Cheat Your Way Thin
What is Cheat Your Way Thin by Joel Marion?
Cheat Your Way Thin is a diet program that allows you one cheat day per week to eat whatever you want with no restrictions. By cycling nutrients the rest of the week, this cheat day actually allows you to burn more fat in the long run…and not just because a diet is easier to maintain when you’re allowed to cheat every once in a while.
Who is Joel Marion?
Joel Marion is the creator who came up with Cheat Your Way Thin by accident. He was on a restrictive diet just like many people and one day gave into temptation and binged on fattening foods. He found that he actually lost weight with this cheat day. After 6 years of research, he finally developed an approach that worked.
Joel is a nationally published author who has appeared on NBC, ABC, CBS as well as in magazines such as Men’s Fitness, Woman’s Day, Maximum Fitness, Oxygen, Clean Eating, MuscleMag International, and Muscle & Fitness Hers.
What did I like about Cheat Your Way Thin?
Cheat Your Way Thin seems to make a lot of sense. While intuitively it doesn’t seem possible to lose more weight while eating so many fattening foods, it is in fact possible. You cycle low carb days with low GI foods and high GI foods on different days. Once per week, you eat whatever you want. This type of flexibility is fantastic since most people can diet for 6 days if they know that they can indulge in whatever they want for 1 day.
What didn’t I like about Cheat Your Way Thin?
The non-cheat days are pretty specifically laid out. It creates a rigidity in a diet that I generally don’t appreciate. Instead of following the specific recommendations, I just do Eat Stop Eat twice per week. However, for people who can’t bring themselves to fast, this book offers a way around that. You can’t make every day a cheat day either!
Is Cheat Your Way Thin an effective diet?
It appears so. Many people have had great success. The theory behind the diet is that you eventually need to have an adequate supply of nutrients, otherwise you risk your body going into starvation mode. What happens when you eat a restrictive diet is that leptin levels decrease over the course of a week. Leptin is a hormone that dulls hunger. By lowering these levels, your body will beg you to start eating again. One strategically placed eating day is all it takes to elevate leptin levels back to where hunger urges are avoided. By avoiding starvation mode, that means no more slowed metabolism, no more food cravings, no more slowdown in fat loss, etc.
Who should use Cheat Your Way Thin?
It’s fair to say that anyone who has failed with a calorie restrictive diet should give this approach a try. While I focus on Eat Stop Eat, incorporating the principles of Cheat Your Way Thin helps make Eat Stop Eat even easier to follow and will hopefully help me burn even more fat.
Bottom Line Recommendation
It’s worth your while to get a copy of Cheat Your Way Thin, especially if you haven’t had success with diets. This diet is like nothing you’ve done before. Additionally, even if you’re really lean and have had success with restrictive diets, Cheat Your Way Thin can help you blast through fat loss plateaus.
Dave,
My eating approach is very similar. During the week, I eat low calorie and very low GI. I follow Eat Stop Eat once a week and on the weekends, I usually eat whatever I want, typically with a surge of high GI foods. In doing this, I’ve been able to maintain a low body fat percentage. I haven’t read Cheat Your Way Thin yet, but I’ll probably check it out to get the specifics.
Alykhan
Alykhan,
I’ve always used weekends for cheating as well, but to try to lean out some more I’m only doing one real cheat day on the weekend now. Joel Marion does a good job of laying out why this cheat day helps and how to properly cycle carbs.
Dave
[...] Marion, author of Cheat Your Way Thin, offers the scientific rationale for why cheat days accelerate fat loss. Our body contains a [...]
Dave
Aside from our email, I have one small question, are there like restrictions on a cheat day? Or could i eat 3 cheese steaks if I wanted? What is a typical cheat day for you?
Thanks
Dave,
If you’re restrictive during the week, you can take an anything goes approach. Yesterday I had a lot of leftover Easter candy…half a chocolate bunny, half a bag of robin eggs, a couple hamburger buns, 2 scoops of muscle milk, cantaloupe, pineapple, 2 snack bags of peanuts, several handfuls of pretzels, a double chocolate chip muffin, and then went out to dinner and had several slices of bread, a Caesar salad, steak with asparagus and mashed potatoes and chocolate cake for dessert. That was probably more than I usually have but is pretty indicative as to what you could do.
