How To Cheat Successfully And Still Lose Fat

Cheat meals.  It’s something that everyone loves to talk about but not always something that leads to productive results.

Cheat wrongly and you’ll be packing on fat faster than ever. Cheat properly and it can actually enhance the results you see.

First, cheat meals can help build resiliency.  Many people take for granted just how good healthy eating makes them feel.  By having the cheat meal, you may enjoy it while eating that cheat, but after, you’ll likely be wishing you were back eating your healthy food once again.  By doing this cheat, you’ll appreciate sticking to your healthy diet the remainder of the time.

And then of course, cheat meals also calm those psychological food cravings we all have, making it easier to stay the course the rest of the time.

Let’s go over the details on how to cheat correctly so that you can not only enjoy those foods you crave, but also still go on to see optimal fat burning results.

My 90/10 Rule

The main principle I like to follow is what I call the 90/10 rule.  This basically means that for 90% of the time, you are on track, eating healthy, clean foods.

Lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and small doses of natural carbohydrates are all part of your 90% diet plan.

Then 10% of the time, you divert.  This means you can virtually eat whatever it is you are craving, without worry.  Of course you do need to keep it within reason.  Eat a whole tub of ice cream and a box of pizza and it won’t matter how ‘good’ you are the rest of the time, you’re still going to be doing damage.

Moderation is key.

If you are eating 3 meals a day, that means 21 meals a week, so for about 2 of these meals, you can have that cheat meal.

For those on a standard diet plan, this technique works very well.

The Carb Cycling Rule

Alternatively, another principle you can follow is the carb cycling principle.  Carb cycling is a great way to burn fat and incorporate a weekly cheat meal into your plan all while providing more energy for intense workouts that you plan on doing.

With the carb cycling approach, once per week, you can have one meal that consists of an appetizer, a main meal, and a dessert – all foods that you crave.  This meal should fall on the highest carb day of the week, which ideally should fall on your most intense training day. For most people, this is leg day, however for you, it could be something else.  Think about whichever day of the week you feel you are working the hardest and plan that for your high carb, cheat day.

By planning it on your workout day, you’ll be able to utilize all that energy, recovering from the workout session you just had (or if you cheat a few hours beforehand), using the energy to fuel the session.

Either way, you’re more likely to put those excess calories to good use.

So consider this next time you’re craving your favorite foods. Plan a cheat day right into your program and it’ll work wonders to help you get the results you desire. What’s your favourite way to cheat?