Cheating: an effective way to deceive excess weight. Cheating: is it worth using it or not? What is cheating and why is it needed?

Cheating during a diet, its varieties. Pros and cons of the loading day, rules and menu options.

Pros and cons of cheating in losing weight

Fans of computer games know very well what cheating means. This is the name for obtaining any advantages over other players by using appropriate programs or special actions. The word itself is borrowed from the English language (cheating) and literally means “scam, deception.”

What is cheating in weight loss? This is misinformation to your body when you allow yourself to eat a small amount of forbidden food during a diet. And such a planned violation, oddly enough, contributes to successful further weight loss.

Besides the fact that such deception of oneself and one’s body does not violate moral standards at all, there are several more positive aspects to it:

Psychological comfort. Those who are on a diet often have frayed nerves due to the desire to snack on something tasty. Planned disruptions allow you to avoid such worries, because you are confident that you will relax on the weekend.
No nutritional deficiencies. For normal functioning, the body needs various components and microelements, including fats and carbohydrates. Long-term low-calorie diets can be harmful to health precisely because of the deficiency of such substances. Cheating is the solution to this problem.
Eliminating the “plateau effect”. A loading day accelerates metabolism, and it becomes possible to avoid stopping weight loss, which is not uncommon even with the strictest adherence to a diet.
Possibility to extend the diet. Cheating, removing the monotony of the diet, introducing variety and psychological comfort into the diet, makes it potentially longer.

There are few disadvantages to a diet with planned loading days:

Risk of slipping. A rather serious disadvantage of food fraud during a diet is the risk of falling off it, forgetting about your desire to lose weight. The main thing is not to lose your head and remember: permission to eat whatever you want on a cheat day does not mean that you can eat it in any quantity.
Risk of overeating. The portion of high-calorie goodies should be small. In general, during such a busy day you can eat no more than 2500 calories, which, by the way, may seem insufficient for athletes, and for miniature representatives of the fair sex - too filling. It is important to remember that gluttony after a low-calorie diet can be harmful to health (the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and gall bladder will be disrupted).

Cheating days should be carried out regularly, and women also need to track the phases of the menstrual cycle. The fact is that the desire to eat something tasty in women is often associated with ovulation and the influence of hormones. On special days of the cycle, when the body needs fats and carbohydrates to form the so-called corpus luteum in the female body, it is difficult to tear yourself away from a dish of cake and a bag of French fries. But it is important to remember that the female body does not need kilograms of high-calorie food to function fully. It will be enough to eat something extra nutritious in a timely manner on the right day of the cycle.

Please note! During a cheat diet, any type of physical activity is not contraindicated.

Types of cheating

There are different approaches to how exactly and in what diet cheating days should be introduced. Here is a list of the most famous versions of cheating:

. The concept of cheating was introduced into dietetics in 2005 by the American Paul Rivas, who described its principles in his book “The Cheating Diet.” He developed a metabolic swing: a diet followed by days when you can indulge in excess. According to Rivas, for five days the diet should be low-calorie, with a reduced amount of carbohydrates (something like the Mediterranean diet). On the weekend you can eat whatever you want, cheese, ice cream, nuts, pizza, but within reasonable limits.
Bodybuilder cheating. In 2008, athlete Joel Marion described the carbohydrate slides he personally tried. According to Marion, backed by a lot of interesting medical facts he mentioned in his book Cheat to Lose Weight, you should follow a low-calorie diet six days a week and eat a variety of healthy foods. At the same time, you need to increase the amount of carbohydrates in your diet a little bit every day. The last day of the week you should relax, allowing yourself everything you love and delicious. Exercising with such a diet is mandatory. In 16 weeks you can turn from a chubby person into the owner of a magnificent athletic figure.
Classic cycle. It was developed by fitness trainers and nutritionists Heidi and Chris Powell. Their plan lasts for 3 months, during which you need to carefully count the calories you eat. The diet begins with a cheat day, when you can allow yourself anything for 2500 kcal. Then for six days in a row you need to alternate protein and carbohydrate days at 1200 and 1500 kcal, respectively. The seventh day is a loading day, 2000 kcal, after which the cycle repeats.
Hedonic approach. This cheating option was proposed by New York food blogger Marissa Lippert. In her opinion, you shouldn’t devote your life to eating celery. Her 8-week diet consists of low-calorie, but varied and tasty foods. Two days a week you can “sin” by allowing yourself something high in calories. But with one condition: don’t eat nasty things like chips, forbidden food should please both the eye and the palate: a wonderful dessert fits perfectly into her concept.