Dave
Dave,
So what you do is work hard during the week, and then look forward to eating “crap” on Saturday/Sunday (or both?)
thanks
Dave
Dave,
You are correct. It gives me something to work for and feels like a nice reward system. Plus, after eating junk on the weekend, I don’t even feel like it during the week.
Dave
So you shouldn’t feel bad after eating alot?
I certainly don’t…not after maintaining discipline during the week. I fast on Mondays and Fridays so that makes everything feel better as well.
Hi Dave – Cheat Your Way Thin by Joel Marion sounds promising to me. I hate watching my diet since I just end up eating more. I prefer eating more often but eating less effective for me. Loosing wait is just a matter of discipline and determination.
Allan,
As humans, we seem to be hard wired to want what we can’t have. That’s why it’s nice to have a day to indulge in foods you enjoy. Discipline and determination will go a long way.
Dave
Dave,
Curious on your take on Cheat Your Way Thin vs. Anything Goes Diet (if you have to pick one, keeping your IF of course). This would be for fat loss. I like the idea of eating “normally” via AGD but keeping the calories in check (then again, who wants to count calories?)…then again, while eating is stricter in Cheat Your Way Thin for six days of the week, that one unrestricted cheat day is appealing! Thanks!
…antother thing (to add to my post above). Both Cheat Your Way Thin and AGD have a lot of conflicting information it’s tough to know who to believe (although based on my experience, AGD is likely more on track). For example, in Cheat Your Way thin, you are sold into eating every few hours to keep your metabolism up…exercise is key…and the GI/GL is integral. In AGD, eating multiple times a day is debunked, exercise is mentioned but not needed to lose weight, and the GI/GL are outed as junk science more or less. There are other examples as well…
John,
I take bits and pieces from all the diets I read (that kind of goes for workouts too). I don’t ever believe there’s one absolute truth. Truthfully, it’s been a while since I’ve read AGD and Cheat Your Way Thin in full, but you’re right about some inconsistencies. John Barban and Joel Marion are both excellent researchers and site compelling studies whatever way you look at things. I think for general fitness, AGD is the better approach. I think some of the strategies Cheat Your Way Thin recommends might be better for a more advanced approach. That being said, I don’t buy into the 6 meal metabolism thing, breakfast thing, or GI/GL thing for Cheat Your Way Thin. I do believe in the strategic refeed though to prevent metabolism slowdown. If it would help, I’ll go back and re-read both books and we can discuss in greater detail.
As for which approach to take, I like the AGD philosophy but love combining cheat days with fasting days:
http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com/health-and-nutrition/cheat-stop-eat-your-way-thin-cheat-diet-intermittent-fasting-healthy-eating
I also like calorie cycling. Again, these are more advanced tips that I used to get below 10% body fat. As a general straightforward approach, I don’t think you can go wrong with AGD either. Once you count calories for a few weeks, you almost know in your head exactly how many you’re eating per day. It’s just those initial couple weeks that are key to developing good habits.
Happy to talk more about these and/or my approach if you’d like.
Dave
Thanks Dave…no need to re-read those…I wouldn’t want to give you homework…HAHA. Thanks for the link…might be what I am looking for. To be honest, I have developed most of your plan on my own over this past year. I do IF (where I skip breakfast but do have lunch and dinner for an 18 hour fast) M-F now…and eat breakfast on the weekends. My hump – as we discussed before – is allowing myself a cheat day once a week which I can’t seem to do yet. I must tell you that you and your site have been – and continue to be – the best resource for me. You’ve helped me a ton!
John,
Glad you’re getting some value out of the site! It sounds like you have a good plan in place…the question is, are you seeing the results you like? If not, then let’s assess what might need to be changed. You can also read my latest post where I detail my diet and exercise routine that helped me get to my lowest body fat level ever. Not as much detail there but it sums up a lot of my strategies. If you’re interested in calorie cycling, I can get more into that as well.
Dave
Dave,
I have only been using my 18 hour IF sessions for almost two weeks now…last week between my IF, strict (read: TOO strict) diet, and morning exercise, I lose 4.2lbs. I am at 211lbs now…and want to get to 185lbs…but anything under 200lbs would be amazing. When I started my weight loss journey I was so overweight that I set my goal at 225lbs, thinking I would never get there. When I beat that, I said, hey why stop there?…as tempting as going into maintenance mode is (meaning eat more!). Since I am seeing great results with this program, I am hesistant to introduce a cheat day only because I haven’t plateued (I weigh in every Sunday)…then again, my cravings are getting out of hand. So yes, I am interested in calorie cycling and also your take on my situation. Thanks!
