For those that compete.....diet question....

[JG1]

When dieting for a show, do you include any type of weekly cheat day/cheat meal/refeed day into your diet? If not, do you not worry about your thyroid becoming dormant?

I've been having a weekly cheat day, but I feel I'm getting spill over from it. Debating on whether I should reduce that to one all out cheat meal, or a controlled refeed...or even no refeeds just dieting straight threw for the next 4 weeks.

 

[JG1]

^

 

[MHANSARD]

I have what i call a cheat day but it relly isn't on friday's i have a cheat meal with a desert of my choice it keep's me somewhat satisfied and it gives me something to look foward to each week.i have tried the whole cheat day but i to feel like i have a hard time recovering from it so the cheat meal works better for me

 

[gilly6993]

No cheating in the sense that you're talking about....cheating for me was a filet and sweet potato at Outback every other week....no bread, no dessert, a steak and potato, that's it.....

 

[psychedout]

God, I love steak and potatoe.

 

[JG1]

No cheating in the sense that you're talking about....cheating for me was a filet and sweet potato at Outback every other week....no bread, no dessert, a steak and potato, that's it.....

So your cheat meal is more for the mind, rather then using it to reset your metabolism?

 

[Juice Gorilla]

Good Question!-bzump

 

[Quadsweep]

I do 2 carb load meals a week at night. Looks like this:

16 oz sweet potato, 1.5 cups oatmeal, and a banana. Keeps the thyroid from down regulating.

Quad

 

[ripper911]

geeez i dont go that far i just eat clean and stay away from the starches at night its pretty much a moderate carb low fat high protien diet

 

[Themachine01]

Cut them cheat days out JG, Im telling you, you will notice the difference. If you feel like you need a cheat day to stay sane, then throw 1 in every 2 weeks. But once you get in the habit of no cheat days and you begin to notice the results, believe me, when that cheat day you scheduled for every 2 weeks comes around, you wont want to cheat.

 

[serge]

i cheat meal per week (if you want to call it that), i go out and fill-up on sushi ussually at a sushi buffet, afterwards i might have a sunday

 

[serge]

BUT YOU DEFFINETLY DONT WANT TO TAKE AN ENTIRE DAY OFF YOUR DIET, IT SETS YOU BACK TOO MUCH AND TAKES DAYS TO RECOVER FROM

 

[JG1]

Cut them cheat days out JG, Im telling you, you will notice the difference. If you feel like you need a cheat day to stay sane, then throw 1 in every 2 weeks. But once you get in the habit of no cheat days and you begin to notice the results, believe me, when that cheat day you scheduled for every 2 weeks comes around, you wont want to cheat.

I think thats what I'm gonna start doing bro'.

 

[JG1]

i cheat meal per week (if you want to call it that), i go out and fill-up on sushi ussually at a sushi buffet, afterwards i might have a sunday

God thats the one thing I'm gonna miss....SUSHI!!!

I used to get Sushi every Sunday, and order like 4 Philly hand rolls (smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado ) along with the sushi.

 

[JG1]

IT SETS YOU BACK TOO MUCH AND TAKES DAYS TO RECOVER FROM

I know

 

[serge]

I know

treat junk food as an addiction........once you go without it for a couple of weeks you dont want it anymore, but sushi without the cream cheeze or any other fat-loaded toping is great, its not junk food by any means and filling up on it once per week is NOT going to hurt your progress

 

[Enigmaxxx7]

God, I love steak and potatoe.

hehehe, potatoe, i didn't know Al Gore was a member of this board.

 

[cbeaks]

I do 2 carb load meals a week at night. Looks like this:

16 oz sweet potato, 1.5 cups oatmeal, and a banana. Keeps the thyroid from down regulating.

Quad

this sounds like a better idea than having just an all out cheat day. I personally do not have cheat days while preparing for a competition but my carbs don't dip below 250 grams/day and my calories never dip below 3500 either. - cbeaks

 

[serge]

this sounds like a better idea than having just an all out cheat day. I personally do not have cheat days while preparing for a competition but my carbs don't dip below 250 grams/day and my calories never dip below 3500 either. - cbeaks

how do you create caloric deficit? how much do you weight and whats your training like?

 

[JG1]

Check out what a typical cheat day for me used to look like.

meal 1: (after 60 minutes of cardio) 50g whey/1Tbs fish oil
meal 2: Japanese bento box.....japamese salad, miso soup, chicken and shrimp tempura, california rolls, chciken teriyaki, and a couple philly hand rolls....300mg r-ALA
meal 3: 2 detour bars, then go out for icecream , usualy 3 large scoops of hand dipped icecream (peanut butter, cookies and cream, butter pecan) in a prezel cone...300mg r-ALA
meal 4: Dinner at PF Changs....kung poa shrimp, mongolian beef, fried rice, soup, appetizers...300mg r-ALA
meal 5: 8oz chciken breast



LOL, tell me I wasn't setting myself back with this weekly feast...

 

[Juice Gorilla]

Yea JGI I hear you bro, I hate that full belly feeling after pigging out on my cheat day. I am going to try a controlled refeed also, what is your bf now btw?

 

[serge]

Check out what a typical cheat day for me used to look like.

meal 1: (after 60 minutes of cardio) 50g whey/1Tbs fish oil
meal 2: Japanese bento box.....japamese salad, miso soup, chicken and shrimp tempura, california rolls, chciken teriyaki, and a couple philly hand rolls....300mg r-ALA
meal 3: 2 detour bars, then go out for icecream , usualy 3 large scoops of hand dipped icecream (peanut butter, cookies and cream, butter pecan) in a prezel cone...300mg r-ALA
meal 4: Dinner at PF Changs....kung poa shrimp, mongolian beef, fried rice, soup, appetizers...300mg r-ALA
meal 5: 8oz chciken breast



LOL, tell me I wasn't setting myself back with this weekly feast...

this is not bad at all, i used to do cheat days where i would go through a box of dougnuts, a large pizza, gallon of ice-cream, box of cookies, chocolate................all in one day. i attempted to count callories, gave up after i hit 10,000

 

[cbeaks]

how do you create caloric deficit? how much do you weight and whats your training like?

I compete at 222 pounds at 5'10". I create a caloric deficit because I have a very high metabolism and have to take in at least 6000 calories in the off season to maintain my size after I get above 250 pounds. I train only one bodypart per workout so I have a few days when I train twice per day for example on leg day I split up quads in the morning and hams and calves at night. I train 5 days/week. I don't do a ton of cardio precontest either but I gradually increase it each week. - cbeaks

 

[serge]

I compete at 222 pounds at 5'10". I create a caloric deficit because I have a very high metabolism and have to take in at least 6000 calories in the off season to maintain my size after I get above 250 pounds. I train only one bodypart per workout so I have a few days when I train twice per day for example on leg day I split up quads in the morning and hams and calves at night. I train 5 days/week. I don't do a ton of cardio precontest either but I gradually increase it each week. - cbeaks

whats your diet like precontest?

 

[cbeaks]

whats your diet like precontest?

I cut out carbs out of my last two meals. My main source of protein is lean steak. I eat 450-500 grams of protein. I have 3-4 protein or meal replacement shakes per day up until 3 weeks before my contest.

Breakfast: 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal and 10 egg whites and 2 whole eggs
workout
myoplex with 2 1/2 cups of milk and an apple or something else to add another 40 grams of carbs post workout.

2 hours later myoplex with 2 1/2 cups of milk

2 hours later myoplex with 2 1/2 cups of milk

2 hours later: 12 ounce top round or top sirloin steak with a 14 ounce potato

3 hours later: 75 grams of protein shake

2-3 hours later: 12 ounce top round or top sirloin steak

 

[seungmena]

Ive changed from cheat days to cheat meals to whatI call off meals -
these are meals that are my normal meal - like chicken and rice with a small amount of sauce (homemade low fat).
For my metabolism I up my carbs - I havent got any spill over doing this so far!

 

[zOOmz]

cheating yeah , but means something different from what you mean. Plus it depends where your at in your dieting and what your using during precontest

 

[JG1]

this is not bad at all, i used to do cheat days where i would go through a box of dougnuts, a large pizza, gallon of ice-cream, box of cookies, chocolate................all in one day. i attempted to count callories, gave up after i hit 10,000

Man I could totally eat all that shit if I wanted to. I didn't want my cheat day to turn into a binge which I could easily do. Still though, I put down a good amount of junk on Sunday's, makes me wonder how much it really set me back in my diet...perhaps a few weeks, I don't know. Been dieitng for 8 weeks now.

 

[serge]

Man I could totally eat all that shit if I wanted to. I didn't want my cheat day to turn into a binge which I could easily do. Still though, I put down a good amount of junk on Sunday's, makes me wonder how much it really set me back in my diet...perhaps a few weeks, I don't know. Been dieitng for 8 weeks now.

im telling you, instead on a cheat day, take one meal and bindge for that one meal only, eat as much as you want. you will find that you will hold some water next morning, but will be back to normal in early afternoon

 

[easy]

Check out what a typical cheat day for me used to look like.

meal 1: (after 60 minutes of cardio) 50g whey/1Tbs fish oil
meal 2: Japanese bento box.....japamese salad, miso soup, chicken and shrimp tempura, california rolls, chciken teriyaki, and a couple philly hand rolls....300mg r-ALA
meal 3: 2 detour bars, then go out for icecream , usualy 3 large scoops of hand dipped icecream (peanut butter, cookies and cream, butter pecan) in a prezel cone...300mg r-ALA
meal 4: Dinner at PF Changs....kung poa shrimp, mongolian beef, fried rice, soup, appetizers...300mg r-ALA
meal 5: 8oz chciken breast



LOL, tell me I wasn't setting myself back with this weekly feast...

Damn that makes me hungry. I LOOOOVE PF CHANGS. Fuckin crab meat wantons are almost better than sex... almost.,

 

[JG1]

im telling you, instead on a cheat day, take one meal and bindge for that one meal only, eat as much as you want. you will find that you will hold some water next morning, but will be back to normal in early afternoon

You think that one "cheat meal" would do me any good since I'm dieting extremely strict with a ton of cardio...perhaps it would help reset my metabolism? Or is it basically just to assist my comfort level?

At this point, if a cheat meal will help me I'll do it, but if it's just for my mind and will set me back at all, then I'm gonna skip it.

I don't think I have to do any carb-ups though since I'm eating about 200g carbs (total) for my two PW meals (carbless all other meals).

 

[seungmena]

A cheat meal has definite metabolic benefits - as does shifting the amount of calories and nutrients you consume around within a range.
It stops your metabolism (body) becoming accustomed to things.

I struggle with this because I know it works but I am also a creature of habit and I eat the same things at the same times. What I do is grab handfuls of veg to create the differences. ( i use peppers, onions, sweetcorn which I regard as pretty much calorie free when grilled)

 

[Gcis40]

think about it this way if your getting good gains what would your gains look like if you WEREN"T cheating, Im 7 weeks out NO CHEATING AT ALLLLLLLLL