Basic rules for a loading day

Cheating has rules, following which you will be able to restrain yourself and not go wild, relaxing and forgetting about your desire to lose excess weight.

You can eat whatever you want, but remember that half of your daily diet should be vegetables, a quarter should be proteins (eggs, seafood, fish or meat), the rest should be carbohydrates (potatoes, cereals, baked goods, etc.). A prerequisite is to drink a lot, at least 1.5-2 liters per day.

The amount of food is within reasonable limits. If you want to eat a cake, then allow yourself not the whole cake, but one piece. During the day you should consume no more than 2500 kcal.

Terms - 48 hours, no more. This is exactly the period reserved for loading days in all main types of cheating. Usually the “belly celebration” is planned on the weekend.

Frequency - one or two cheating days a week, it depends on which diet option you have chosen. If the diet is short, then loading days should be arranged less frequently.

Sometimes it is difficult for those losing weight to stick to a diet, even if they have a cheat day ahead of them. And it happens that it becomes the cause of an unplanned breakdown. To avoid such problems, follow these tips:

Drink a lot. If you feel the urge to snack, drink water first; you may be confusing thirst with hunger.
Remove temptations. There should be no sweets, cookies, cakes or other forbidden joys left in your home. Buy goodies strictly according to plan on the day of cheating. Don’t go to the store on an empty stomach; try to plan your route so as not to encounter pastry shops, stalls with fresh baked goods, etc. along the way.
Brush your teeth often. After every meal and when you suddenly want something tasty - and purely psychologically you don’t want to stain your clean mouth with food.

Menu and examples of dishes for cheating

Undoubtedly, everyone’s taste preferences and forbidden foods that they crave on a diet are different. But having a ready-made cheat menu option, it’s easier to figure out exactly how to organize meals on a busy day.

Menu for loading day for 1 day

A cheat day menu might look like this:

Breakfast. Porridge that you love. Fruits or berries (apple, pear, orange, banana, kiwi, strawberry, grapes).
Lunch. A piece of chocolate, preferably dark.
Dinner. Green borscht, meat baked with vegetables.
Afternoon snack. A piece of cupcake or cake or a serving of ice cream.
Dinner. Fish baked with lemon and herbs. Vegetable salad with cheese (can be seasoned with olive oil).
Before bedtime. A glass of yogurt or kefir.

Remember! During the diet, drinking regular tea and coffee is not recommended; it is better to drink green or herbal tea. On a cheat day, you can treat yourself to your favorite drink, even a glass of good wine is allowed.

Cheating menu for the weekend

Here is an example of a cheat menu for the weekend.

Saturday:

For breakfast - oatmeal, seasoned with nuts, seeds and pieces of fresh fruit or dried fruit, a glass of yogurt.
For second breakfast you can eat candy.
For lunch - vegetable soup with meatballs and a piece of fish baked with vegetables.
In the afternoon, treat yourself to a serving of coffee with milk and a piece of your favorite pastry.
For dinner - chicken breast with a light vegetable salad.
Before bed - green tea.

Sunday:

For breakfast - buckwheat porridge, fruit salad, a glass of yogurt.
For second breakfast - a serving of ice cream.
For lunch - vegetable puree soup with garlic croutons, seafood salad, juice.
In the afternoon - cake.
For dinner - fish and mashed potatoes, fresh cucumber.
Before bed - an apple.

When developing a menu for yourself, keep in mind that during a busy day you can eat no more than 2500 kcal. That is, all planned products cannot be consumed in unlimited quantities. Calculate how much candy you can have in the morning so that you don’t end up with a piece of chicken the size of a match head for dinner, so as not to break your caloric intake.

Menu for the loading day for the week

This is a variant of the classic cycle menu, when protein and carbohydrate days of 1200 and 1500 kcal alternate for six days, and on the seventh day you can pamper yourself and increase the number of calories to 2500 kcal.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday (proteins, 1500 kcal):

For breakfast - buckwheat, rice or oatmeal (100 g) with nuts and dried fruits, a glass of kefir.
For second breakfast - any 2 fruits or a handful of nuts (or rye crackers prepared at home), green tea without sugar.
For lunch - fish (hake, cod, pollock) or meat (chicken, beef) fillet, steamed, boiled or baked, vegetable side dish without potatoes.
For an afternoon snack - any fresh fruit or vegetable, or a piece of bread with a piece of cheese and green tea without sugar.
For dinner - cottage cheese or boiled eggs or a piece of boiled meat.
Before bed - kefir or yogurt.

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (carbs, 1200 kcal):

For breakfast - muesli with honey, milk and dried fruits.
For second breakfast - an apple.
For lunch - buckwheat or rice porridge, vegetable salad, rye bread, or optional pasta seasoned with tomato sauce.
For an afternoon snack - any fruit.
For dinner - meat or fish, leaf salad.
Before bed - kefir or fermented baked milk.

Sunday, cheating (2500 kcal):

For breakfast - 2 pancakes with syrup and a piece of butter, 2 pieces of bacon.
For second breakfast - oatmeal with banana.
For lunch - 100 g of turkey with a vegetable salad of tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, bagel, cheese, mustard.
For an afternoon snack - a glass of yogurt, half a glass of raspberries, 30 g of salted crackers.
For dinner - chicken fillet (100 g) with rice and mushrooms, soy sauce, boiled egg, sweet pepper and onion salad, seasoned with olive oil.
Before bed - yogurt.

Know! Medical science claims that the Mediterranean approach to eating (promoted by Paul Rivas's "Trickster Diet") prevents cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Cheat diet results

What will the person who decides to follow a cheating diet get as a result:

. Moreover, it is significant, because you can follow a cheating diet for a long time, it is easily tolerated.
Diet variety. Whatever the fasting days of your diet, on cheating days you will get all the substances, vitamins and microelements your body needs.
Psychological comfort. The cheating diet allows you to lose weight without psychological discomfort, because on the weekend the cheater will have the desired busy day.
Metabolic swing. They deceive the body, and it does not give the command to make reserves. They also help to avoid the “plateau effect”, when weight, despite continuing dieting, does not decrease.

What is cheating when losing weight - watch the video:

Cheating in a diet is a planned failure when a person losing weight pampers himself, thereby allowing him to extend the diet longer, diversify his diet and significantly reduce weight without psychological discomfort.

Nobody likes cheaters! But what if the deceiver is going to cheat a little not in order to gain something dishonestly, but on the contrary - in order to lose it? When it comes to kilograms, the “deceptive” method of diet cheating is impeccable from a moral point of view and, judging by the reviews, quite effective. But what do nutritionists think about such weight loss?

It’s easy for cheaters to diet - they know exactly when the “holiday of disobedience” will come on their street and they can have a blast!

Cheating: cheating on a schedule

“It’s not difficult to deceive me, I’m glad to be deceived myself!” - Pushkin had no idea that the immortal lines of his love lyrics would become a vivid illustration of the emotions of a losing weight person who decided to cheat - an original method of “accelerating” metabolism.

The ringing word “cheating” translated means “deception, scam.” It is proposed to misinform your own body: cheating theorists are sure that if you have stopped losing weight, then you need to... start eating! It is advisable to eat more, and it is often recommended to indulge in completely non-dietary foods: pizza, buns, milkshakes. It is important not to delay the “belly celebration” longer than 48 hours (the main types of cheating reserve a weekend or one of the weekends for this purpose) and carry out it at regular intervals, no more than once a week or even less often.

4 purposes of cheating

1 With the help of a “planned breakdown,” you can avoid the psychological stress that often haunts women who are losing weight.
2 Reduce the risk of nutrient and macronutrient deficiencies (especially fats) characteristic of low-calorie and.
3 Eliminate the possibility of a “plateau effect”, that is, stopping weight loss.
4 Diversify your weight loss diet, making it less monotonous and potentially longer.