John,
Now I have more of a complete story so everything is starting to fall into line! First off, congrats on your weight loss. Far too many people quit before achieving their goals or hit their goals and then stop everything all together. I like how you hit your goal and immediately set the next one.
So you’ve lost about 2lbs per week over the past 2 weeks. That’s within a safe and healthy range. Let’s say you introduce a cheat day; maybe you’ll only lose 1.5lbs per week depending on how much you cheat. Remember, the goal is not to gorge yourself on a cheat day…it merely provide the flexibility to eat what you want. Once you’re full, you’re supposed to stop eating.
Assuming you want to go that route, there are some tweaks with meal timing and calorie cycling that may help you.
http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com/health-and-nutrition/calorie-cycling-calorie-shifting-diet-plan-carb-cycling-diet-plan-lose-body-fat-gain-muscle
The short story here is that you want to eat your biggest meals after you exercise. Additionally, your biggest eating days should coincide with your strength training days.
In general, I’d recommend taking some action if your cravings are getting out of hand. That’s why calorie restrictive diets tend to fail in the long term. The mind and body can only be contained for so long before they give in!
Dave
Thanks Dave. To clarify…I’ve been losing 3-4lbs a week, not every two weeks. Some weeks I lose 5, others 2-3. All I do for workouts is: every morning I do interval sets for no more than 20 minutes (that time includes warm up, active rest periods, and cool down…I never exert myself more than 10-12 minutes during the 20 minute period). I do this every day on my rower or stationary bike. I change the intervals every two weeks…so I might do intervals of 4-3-2-1 (minutes) for two weeks, and maybe 2-2-2-2-2-2 the next two (I increase the intensity with each set so I am going all out at the last one). On alternating days I do a 10 minute bodyweight drill immediately after the rowing or bike. Again, I do that every other day to allow some muscle rest. That’s it. However, my diet is pretty strict and I am betting that’s where most of my weight loss is coming from. I wish I could stop working out for a week to see how it affects my weight loss but can’t bring myself to do it. Everything I read says 1lb a week (maybe 2) is healthy but it’s been more for me and I am not sure if this is OK…I do get dizzy a lot when I stand up when I sit for a while. Like when I am at work and get up. That’s about the only thing I notice…as far as I can tell I am not losing muscle.
Thanks for the link…I will check it out. Not sure if you are still in Boston (you mentioned it in another post). I am right in the area (north of town). The snow is almost melted.
John,
I’m still in Boston…fortunately we didn’t get too much snow in my area and only lost power for about 12 hours…certainly not the nightmare scenario some people lived through!
As for the weight loss, I missed the “last week” part. 4lbs is a lot but still only makes up 2% of your weight. You’re doing a lot of interval training…any fatigue in your legs? Doing the bodyweight circuit every other day is perfect. As you get in better shape, you could consider adding some more bodyweight exercises or do some weight training to tone or gain muscle.
How long have you been exercising without taking a week off? How restrictive is you diet (approximately how many calories per day)? I’d recommend taking 3-4 days off from exercising after 8-12 weeks. Easing up on the diet may be a good idea as well depending on how strict you were.
Dave
Thanks Dave…to answer your questions… I have been exercising since January 2010…haven’t missed a day…and never had a cheat eating day. I started off just rowing for the first 4-5 months (started at 4,000m, then peaked at 7,000m)…around that time I was getting burnt out rowing and got a Schwinn Airdyne bike and integrated that into my routing. I also started intervals at this time, as before my 4,000-7,0000m were more steady state with occasional bursts. Around that time I got the Sean Foy book and started his 4-3-2-1 bodyweight workouts (not sure if you know his book…4 minutes of interval, 3 strength training, 2 core, 1 stretching). So that’s where I am now.
Diet…I have a scale and do the best I can with it. On my IF days (M-F, just skipping breakfast) I eat a ~500 calories for lunch and anywhere from ~1,000-1,200 for dinner. Weekends is the same, but breakfast adds around ~400 additional calories. Weighing and calorie counting…well…sucks…but it’s been a good learning experience.
