Tango87

I eat healthy about 6 days a week and one day a week I'll eat a bad meal or two. I do this because a good buddy of mine (who is big on nutrition and is a monster in the gym) told me taht it is always good to shock your system. He said that you do not want it to get used to eating healthy all the time because it will expect it and only will burn the amount of calories that you are newly taking in (i.e. if I have a bad day then my system will be like, "Hold on, he never eats this many calories, shit don't adjust yet body, this asshole is switching it up on us!"

What do you think? Any truth to it? Have you ever heard this theory? I have lost 30 lbs doing it but would I have lost 40 or 50 if I hadn't?

All_In

I've never heard of it. I think it sounds like it could have some truth to it, but I feel like more people would know about it. And what exactly does "shock" your system mean? Is that foods high in fat or just calories?

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HeavyRob

I've heard of this. Never heard any validity to it. I guess it makes sense in theory. I'd be up for trying it out or someone posting results if they try it out.

wukkadb

Here, read this. I doubt your body will get sick of all these varieties of healthiness: Click

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vaj3000

Tom Venuto talks a bit about this....something to do with bosting the metabolism.

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Sonnen On the spider
“If he wants to leave the division, leave the sport, who cares, Beat it, nobody tunes in to watch him anyways, and his little fake ‘I don’t speak English.

-GSP-

I disagree with that theory. Cheat meals aren't necessary. The stricter you are with your diet, the better you'll look and feel.

The best analogy would be avoiding drinking for six days every week to help the brain yet you ignore the seventh day by feeding your body alcohol in order to keep the brain guessing. Pure stupidity, from my perspective.

I'm no scientist or nutrition expert (yet, I am studying nutrition & exercise science once I get my general education courses out of the way) but that's just how I feel on the subject.

HeavyRob

hate to be "that guy," but I guess it really comes down to your definition of a cheat meal. I mean, this isn't something I'd do while training for a fight or marathon or something.

I just wish I could remember where I heard this before... someone pull a source and shut me up.

Flak

I do it. Sundays i eat a cooked breakfast with waffles and all, then snack on stuff i like throughout the day, and eat usually a hamburger/fries or wings for dinner. Beer is also liberally imbibed on this day. Sundays are also my rest day in the winter.

I don't care if it works or not, it helps me stay on my diet the rest of the week, and after gaining some weight in the off season, i've lost 18lbs since Jan 4th.

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Tango87

Thanks for all the replies guys! It's crazy to think that people have heard of it before.

Just whatever. I mean anything. Like I asked him if McDonalds was ok and he said that anything was game. I wouldn't get too crazy on it like eating pounds of fat laden food but I would kind of do what Flak said he does.

That was it I think! I think he said something about that too. Like I said, it did work for me or at least I still kept losing weight.

recon6991

I didn't read the link wukka posted, but just the logic behind it seems dumb. If you don't want your body to get used to a certain caloric intake, dont eat the same amount of calories, but a cheat meal is not the way to go about that. I don't follow a strict diet or anything (love bulking) but eating a cheat meal when your cutting for any purpose other then pleasure sort of seems pointless to me.

Read -GSP-s comparison for further info.

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