Why does the hormone make you angry? Because someone is starving

Judging by the reviews about cheating, the most attractive thing about it is the psychological aspect. seriously depends on the hormonal state and the phase of the menstrual cycle, and many people losing weight are familiar with the following situation: today you are cheerful and determined to eat only arugula until the end of time, and tomorrow the cake disappears by itself, followed by another.

Indeed, often it is not you, or rather, not all of you, who are to blame, but the mechanisms regulating ovulation.

It is so designed by nature that in order to form a full-fledged corpus luteum, the female body needs fats, and carbohydrates to maintain the optimal energy level of the process. It is this ancient call that makes us reach for the coveted forbidden bag of French fries, completely forgetting about the dream bikini and weeks of weight loss efforts.

Moreover, in reality, the body does not need kilograms of oiled potatoes, but, say, one additional egg yolk on the decisive day of the cycle is enough. However, if you are on a restrictive diet or experience hormonal imbalance, the process gets out of control, and you have to prepare for either the hellish torment of cravings for forbidden foods or the feeling of guilt due to relapse and overeating.

It is also common to feel a sucking emptiness in the stomach due to stress and lack of sleep, seasonal affective disorder (caused by lack of sun) and even gastritis and stomach ulcers.

Therefore, before you decide that a gastronomic “indulgence” in the form of cheating will allow you to better control yourself and lose weight, it is a good idea to at least see an endocrinologist and gastroenterologist.

An endocrinologist may also help you cope with the “plateau stage,” the nightmare of those who decide to lose weight. “Plateau” in one form or another is a side effect of almost any long-term diet. The reasons why the initially enthusiastically melted weight freezes at a dead point, or even begins to grow again against the backdrop of a meager menu and even intense physical exercise, are not at all mystical. Again, the responsibility lies with hormones that regulate cellular metabolism and manage fat reserves. Realizing that the recent menu is noticeably more modest than usual, and the accumulated fat is being used up, they decide that the “housewife” is in trouble and not only block the use of fat reserves, but with all their might they create new ones.

It is assumed that cheating deceives precisely this process: a well-timed “sip” in the form of a change in nutrition plan (for example, from protein to carbohydrate) or an increase in daily calorie intake lulls the vigilance of hormones.

They decide that the trouble is over, the body is fed again, and they can part with the fat. As soon as the metabolism senses a catch and gets ready to lock the bins again, a new cheating day will arrive. This is how supporters of “diet cheating” who fear a “plateau” argue.

Types of cheating: many options, the essence is the same

The idea of cheating as a kind of opposite to a fasting day is quite clear, but there are a number of practical approaches to it, differing in nuances. Here are the most common and popular of them.

Cheating Paul Rivas: "The Cheating Diet"

American obesity specialist Paul Rivas introduced the word “cheating” into the official dietary dictionary. Having published his instantly popular “cheater diet” in 2005, he became the first of a series of theorists and fans of the “metabolic swing”, proposing to “decorate” a low-calorie diet like , but with a reduced carbohydrate component, a “festival of disobedience” with pizza, peanut butter , ice cream, cheese and nuts. The duration of cheating on the “cheating diet” is two days off, during which the doctor recommends eating whatever your heart desires, but, nevertheless, controlling the amount of food.

Cheating Joel Marion: “Lose and good”

Cheating trainers Powell: “The classic diet cycle of protein-carbohydrate alternation”

This plan was developed by husband and wife team Heidi and Chris Powell, sports nutrition specialists, and is one of the varieties of the hyper-popular diet in the fitness community. The approach requires attention and calorie counting. “Classic cycle” - a plan designed for 12 weeks. Starting with a luxurious cheating day of 2500 kcal, when you can load up on whatever your heart desires, followers of the diet will have to alternate protein (1200 kcal) and carbohydrate (1500 kcal) for six days, to complete their shift with the seventh day, on which they are allowed to “eat” 2000 kcal from any sources. On the eighth day the cycle repeats, and so on for three months.

Cheating Marissa Lippert: “Life is too short to chew celery”

A food blogger and TV chef from New York City offers a hedonistic approach to cheating. Her original method is a typical “delicious” low-calorie diet, which is suggested to be followed for 8 weeks. Marissa promises that you will easily and happily lose weight if you eat light, varied meals, but at the same time allow yourself the “sin” in the form of a portion of your favorite and desired high-calorie food twice a week. “But let it not be crap from a vending machine, but the most beautiful cupcake in the world!” Lippert admonishes his followers. She also generously allows them to enjoy alcohol from time to time: maybe a lager or wine with plenty of ice.

