I've got two questions here, hope anyone can give some information...

First, I'm just curious, does anybody here believe in "a cheat meal a day", or do all of you guys have a cheat day once a week.
If anybody is doing "a cheat meal a day", how much calories do you limit your cheat meals? :eat:

Second, I'm just wondering, why is it everytime after we binge, our stomach looks BIG and bloated? Few months ago, I would really stress myself thinking that it was fat gain. But really, why is it our stomach becomes bigger and jigglier when we overeat? Not to mention my face being puff too... Men, this really freaks me out, cause I'm thin (not lean) but everytime I overeat... "Skinny arms and legs with huge tummy... :lol:

I'd recommend a couple cheat meals per week over a full day of cheating.

I think you gotta eat something "unauthorized" once in a while just to stay sane. As this is not my career, I have no interest in eating perfect 24/7, 365 days a year. If I were interested in a bodybuilding career, I'm sure I might be even more strict, but for me anyway I like to have a cookie once in a while.

Remember one meal won't make you fit and one meal won't make you fat.

I like to have my clients use a "free day" during the week, where they do either a controlled cheat, carb re-feed, or all out cheat, based upon personal statistics/goals/progress/etc.

~SC~

A cheat meal a day is a bit much, unless you're in need of some serious transition time into a new program or lifestyle change. I'm not one to favor jumping in with both feet, but I'm not one to drag them quite that much, either.

If I'm cutting hard, I do one cheat meal and one cheat snack (same day, but separated by at least 2 hours). If I'm in a maintenance mode, I'll allow myself 24 hours (usually from Friday night until Saturday night) to have a couple of different meals I wouldn't normally eat, and possibly a cheat snack (by snack I mean your favorite guilty pleasure - mine's Oreos...).

All this is done with moderation. The cheat meals are, first of all, manageable portions - nothing huge, something I can easily eat in ONE sitting. They're more like rewards... for a good clean week. If I haven't had a good clean week, I will tone it down. Maybe just one meal out with the wife for that week...

Use your head. Listen to that little voice (and it's there, especially when you're doing/eating something you shouldn't be!). If it's telling you that one more meal/cookie/snack/etc is too much, it may very well be.

Moderation. That's all I can say.

-R

I do a full cheat day a week, and have been doing so for a year. I find it keeps me eating clean for the rest of the week. If for some reason I'm unhappy with my progress or I slipped sometime during the week, I might make it just a cheat meal, but generally it's the whole day. Not a binge by any means, but definitely more than I should be eating :) :)

Keep in mind I am essentially 'maintaining' with the occasional 'cut month' thrown in to try and lower the BF% a tiny bit.

I find that my normal eating patterns (without a "plan") are very clean with a weekly cheat day. For me this is a formula for homeostasis.

The phase I'm in right now, which is fat loss with a 10% BF goal, there is no room for cheating. I cheated on Christmas day and I my progress halted.

I would consider cheat days as a reward for yourself during maintainance phases. Otherwise, cheating is simply counter productive to your goals. I know that sounds a bit draconian, and maybe other people have more forgiving bodies than I do, but if I want to lose fat then I require 24x7 discipline.

When I'm walking around that cruise ship this April, shirtless, fully ripped and shredded, THEN I'll have my cheat day, and oh it will be so sweet! :drool: