hit the reset button so to speak for the week. It would be curious to know the difference between spreading out minimal glycogen refill instead of completely draining and then completely filling on one day. And the differences between the two methods on weight loss in general.

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That's interesting I never considered that they were necessary in regards to glycogen stores, is this a concern on a diet where I eat about 200g proteins and about 240g carbs or is it only a concern on lower carb diets, just trying to learn, luckily I don't have a real issue with BF trying to learn for the wife, she's worked out dieted for yrs and something has to be a miss she can't get the last 10-15 lbs off

Depending on where you are getting those 240g of carbs, I would say you wouldn't be that depleted. Guys that go super low, low carb diets may lose some fat, but in the long run they end up so small because their muscles were always empty, and that type of depletion exponentially compiles.

I have two cheat meals per week but they are always scheduled. The scheduling gives me something to look forward to and it also helps with accountability.

I went over 2 years without my first "cheat meal" or carb binge and low carbing... I don't get how some people "need" it... It all boils down to self-control... If you believe you can't do it then you won't; if you believe you are stronger than it then it will show in your resolve and after a few months of no carbing it actually feels wrong to even eat needless carbs unless they fulfill a necessary macro that's absolutely needed for your balance... Otherwise I find no-carbing it to be very easy..

yes; you do tend to look smaller/flat most of the time but your body adjusts to where you find a sweet carb spot and it will basically give you the needed full look without the bloat...


now I've learned to refill glycogen better and just vary carbs but never truly cheat except for my birthday is when I allow myself to "cheat" and just disregard anything....although I still take in extra protein by shakes if I feel I was light