What do experts think about the practice of cheating: expert reviews

Yulia Chekhonina, nutritionist, candidate of medical sciences, researcher at the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences: “If the diet is structured correctly, then cheating will not be needed”

Let's compare the cheating nutrition system with the basic scheme of one of them. It includes 3-4 protein dishes, 500 g of vegetables and fruits, 1 side dish of cereals, pasta, potatoes or pastries (only for breakfast, to choose from), 3 fermented milk products and a serving of soup . The list makes you happy, doesn’t it?

And at the same time, this set does not exceed 1500 kcal and replenishes the body’s daily need for basic nutrients. Such a nutritional system is quite comfortable, which allows you to follow it for many weeks and even months, and forms correct eating behavior. The same cannot be said about the cheating system. Needless to say, it’s a complete “scam”. Firstly, it is not clear what cheaters eat on other days, but it is clear that this diet is not suitable for them, since it legalizes and justifies regular breakdowns. If the chosen nutritional system is burdensome, it means that this diet is “not yours”, do not exhaust yourself!

The cheating system is like a swing - we lose weight for 4-5 days, bring ourselves to the point of breakdown with carbohydrate-fat “loading”, then for 4-5 days we get rid of its consequences. Isn't it easier to distribute all these carbohydrates throughout the week, one serving in the morning in addition to breakfast or as a snack 2-3 hours after breakfast? In such quantities, these calories will not be superfluous and will allow you to do without the eagerly awaited “load”.

In my opinion, the cheating system is an example of an eating disorder. Self-deception to justify inevitable breakdowns, so as not to be burdened by feelings of guilt. Such a diet undermines health in general and the digestive system in particular.

Natalya Fadeeva, nutritionist, endocrinologist, candidate of medical sciences: “There is a rational grain in this idea, but a better solution can be found”

Here we can draw an analogy with clothes: there is everyday clothing, which we wear on weekdays, and there is festive clothing, worn on a special occasion. It's the same with nutrition. The main task of food is to provide our body with all the necessary macro- and microelements, so we must eat a balanced and healthy diet. But, since many of us are accustomed to receiving pleasure from certain taste sensations, with which foods and dishes that are undesirable from a dietary point of view are most often associated, it is sometimes better to allow yourself to consume a harmful delicacy as a special occasion than to bring the matter to a breakdown.

I usually recommend to my patients that when a strong desire arises, they allow themselves to eat a portion of what they dream about and get rid of the obsession. But the “forbidden fruit” can be consumed no more than once a week, for example, on Saturday or Sunday, and then eat properly again. It is better if the treat is eaten in the first half of the day, and after that you can move more, go for a walk.

It’s still not worth it to eat “harmful things” the entire day specially designated for this. In this case, all efforts to lose weight during the week may go down the drain. But if you still decide to cheat and “load up” to the fullest extent of the program, it makes sense to make every effort to spend the extra energy that you received. The average calorie content of a piece of cake weighing 100g can be consumed with an hour and a half of brisk walking, an hour of active dancing, running, swimming, skating or skiing.