John,
Wow, you’ve been at this a while! What a commitment! I can see why you might be getting antsy for a cheat day. Honestly, give it a try. Start off with a cheat meal if you’re not comfortable with a full day. If you’re still losing 4lbs per week, you have plenty of room for fun. Adding a cheat day, maybe you’ll only lose 2-3lbs per week which is still great. Calories are right on track for your goal of 185lbs. Still, it might be good to have a week where you eat a little higher just to give yourself a break. Same for exercise…take 3-4 days off just to let your body rest. Don’t do both of those things at the same time…in other words, relax your diet for a week and then the next week relax your exercise routine. You should come back feeling better and more motivated than ever.
Dave
Thanks Dave. I came close tonight…I was presented with three large Papa Ginos pizzas (which has been at the top of my craving list since Day 1). I ultimately stuck with my supermarket roasted turkey breast. I think I will take your advice on rest. This morning I really didn’t want to work out (today was my 20 minute row, 10 of which is actual intervals). I did it, but resting would have been nice. As usual, thanks for checking in.
John,
Papa Ginos is very tempting so I give you credit for resisting! If you think a cheat day is going to cause you to fall off the wagon and start cheating too often, then don’t do it. You know yourself best…dieting is a lot more psychology than people make it out to be. Maybe you can make it a goal to treat yourself once you get under 200lbs? At some point I would recommend reintroducing some more “fun” foods though…otherwise where’s the enjoyment in life, right? Glad to hear you’re letting your body rest from the workouts. Just a couple days should revitalize your body.
Dave
Well as small and trivial as I am sure it will seem months from now, I actually let myself have some pumpkin ice cream last night after hitting Fudruckers for a some buffalo burgers. Didn’t feel bad about it at all and boy was it good (it was the smaller size)! So a step forward in a way. Funny I felt MORE motivated to stay on track this morning because of that…like it will help me remain focused. Not that I have had an issue staying on my diet, just that having this treat makes it easier in a way, if that makes sense.
could i choose any day of the week to be my cheat day or specifically just weekends?
John,
Good job and I know exactly what you mean about wanting to hit your workout harder. Heck, after some cheat days, I don’t even want to see ice cream or candy again because I’ve had my fill. Hopefully that was just the treat you needed to eliminate some cravings.
Kira,
You can choose any day of the week. I prefer weekends because that’s when birthday parties, football games, etc. tend to fall. You just have to eat well for 6 days and on the 7th day you get to cheat.
Dave
Once I have the Chinese food and pizza I’ll be good.
John,
I’m sure we could have some great food discussions! I actually haven’t had Chinese in a while…just the other night had a great pizza from Sal’s though, home of the 3lb pizza! Enough about that though, I don’t want to throw you off your routine.
Dave
Curses! I love Sals. Did you down a whole pizza???
Dave,
Quick question…since I work out in the morning and do IF until lunch (so no breakfast M-F)…and also eat a low carb diet overall…won’t my body respond to my workout by killing the fat to replace the carbs in my muscles since I don’t eat until 5 hours after I workout, and even when I do it’s low in carbs? I only ask as many things I read say to eat your carbs after intense exercise…which makes sense, but wouldn’t that slow down fat burning by giving the body what it needs to replace the missing carbs without tapping your fat stores?
John,
A lot of points to make here so I’ll try not to over complicate things. First, the type of workout you perform matters. If you do low intensity cardio, your body basically stops burning fat when you stop moving. If you do high intensity cardio or weight training, your body increase HGH levels which allow you to burn fat and preserve muscle. These HGH levels stay elevated until you eat but gradually decline over 1-2 hours. Additionally, intense exercise leads to EPOC which allows fat burning to continue for a long time after you finish exercising…some people say even more than 24 hours.
As for carbs, you’re right. With a low carb approach, you enable your body to burn fat without first burning through the carbs. However, the missing component here is preservation of muscle mass…if that’s important to you. If you exercise intensely and don’t feed your muscles, then you’ll burn both fat and muscle. After intense exercise, your body is primed to absorb carbs and protein, ideally together.
So my preferred approach is to perform fasted workouts, wait 1-2 hours to maximize the HGH release, and then have a combination of carbs and protein.
Does this mean you’ll definitely lose muscle if you wait longer than 2 hours? Absolutely not. It’s just something to be cognizant of.
Make any sense?
Dave
Yes that makes sense. So since my first meal is at noon and I workout at 5:30am each day (intervals)…am I doing more long term harm than good by not eating for almost 6 hours after a workout? I know Eat Stop Eat tries to dispell muscle loss when fasting and working out. On weekends I do eat breakfast within an hour of working out.
John,
Like I said, it can be a toss up. I definitely think eating after weight training is important…cardio may be less so but that’s just my experience. ESE does discuss fasting and exercise but that’s with a system that only includes fasting twice per week. I’d use a little more caution when you’re fasting every day until noon. Still, just keep an eye on things…if you’re not getting weaker in your lifts, you’re not losing muscle.
Dave
Well it happened…not sure what came over me but I had a “small” binge out of no where after dinner. I had a usual “good” dinner…two 1/2lb grass fed Buffalo patties with cheese, some snow peas, and a few FiberOne bars. Fast forward five minutes and the simple act of opening the fridge to put the water back led to me eating two Reeses Big Cups and 1/2 a bar of 85% dark choclate…and a handful of the kids pasta. Seriously Dave, no lie it was like I lost control. Never felt like that before. Sure it was an unexpected ~700 calories or so, but I am still under my maintenace for the day…I felt a little bad about it at first, but now I don’t. Whatever that was, I needed to get it out of my system. This weekend though both my dinners will be loose…no kids tomorrow night so going out for Italian…and Sunday is the day I promised to get rid of the Chinese urge. So the day has been marked…11/11/11 is the day I finally “broke” after a little over 10 months of no cheat meals and a strict diet.
John,
It’s amazing that you made it 10 months being so strict. Our bodies are hardwired to want what they can’t have which is why restrictive diets are so challenging in the long term. After this weekend, get right back on track. As long as every day isn’t a cheat day, you’ll be good. I’m glad you got it out of your system!
Dave
Funny I woke up this morning and felt twice as hungry as usual…coincidence? I decided to only have one “splurge” dinner this weekend instead of two. My workout was really good this morning though…set a new (albeit small) record on the Airdyne.
John,
I’d say the hunger could be related to two things…one, if you haven’t had a lot of refined sugar in a while, you forget how addicting it can be. The more sugary snacks I have, the more salty snacks I want. The more salty snacks I have, the more sugary snacks I want. And the cycle continues…
The thing is that your body just might feel like it’s supposed to eat more food, more often after a cheat day. That’s why I like fasting days to get myself back in line. Intermittent fasting should condition your body to go without food for hours if necessary.
Glad to hear the morning workout went well…maybe the benefit of some extra carbs from the day before?
Dave
Perhaps! Just did my weigh in today (every Sunday after my morning workout)…down 4lbs this week to 204lbs…almost below 200lbs! Can’t believe it…hoping I can break the barrier a week from now at the next weigh in.
John,
Congrats on another successful weigh in. Skip the cheat day this week and I’ll bet you break through 200. Then just cheat when you feel like your willpower is breaking, no more than once per week.
Dave
More motivated now than ever…the end is near…hoping to be in maintenance mode by the New Year. Life works in strange ways…I am sure even though I want 4lbds I will get 3.99lbs…HAHA.
John,
Sounds like an excellent goal. Just be sure to enjoy the holidays a little bit…and hopefully you’ll be able to enjoy New Year’s a lot.
Dave
Thanks. I am sure I will be bothering you for maintenance mode advice when the time comes.
I know I plan to not workout everyday (cut down to 5 days a week)…and eat more. 
And you’ll be shocked to see that you still make progress despite the lighter exercise schedule and less strict diet!
I hope you are right about that! I really do. I’ll let you know how next week goes…and, of course, when I get to my goal.
Well almost mdde it…weigh in today and down to 201.4…was hoping to be at 199…now that puts the pressure on to make the goal during a holiday week. Bad timing for sure!
John,
Maybe it’s bad timing or maybe it will be that much sweeter if you break through the 200 mark despite Thanksgiving!
Dave
Yeah…not going to stress about it. Worse case, I’ll get it the week after.
I did have a splruge day yesterday…at my usual good stuff but added a muffin for breakfast…and a barrage of classic junk after dinner…candies, some Fritos (been craving those) and some ice cream. It was darn good.
…on the heels of that food, I am trying my first 24 hour fast today (well, 22 hours actually). I usually skip breakfast each day and start at lunch for a M-F 18-hour fast, so going until 6pm or so is new to me. I feel a little hungry but not starving.
This is perfectly tailored for me. I don’t mind being on a strict diet as long as I know I’ll be able to indulge my need for some junk from time to time.
Actually, I believe that this way will make me do it less frequently as I can wait for the scheduled day. Excellent!
I find that to be true. I feel a little guilty afterward, but it does “re-motivate” me to workout/eat better for the rest of the week.
John,
Hope the fasting went well. In the next few days, I’ll be writing another post about its benefits so keep an eye out.
Lily,
That’s the key to a successful diet…not feeling like you’re restricted! We all need to indulge from time to time.
Dave
I never did a fast that long and I didn’t even feel hungry…I was a little tired, but not hungry. Surprised…it was 6 hours longer than I usually do. I am back to my 18 hour M-F now (no breakfast). I will try another 24 hour maybe after Thanksgiving. Looking forward to the article and will check in on Sunday.
John,
Great to hear you successfully fasted for 24 hours. Just make sure to avoid the temptation to overeat before and after and you’ll be golden. I just posted a new article about intermittent fasting. I highly recommend downloading and at least skimming the free report offered by Dr. John Berardi. Have a great guilt free Thanksgiving!
Dave
Thanks. I will look for your new article. I ate normally for dinner and that was that…I know in Eat Stop Eat, Brad stresses not to reward or overeat after the fast and just eat as normal.
Bummer. Had my post-Thanksgiving weigh in and actually GAINED 3.8lbs in one week…not sure how this is possible. I stuck to my usual strict diet and exercise all week, but did enjoy myself a bit for Thanksgiving dinner and after dinner the next day (a few pieces of pumpkin pie, some cookies, and chips). I fasted 24 hours on Wednesday and on Saturday too. I expected to not lose as much or break even…but almost a 4lb gain???
John,
Maybe it was too much enjoyment at once. It’s also possible you’re retaining a lot of water because of all the carbs you ate. Stick to your normal routine this week and you might be surprised at how fast that weight comes back off.
Dave
Dave,
Thanks. I acutally took another path…slowing down and I have been much happier (and have more energy so far). My new schedule is:
M: 20 minute bodyweight/dumbell/medicine ball circuit (2×10 minute drill)
T: 20 minute intervals on bike or rower (4-3-2-1 exertion times in minutes)
W: 20 minute bodyweight/dumbell/medicine ball circuit (2×10 minute drill)
R: 20 minute intervals on bike or rower (4-3-2-1 exertion times in minutes)
F: 20 minute bodyweight/dumbell/medicine ball circuit (2×10 minute drill)
Sa: 20 minute intervals on bike or rower (4-3-2-1 exertion times in minutes)
Su: OFF
So as you can see, I am adding a rest day in finally…and not doing daily intervals (which I think was causing my cronic light-headedness and overall lack of energy). Of course, every few weeks I plan to shake it up…like change the interval times and intensity on those days…and change what bodyweight exercises I do on those days.
My diet is still strict, and I am now doing this:
M-F: Skip breakfast, eat a 500-600 calories luch and a 1,000-1,200 calorie dinner
Sa-Su: a 400-500 calorie breakfast, a 500-600 calorie lunch, and a 1,000-1,200 calorie dinner
So I am still eating below RMR (which is around ~3,100 calories a day when you factor in activity).
With this plan, I can continue to lose weight (albetit slower than before) but not be killing myself in the process.
John,
Looks like a great long term approach. If you ever need to slow things down a bit more, you could combine your workouts and just do 3 days of 40 minutes. This is very similar to the Turbulence Training approach. So you’d do intense bodyweight circuits followed by intervals. That would give you a few more rest days but obviously require more time on workout days. Diet sounds great…remember it’s OK to cheat every now and again but don’t do it multiple days in a row.
Dave
Thanks Dave. Funny I’ve been so obsessed with losing weight I didn’t realize I more than exceeded my goal, but also lost a lot of muscle. I saw a picture of myself from the weekend and I could see it…bony, almost too skinny in some areas, not so much in others…didn’t look right. So I want to focus more on resistance-type training and lessen my intervals to 3x a week. I already feel better overall…more energy during the day, etc. My old routine was affecting my family as well…I was always lacking energy and “grumpy” due to food restrictions. You know how it is with a family…you have to do the right thing. I am looking forward, also, to having Sundays off…not having to workout first thing in the morning. As for cheat days, I agree…however I am going to hold off for at least 2-3 weeks while I get use to my new routine and monitor my progess. Dave, you’ve been such a help through all of this…thank you.
Dave,
I had a quick question…well two…knowing my new routine and based on your experience:
1. How often should I change up my bodyweight/dumbell/medicine ball routine?
2. When doing the internal 3x a week…and knowing I have a bike and a rower…how often should I change them up? Should I simply alternate them each time I do my intervals…or stick to one for a week (like the bike), then next week do all rowing? Does it even matter?
Thanks.
John,
I think changing a routine every 4-8 weeks is ideal. For interval training, I’d probably just alternate to keep your muscles fresh. I don’t think it will make much difference if you do all one week and then another but for variety it would probably be best just to switch one workout to the next.
Dave
Thanks Dave…that’s what I figured and has been what I have been doing…one day bike, next rower, etc. I find that each has their own advantages. I rowed in college so I am partial to the rower…I know it’s a full body, hard workout…I alway feel good when I am done and I know I burn decent calories on it. On the bike, however, I definitely feel a burn more on my legs and it gets my heart rate up higher than I can on the rower.
John,
You have all the knowledge…just keep applying it!
Dave
Wow…Dave I am down 7.2lbs in one week after last week’s gain…I went from 204.8 to 197.6! All this doing LESS working out (per my new schedule above). just 20 minutes a day…and taking my first offical rest day (today) since January 7, 2011 when I started this journey. Can’t believe it!
John,
Excellent to hear things are headed back in the right direction. I had faith that you would get there. Now you’ve found a routine you can stick with and still lose weight…just don’t expect 7lbs every week! Resting is certainly a good thing as well, especially when the Pats are playing.
Dave
Thanks Dave…yeah I know that amount will likely never be seen again…water weight I am guessing from the week prior. In any case, I am very excited and more than reached this goal. Your help has been instrumental. As for the Pats, glad they won but surprised how close the score ended up being. I even had a few treats tonight and didn’t binge…back to my regular diet and exercise tomorrow.
Nothing wrong with a few treats…as long as it doesn’t lead to eating more treats. That’s the biggest problem with chocolate or cookies or ice cream…you can almost never really stop at 1 serving. Willpower is key in those situations. Definitely not happy with the Pats…1st and 4th quarters were terrible. Still, I’ll take the win and move on.
They are addicitive…just one piece of pumpkin pie and a small piece of pumpkin spice coffee cake…nothing compared to the Thanksgiving throw down…HAHA. You are right though…believe me I was tempted to eat more, or snack on something later, etc., but was able to resist. On to next week!
Hey Dave,
Go Pats!
Quick question…as you know I’ve gotten below 200lbs and have been in maintenance mode for several weeks now (recent weigh in was 199lbs, from 197lbs). Lately, I’ve been having incredible cravings for junk…worse than ever…I went from one cheat day a week (Sunday), to a few weekday midnight binges (where cravings for very specific items work me up…I’ve never felt so out of control). Anyway, I am not sure why this is happening. I’ve actually been eating more overall due to maintenance (still doing IF on M-F by skipping only breakfast)…eating a lot more healthy carbs too, like fruit, more veggies, rice, oatmeal, etc. Any advice based on your experience? Thanks! Also, still working out 6x a week (alternating resistance one day with bike intervals the next…no more than 20 minutes a day).
John,
We’ll have to see if the Pats can finally start winning in the post season again…I’m skeptical but optimistic.
I think this is an important time for you. A lot of people share the same experience as you…achieve their goals through calorie restrictive diets but then fall off the wagon and start gaining weight again. You have a couple options. One, refocus your efforts and set a new goal for yourself and go at it with the same dedication that you did 200lbs. Two, continue in maintenance mode but really stick to the one cheat day per week. Clear out of the rest of the junk, lock it in a cabinet, do whatever it takes to keep it out of your reach until Sunday. The biggest deterrent to losing weight is having those delicious foods around that cause cravings like candy, ice cream, cake, pizza, chips, etc.
Healthy eating is a great way to go. I would highly recommend raw carrots if you like them. Green veggies are preferred but can be pretty bland in my opinion. Great to complement meals but not much of a snack on their own. Carrots on the other hand are refreshing and really filling. Eating 100 calories of carrots should fill you up for hours.
The other consideration is that you might have to start exercising a little more to compensate for your increased eating. 2 hours per week is good but to continue dropping weight, you might have to up it to 3 hours per week. Maybe adding in 10 minutes per day and see if that helps.
Sorry for the long winded response. Hope I didn’t go too far off topic!
Dave