We already know everything about fasting days. Some even use it regularly in practice. But few people know that there should also be “loading” days. Only the most experienced weight loss fighters know about such days.
So that you can understand the essence of cheating, we will tell you an instructive story about naive weight loss.
Once upon a time there lived a girl, her name was not Olya or Sveta. Well, let's say Natasha. Not to say she was fat, but not thin either. She wasn’t very lazy, however, and she didn’t have much willpower. Once upon a time I decided: it would be nice to lose 5, and lo and behold, 10 kilograms. First, Natasha learned that she needed to cut calories in her daily diet. Her arithmetic was in order, so her weight dropped significantly. Until I stopped.
Then the girl remembered that she also needed physical activity - she began doing exercises and going to the gym 3 times a week. The kilograms flew away merrily... But not for long. After two months, the process slowed down. Natasha, not knowing what to do next, decided to eat even less and move even more. She became angry, had difficulty waking up in the morning and did not enjoy life.
Conclusion?
What happened to Natasha can be explained by anyone familiar with fitness. When our heroine reduced her caloric intake (by the way, it is strictly forbidden to bring your diet to below 1300 kcal per day!), the body had nowhere to take substances for life, and those reserves of fat that were deposited on the sides began to dissolve. The folds began to be spent on movement, mental work, and heating (it’s winter after all). And then the body got used to it and even got scared: was it the bony hand of hunger reaching out to Natasha? Isn't it time to burn reserves carelessly? The internal “storekeeper” cut down on consumption and the list of needs - the weight stopped decreasing, and from each piece received, a little bit was put into the body “in reserve.”
After Natasha started training, her metabolism was boosted, and the kilograms began to melt away again. However, after some time, the body adjusted again and stopped losing weight.
And now the continuation of the story...
Although Natasha stopped losing weight, she did not fall into despair. One day she heard about “cheating”. The word was intriguing, similar to something Italian (in fact, it is not even Italian at all, but English, meaning “deception, deception”).
It turned out that cheating is a nutrition system that includes so-called loading days.
Natasha learned that if you want to lose weight effectively, then once a week or two you need to spend a day in the “fat bar.” That is, sometimes you can eat whatever you want. Yes, yes, people with willpower, those who resist the desire to eat at night and the craving for confectionery excesses, sometimes need to shock their metabolism. So that the body does not fear hunger.
“What great advice!” – thought Natasha. She just unbearably missed cakes and pastries (it’s no secret that even the most resilient girls crave glucose). And then the birthday came. For four days, the girl ate everything in a row: first while preparing the festive table, then during a corporate party and celebration at home, then finishing off the leftovers in the refrigerator. Champagne, cakes, donated sweets, fatty salads, potatoes, juicy meat and a bunch of sandwiches... In general, after five days Natasha could not look at the food. And on the scales too. And all because in five days I gained as much as five kilos. Of course, after a couple of days, 2 kilograms disappeared on their own, but only three remained! “This cheating is nonsense. Provocation!" – Natasha decided.
Why didn't cheating work? Yes, because the girl forgot (or maybe didn’t even know) the main rules of cheating. But we know.
1. What to load
You can eat everything. The main thing is that the products contain less fat, more proteins and complex carbohydrates that slowly release energy (porridge, vegetables, fruits high in fiber). The menu should contain as little simple carbohydrates as possible, such as sugar, and lots and lots of water.
2. How much to add
If cheating lasts more than two days in a row, then you need to add about 10-20% of your normal daily diet. That's not a lot. Let’s say if your usual diet is 2000 kcal, then on busy days you can add another 400 calories to your meals.
If cheating lasts only one or two days, then you can safely increase your caloric intake by 1-2 thousand calories. This means that you can eat basically anything!
3. How long to continue
Nutritionists believe that loading days should “happen” once every 1-2 weeks, from 24 to 72 hours (the optimal average is 48). Duration is an individual value, since each organism has its own response rate.
4. What to expect from the download
The goal of cheating is to speed up metabolism and convince the body that there is no need to cut energy consumption.
True, in addition to physiology, there is also a psychological aspect. After all, as it happens with us: one gastronomic breakdown, and the feeling of guilt begins to mercilessly torment, and a small deviation from the diet turns into an incessant glutton. If this breakdown is planned, then the person does not feel unhappy and deprived, but remains well-fed and happy. And, in the end... nothing debunks the aura of desire around a box of chocolates more than trying to overeat on them if you basically can’t even see the chocolate!
Yes, cheating is a gentle and effective method. But only with a reasonable approach. Regular exercise, maintaining a diet and self-love - no one can cancel this.

Healthy eating means avoiding unhealthy but tasty foods. They are the ones you miss most often. And it’s because of them that you break down, finding yourself near the refrigerator at night, feverishly eating everything.

For those who want to bring their weight back to normal, but do not have much willpower, cheating is the solution to the problem. You know how it usually happens: you go on a diet for a week, then you break down and continue to eat as before, because you have already broken the rules of the game anyway.

So cheating is a planned diet violation that has a lot of advantages. You've probably heard about the benefits of a fasting day. One day during which you eat only fruits, buckwheat or, for example, drink kefir, helps your body cleanse and relax. This is true. But if your diet is already quite low in calories, you need not a fasting day, but a loading day. Thanks to him, you can indulge in such “bad things” as fried chicken or chocolate cake without a twinge of conscience.

Popular

There are two types of cheat meals. The first includes various foods that are useless for the body, but joyful for the soul: pizza, buns, soda, candy, and the like. The second is a healthy diet, but with increased calorie content.

Unfortunately, everyone who is or has been on the path to an ideal body has encountered the so-called plateau effect. You diet, exercise, but the weight doesn’t come off. Some time after a sharp reduction in calories, the body panics and begins to urgently stock up. You've probably heard stories about how girls, after strict diets, gain weight from an extra apple? The fact is that those who lose weight decrease their metabolic rate. The body does not want to give up those extra pounds and, after being released from the diet, it tries to put the maximum amount of fat in reserve, in case you decide to mock it again. Thanks to cheating, the body will think that everything is fine, that there is no need for “spare” fat. Metabolism accelerates again, and the weight gets off the ground again.

A cheat meal is also a psychological release. A planned violation of your nutrition system should not cause a feeling of shame or disappointment in your own willpower. On the contrary, you planned it, you act according to your plans, which means that everything is fine. Moreover, when you know that after a while you will be able to eat your favorite harmful foods, it is much easier to diet.

Rid yourself of sudden impulsive overeating. Do you see something tasty? Write it down in your plan so you don't forget, and eat it on your cheat day.
Do cheating once every two weeks or month.
After cheating, you need to immediately return to your usual diet.
Cheating lasts one day, during which you can eat whatever you want.
Schedule cheating days for holidays or according to your menstrual cycle.
Many people don't feel very well the day after cheating. This happens because for a long time you cleansed your body, fed it healthy and proper foods, and then filled it with a ton of “garbage”. To avoid possible stomach discomfort, prepare the food yourself or buy a truly high-quality one. Eat a bar of real chocolate, make homemade pizza.

You will be surprised, but if you adhere to a diet or proper nutrition, then on the day of cheating you will eat much less than you planned.

Text: Nastya Marzipan

Followers of the “cheating” method of losing weight do not consider themselves swindlers at all, because they are not going to acquire something valuable to the detriment of others, they are going to lose several kilograms of excess weight in such an unusual way. Psychologists believe that cheating can be called the most impeccable method of losing weight from a moral point of view. The main thing is that this method is effective and efficient, and how to achieve weight loss, through deception or hard work, is a purely personal matter for everyone!

What is cheating?

This is the name given to a new method of losing weight by “accelerating” metabolism in the body. Translated from English, “cheating” really means “cheating,” which is why the cheating diet is often called the “cheating diet.”

Each diet stops working at a certain period, the body gets stupor and the extra pounds don’t want to go away after those already lost. Therefore, a deceptive mechanism for losing weight was invented in which you need to start eating as soon as you stop losing weight while following a strict diet and heavy physical activity. Moreover, you need to start eating very high-calorie dishes, such as buns, pies and pizzas.

The whole point of the technique is that such “gluttony” should not last more than 48 hours. Cheating should be done once or twice a week and it is better to time the “days of gluttony” to coincide with weekends or holidays.

The main goals of cheating:

The risk of a lack of valuable fats, microelements and other nutrients in the body is reduced when a person sits for a long time on a strict low-calorie diet.
The diet you follow for weight loss turns from grueling and monotonous to varied. The diet is psychologically shortened in time, its duration is divided into separate phases.
When cheating, almost everyone adheres to a strict diet plan, since there is a “good reason” for the breakdown, and the psychological burden is reduced even on the weakest-minded “fatties.”
The most important advantage of cheating is that any diet comes out of the “freeze” phase, the barrier of stopping weight loss is overcome, and after a “planned breakdown” the person begins to actively lose weight again.

Why do diet plans fail, and how can cheating help?

Even the most determined women who want to lose weight “once and for all” often break down and break their diet plan for reasons beyond their control. And our hormones, which “manage” metabolic processes in the body, are mainly to blame.

Many women who are losing weight note that most often they “break down” on the days of the menstrual cycle, when the hormonal imbalance in the body is most significant. Only in the morning you were ready to eat only vegetables, and in the evening you are unbearably drawn to chocolates and cakes. Isn’t it true that many people are familiar with this situation during the onset of the menstrual cycle? The ancient call of ovulation forces hands to reach for buns and cakes so that the body reaches an optimal level of energy balance.

Thoughts about slender legs and bikini swimsuits completely fly out of my head. You need strong nerves to torture yourself with fasting on “days like these,” prohibiting your body from craving for nutritious foods.

Another reason for the failure of diet plans is stress, lack of sleep and seasonal lack of ultraviolet radiation (sun rays). At such moments in life, our body tries to “accumulate” energy for future use, you feel terrible hunger and are ready to eat, eat and eat...

Cheating helps control the emptiness in the stomach and easily copes with any long-term diet plan with the help of some “gastronomic indulgences”.

A side effect of any diet after a certain period of time is the “plateau stage”, when the body independently begins to decide whether you should continue to lose weight or stop. Hormones are activated, which believe that their “master” is in trouble and therefore look for additional reserves of the body to stop weight loss. Cellular metabolism is reduced to a minimum in order to “conserve” the remaining fat reserves in the body. Therefore, when you step on the scale, you notice that the kilograms have stopped “melting”, although the diet plan is strictly followed.

Cheating helps to “deceive” hormones, lulls their vigilance, and makes it clear that everything is fine with health. The fat blocking is removed and after a daily or two-day “belly feast”, strict diets can again be continued. Cheating gives a kind of “soup” to hormones by changing your diet plan for a short period of time. Hormones “calm down” and believe that they can continue to part with excess accumulated fat, since “the trouble is over.” As soon as the body realizes that it has been deceived and begins to “accumulate fat bins” again, the second stage of cheating will follow, and so on...

The most popular cheating methods:

Bodybuilder Joel Marion's technique is called "Lose and Good." He described his method in the book “Trick to Lose Weight,” which sold in huge numbers around the world in 2008. The technique consists of using the so-called “carbohydrate slide”, when six days a week you eat only low-calorie foods, increasing the amount of carbohydrate-containing foods every day, and on the seventh day you eat whatever you want, preparing your favorite dishes. Thus, within 2-3 weeks you can lose weight well if you simultaneously work out in the gym or go for morning jogging. Megan Fox and Chris Hemsworth lost weight using this diet plan using cheating.

Nutritionist Paul Rivas's method is called the "Trickster Diet." It is noteworthy that the concept of “cheating” was introduced into the dictionary of nutrition by Paul Rivas. He published his book in 2005, and after a short time it became a worldwide bestseller. In his cheating technique, the nutritionist advises making a “metabolic swing”, diluting low-calorie diets with food with a reduced carbohydrate component. This technique involves cheating two days a week to have “naughty holidays” by eating pizza, nuts, cheeses, butter, ice cream and other high-calorie foods. But at the same time, you should not overeat too much, controlling the food you absorb so as not to harm the stomach.

The technique of TV chef Marissa Lippert is called long and stiltedly, “Life is too short to constantly chew celery.” A popular chef suggests using cheating for an 8-week diet, also easing the severity of the diet twice a week. But she suggests not polluting your body with all sorts of fast foods and food from vending machines, and during the “holiday of disobedience” to eat cupcakes - tasty and nutritious. According to this method, you are allowed to drink alcoholic beverages in moderate quantities twice a week.

Coach Powell's method is a classic cheating cycle with counting the calories of food consumed. The diet is designed for 12 weeks. For six days, you need to alternate the consumption of protein and carbohydrate foods by day, and complete the weekly cycle by cheating with food for 2500 calories. Moreover, these 2500 calories can be obtained from any foods and dishes. Then the calorie counting begins again by day...

Nutritionists and doctors have different assessments of the cheating technique. Some consider it harmful to the body, others almost a panacea. But all pundits agree that relaxations during diets are necessary.

If during cheating you “loaded” your body with an excess amount of carbohydrates and fats, then in the next two to three days these calories can be easily used up by dancing, swimming, running, brisk walking, skiing and other physical activities with an active lifestyle. . Moreover, all nutritionists are sure that cheating is best done on weekends!

Photo source: depositphotos
October 27, 2015 I like: