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The once a week tradition is for beginners that have not fully adapted into a fitness lifestyle. A lot of enthusiast partake in the same tradition, but it doesn’t include a 24hr period of gorging yourself of all the junk that’s missing. “Think of it like so” 1 slice of cake, per week. Now that’s not cheating at all.

“I know a story” of a professional female bodybuilder that had 1 twinkie included into her daily diet just to prove a point & yes she still won.

FYI: We can also over eat clean foods & still get fat “now is that cheating?” YES

Thanks for the encouragement! you guys rock :)

Frederick. ,,, zuzana i think it’s more easy for you
i mean i live with family ,, and they bring junk food 3 time aweek ,, honestly it’s little bit hard to just look ..

anyway i have cheat day with 2 conditions:
1- i didn’t eat more than 2000 cal (calories i burned each day)

2- i cheat just in dinner + one desert

I can’t talk for everyone else, because we all are different and some of us for example can’t imagine to give up on chocolate, some of us love ice cream or chips and the idea of giving those things up is almost scary. I am not scared of getting fat by eating sweets once or twice a week. I just don’t want to because I know that it is not good for me for other reasons as well. I also feel that I am becoming stronger every time I realize this and every time I choose to avoid food that is not good for me. It is just great to know that I don’t need it.

Haha :) yeah I guess that must be pretty hard. I think your cheating day is just fine and Akulas also gives and interesting example of a cheating routine :)

I think the idea of cheating is a bad way of thinking. I mean, if you desire to eat crap food and you are fighting yourself to not eat that bad foood it becomes are energy zapping battle.

For me, the more healthy I eat the less junk food actually appeals to me. My idea of a cheat day might be eat out at a cafe, but I would still be eating healthy – becaues it tastes so much better.

Everyone has the ability to change what they like. If you can like healthy food, and not like the junk food, ice-creams, etc – then there is no need to cheat.

Anyway, great work guys. Love the videos and blogs – very motivating stuff!

Thank you so much for this post!

Its is deferent for everybody, but I look at it this way. My body is a temple and it’s priceless.

Its is much harder if you have to do it on your own, but its more fun to involve and educate your family what is good for you and what is not.. and best think its to start with kids..

I did shopping today, and left the store with a big smile, cz I’m so proud of what I get in the store, Im proud to be a health nut !

I tried cheating days, and dont like it at all. I love to cook and my cooking is much better than hamburger or chips or ice cream…
And I eat 6 times a day, and I got get hungry and even idea that I need something super fat and sugary…

i have only one problem and its wine.. For about 2 week i did not have it and not planning to have any time soon…

Hi guys,

you are damn right about cheating days. Probably I’m one of those, who thinks that cheating days will make all diet routines little bit easier, but I was wrong. When I started to eat 1 meal on sunday for my pleasure usually it ends up with lot of food, because I can’t stop to eat sugar when I started ):

BTW, I would like to thank for your blog, indeed it’s very motivating and when I’m starting to give up, I’m coming to watch your videos 6 months ago and now. It’s great when I can see your results and expect the same on my own body (:

I think what I eat daily has been hurting my workout routines for the past 2 months. While I’ve had results, they aren’t as great as they could have been if I was eating “cleaner” as you said. Would the two of you mind doing an article on a weekly grocery list. Honestly, I have no idea what to buy at the market. Thanks!

Yes, I agree with Pamela that it is really hard to go to the market and purchase the right foods, especially for a beginner that is not used to eating very healthy. I am tight for money at the moment so I need to shop for “clean” foods that are inexpensive, and last for a while. An example of a typical grocery list would be very helpful. Also, I think a good idea for your site would be to come up with some kind of a recipe section where you can post a bunch of healthy meal ideas for us to try, as well as where we can share some of our favorite recipes with you.

~Nicole

Hi Katiara,

Im so happy to meet people with the same goals and thinks that they go thru.. My cheating day was over just for the same reasons like yours… Sugar was bad bad bad boyfriend of mine for a long time. And I finally realized to brake up with him;)))

Hi Nicole,
that’s a good idea. I will put something together.

Galina, its nice to know, that there is someone like me ((:

Personally I still don’t know what to eat after the gym, I’m coming back at 9:00PM and today I’ve eaten gelatin, I know that there is little bit sugar (carbohydrates) but it’s looked less harmful than fruit, nuts or any other heavier food, because gelatin in stomach comes in to liquid and it has only 80kcal.

P.s. my main problem is that I can eat only vegan food for a while (can’t eat animal’s proteins), problems with my health /; \; ): Zuzana, I would be grateful for any ideas d:

Thank you for sharing Frederick.!! :) This is more encouraging for me because i just luv sweets, especially chocolate omg but hopefully i’ll eliminate it as i go.

Katiara,

You have to give protein to your muscle after work out.. food 20 to 30 min after work out goes in to recover your muscle and not going to turn i to fat. And protein is a food for it.. Find vegan protein shake that low on sugar and carbs and after you get back home from the gym make your self a shake.. I work out in late evenings during the week and had the same problem. But I did a little research and find right protein for my self.. Dont be afraid to have protein before bed, we burn about 100 calories in one hour when we sleep and by 3 am your body is starving and start eating your hard earned muscles…
So my big recommendation find a right shake with about 100 to 200 calories and drink it right after work out;) thrust me you will not feel guilty by giving right food to your muscle;)

Have a good weekends, and im on the way to spend a few hours working out on my legs..

Zuzana I have a question. How often you work on our legs, once a week? or twice??? Im not a big fan of working out on my legs and need to find a good approach to work out on legs…

Help;))))

I am working my legs 2x per week with weights and 4x per week with my own body weight. By the way thanks for sharing your tip.

Super! next week i will try to brake my legs work out…. I just love to cycle and my legs feel super have after leg work out for few days, and I slow down on my cardio… For now Im doing a bit more than normal, but in about two month I will slow down to 3 times a week….
And I love to share anything I know :) you have been big help in my transformation;))

hello zuzana
i have a little problem :S
i can’t stop snacking!! even when im not hungry and i tell myself dont do it! i still do!!
i don’t know how to stop its like an addiction
i eat when i am bored and then i feel so bad that i just go out and rollerblade for like an hour
HELP!!
please
Phoebe

I wish I could help you :) but this is something you have to overcome yourself. For Frederick it was hard to give up on junk too, you can read his article about the changes he made to his diet. Maybe it will inspire you. Good luck!

Oi Zuzana,

I hope you are not tired of my poems on your blog:)

I think i know the reason why most of the people have a hard time to stay away from junk food and not eating right…
I change my way of eating and I eat every two hours. And every meal have to have protein, no must have protein. Having very good breakfast is most important meal of the day, its set your nutritions for the day and helps with cravings thru the day, having a oat meal or any kind of good carbs is a best beginning for a day (its like that spark, when you start your engine on a car)… When you eat every two hours you give energy to your body, so body does not have to store fat. You speed up your metabolism and body starts learning that you are giving a fuel to to your body and body can burn your extra fat with out problems… When you eat only tree time a day, your body start thinking “Oh my G, i will not get food for a long time, next time I eat I will store all the fat for emergency”… And here why you must eat every few hours and eat right…

Ok i think i just burned 100 calories from typing;))) LOL

Very good, thanks for this comment. That is what I like. This is great explanation and it is simply put that everyone can understand. So thank you Galina, you are one of those people who are trying to really help instead of confuse the rest of us with expressions that we have never heard before :)

galina

how old are you ??

im turned 30 lust year and wish had idea about healthy life style before, but it never to late start new life style and in a better shape i get, I look much younger;)
why would you ask? ;)

just curiosity

i saw your bicture in your blog ,, you look younger

Thanks;))

Could you please provide a link for where you explain more about the “clean eating”
Thanks

I’ve definitely used the “cheat day” system for years now. I know it’s a “step back” but man do I love it. It gives me something to look forward too and something to make all the work worthwhile. If you can’t enjoy the things you love in life then what’s your purpose? I love food and on my day, Sunday, I get out all the urges and temptations I was craving during the week and most of the time I feel like crap afterwards and don’t want to look at unhealthy food till the next week (funny how that works).

I usually follow it up with a very low carb day on Monday (just eating carbs with breakfast and post-workout) to somewhat make up for it and always get in a full hour cardio session of sometime. There are weeks where I’ll expand my eating clean schedule past a week (like if a holiday or special occasion is coming up) to prevent me from binging twice in one week. But at the end of the day I love food and in my opinion hard work deserves a reward. But the real benefit of utilizing a cheat day is to keep you from breaking down and getting burned out on a health kick and throwing it all away.

Hey Zuzana!
First off i just wanted to say that I love your website! =) It has so many good points and information that is really hard to find all together on one website.
Well… your dairy queen thing at the end really seems like it was there for me because i just got my first job there. haha The temptations are horrible. =(

But when i started high school a few years back i started to gain weight. I was always considered a really skinny girl but as time wore on i started to gain weight considerably. I will confess that my eating habits are not great though. And that is probably because of the “cheat days”!

I am a runner (cross country, track) and one year i had a really bad break in my ankle that caused me to miss each running season. And that was definitely the point where i started to gain. The areas that i seem to gain weight the most are: STOMACH!, butt, thighs, arms, =(

Another problem that i cant seem to find on your website is how to deal with cellulite. =O i hate the stuff. It is soooooo annoying! I never used to have it. =( But i have heard that to get rid of it you need to eat right. NO JUNK! And thats the cause of it. But this is just so hard for me. Eating right i mean. I used to have a fast metabolism but now it seems to be slowing down more and more each day!

Thank you so much for all the tips and info on here! But i have a few questions for you. How long did it take for you to get your abs? Or have you always kind of had them no problem at all? Have you ever had cellulite? And if so how did you deal with it?

Thank you again!

Hi Carla, I got my abs first when I was 17 and I have developed them quite fast. Every healthy person can do that. I had cellulite, but I don’t have it now. The amount of cellulite depends on your genetics and body fat percentage. Focus on fat loss and strength training, follow the clean eating diet, stick to small portions, eat 5-6 times a day and you will get results. I know that this might sound too simple, but it actually is very simple. The only thing that stays in your way is yourself. As you said, you know that you shouldn’t be eating junk :) all you need is to be strong and go after your goal and be consistent.

Thanks Zuzana!
Your advice is going to be very helpful in the future!! Thank you so much! Im looking forward to losing the weight! =)

Thanks Zuzana!
Your advice is going to be very helpful in the future!! Thank you so much! Im looking forward to losing the weight! =) And thank you for answering my questions.

Hello everybody.

Eating healthy is a way of life. But what’s more important is to have balance. It’s equally bad not to eat the piece of cake at the party like Frederick mentioned, as it is to eat the whole cake.
I do think eating clean is good, but hey…who doesnt enjoy eating tacos or a bigmac with fries, or going to outback and order shrooms….
At the end is all about balance, equilibrium.

Hold on. An entire day of cheating?!?! That’s insane. I have a cheat meal. One. Meal. Not every week but not a cheat day. Then it’s business as usual after that.

A whole day of cheating would be crazy. I don’t see how anyone could do that and still get anywhere. One meal (or just one item- say a dessert you like) per week is more than enough.

The thing is, the healthful foods are very tasty and satisfying too. It’s just that salt/sugar combinations are addictive (chips, cookies, tacos, etc). Lean meats, fresh veggies, plenty of water- those things are refreshing, energizing, and satisfying. To some extent, we just need to “un-condition” ourselves from liking the crap that we grew up eating. We are designed to eat natural, fresh foods. Ever see a cheetah or gorilla eat doritos? No- that is a bizarre human invention.

Because of my specific diet and my need for more nutritious foods I took out my “cheat day” and turned it into a “carb load day”. So I get to eat more veggies and fruits but more importantly I get to have my “healthy” pancakes in the morning. hehe. Must have the pancakes! Good article. I believe that with any “bad” foods that have been created there is always a healthier alternative. If you want ice cream get the soy ice cream or rice ice cream. If you want pizza get whole grain crust with healtier toppings. etc. etc.

Nothing tastes as good as the way being thin feels.

Hi Frederick and Zuzanna,

Thanks for yet another great post! You know, I have a friend who follows the philosophy, “If you want to be a lean piece of meat, you have to eat a lean piece of meat. If you want to be soft and fluffy, then you can eat soft and fluffy foods”. I think that pretty much sums up what you guys follow.

I have a question regarding your clean eating. Are you still eating meat/poultry/fish? If so,do you buy only grass fed/wild raised? I’m curious whether you have to deal with things like that, because farm raised fish and corn-fed livestock is so much cheaper and readily available, it’s so much harder and more expensive to truly eat clean food. I’ve been reading a lot about where our meat comes from: how the cows/fish/poultry is raised in the United States and what they feed it. It is TERRIFYING. Americans are pretty much walking processed corn and our bodies are so filthy, it’s no wonder why we are getting so fat and fluffy. It’s even in our meat! I can go on and on. I read Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma” and it just opened my eyes about what I’m really putting in my body, even though here I am thinking I’m eating “clean” and well.

Wow, this is ALL VERY EXCITING!! I stumbled across the videos in YouTube but am THRILLED at all this discussion and how Zuzanna and Frederick are helping people!
I learned a long time ago that eating LEAN protein with healthy veggies, doing the 6 meals daily 2-3 hours apart – I can lose a pound a day easily.
As for cheating, when you see the pounds melting off, how can you THINK of messing that up??!! And believe me, it takes 3 or so days for the body to get back on track afterwards. And, agreed, a WHOLE DAY of it is LUDICROUS!! Barry Sears of “The Zone” said, though, you’re never more than ONE MEAL AWAY from getting back “IN THE ZONE” .. and that works with ANY kind of diet!
But, Zuzanna, I am confused also by what your overall strategy is on the “clean eating” and would like an article with the theory of the whole thing, and YES, the GROCERY LIST!!
I clicked, from YouTube to the site, trying to find the ingredient QUANTITIES for the Quinoa Salad and have not found that .. so, yes, the recipe section is surely a MUST, also!!
Thanks for letting me chat. My best wishes to EVERYONE who is sharing their positive energies here and may it return to each of you a HUNDREDFOLD!

I have been having this urge tonight for a nice burger king burger. Usually when I cheat it’s only one meal. Sometimes my body wants chocolate (always 70%+ cacoa), or fat or something. I just let it have it once, then I’m good for a couple of weeks. For that one meal I can forget about my strict dedication to a healthy diet and counting calories and portion control.

ohh n that cheating thing dont work that just makes u wanna eat the same thing a few day later. y not just eat what u like but make a smaller plate n eat frequently . u cant take out ur favorite foods out of ur diet but u can watch how much u eat n wut u eat . hey im duen it n its worken for me.n dont eat after 8pm

I agree strongly about this article.
I have experienced both the cheat once a week idea and the no cheat ever idea.
I lasted a successful half a year with no cheating and a happy, fit, healthy me.
Then, i read things about this whole idea that it was ok to cheat with one meal a week.
I decided to give up my hard work and try this stradegy.
I found i ended up craving these things more, and foudn it hrader to eat healthy the rest of the week. All i looked forward to was eating this one meal. I didnt enjoy eating healthy anymore and caught myself slacking off alot. Now i am stuck back at the beginning of my hard first two months of that half a year. I have gained weight, and atleast one size, even though i have recently been going to the gym consistantly for atleast a month.
For anyone who wants longterm goals of fat loss and a healthy lifestyle i recomend to not follow this cheating rule and tough out the first few months of your eating clean and eventually you’ll have great results and not even crave no-no foods.
I dont even like pizza or fries anymore! I get a sick stomach just smelling them!!

I totally agree with you Frederick! I find it easier (and healthier) to always eat clean, because at first i tried to have a cheat day or a cheat meal, but it only made it more difficult to set in the new clean eating habits, because every week or so, I would get a glimpse of how good some junk foods can taste, and it made me want to eat bad foods again. It felt like shooting myself in the foot, so I banished the junk food and now it’s been so long since I have eaten some that I don’t even want to eat any. A bit like I forgot it tasted good and now I just don’t miss it.

thank you for your awesome website :)

hi Zuzana
Do you consider Subway sandwiches as junk food?
I eat it three times in one week.

Hello Zuzana, how long did it take you to look the way you look?

I do not agree with cheat days. however i like to cheat. i usually eat clean but one day i craved for a burger king cheeseburger. I hate the trio with the nutritional information by my side. i realized how much calories i took, and how the taste was not that amazing. it was my last fast food ever. it’s good to cheat because you can learn that your body does not necessarly need fast food.

Wow, you people take eating and your bodies FAR too seriously. I understand eating healthily, but good god in heaven.

First I want to commend you guys on a great website! I have recommended it to many people. It is hard to find like minded people that share the same fitness workout/diet philosophies.

I have been working out for about 19 years and I am 39 now. I really got into figuring out what my body responds to as far as diet about 8-9 years ago. I stay lean all year by keeping a very clean diet throughout the week. Depending on what I have coming up I either cheat once a week (1 meal & dessert) or every other week. I absolutely love pizza, burgers and pastries, but I do have incredible self control;) Everyone’s body responds differently to cheats. If I jump right back on my regular clean diet the day after my cheat I can get the water and sodium out of my skin within a day or two.

I sometimes have a 1/2 cheat on a weekend I don’t want to go all out. I usually get salt free rice cakes and put pesto and mozzarella on top. Then heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds to melt the cheese. I love it and besides the sodium in the pesto I don’t feel it’s too bad.

take care,
Zach

The road to a heathly lifestyle can be a long one but the journey is worth taking. It is not about depriving your body but rather respecting your body and feeding it what it needs. I was once addicted to sugar but I learned that it was more of a mental challenge. Like Zuzana says you have to realize that this kind of food is not healthy for you. You deserve to eat great natural food. If you change your perception about food then you will not crave unhealthy foods. I like to say strong mind=strong body.

I think this statement is acceptable to say in your head when your craving junk food. But it can quickly become unacceptable when people use it before eating vital meals or foods, such as breakfast.

reading old entries – thank you for this article frederick, very eye opening!

These “cheat meals” are actually subjetive matters. What I mean by this is, that each body reacts differently to different foods, depending on when you serve them or what you serve. I noticed, that if I eat chocolate or something with a lot of calories, and then do a workout it almost dissapears, it doesn’t tranfrom into fat at all. But this is my body, I might be lucky, because even if I gained weight last year and now I am working in keeping my weightloss in balance, I was always the thin type.
And I do have cheat meals, once in one or two weeks… I don’t eat junk food at all (no Mc Donalds, no chips, no BK or KFC) I am done with those, by cheat meals I mean eating at restaurants or cooking pasta at home… Is that a cheat meal???

How come no one speaks about the quality of food? I mean to some people eatting clean means eatting things like fruit and veggies or whole grains but no one speaks about that fact that many of these foods in western society are GMO foods. If they are GMO then you might as well eat at mcdonalds everyday cause your not doing your body any favors. Eatting clean means not eattng over processed food. If you read the label and there is more then the main ingredient and salt then chances are its over processed. If you dont know the person who grew the food, be it meat or plant, then you need to find a new source to buy your food from unless you live in a country where GMO is illegal and no animal is given hormones and antibiotics as they grow. If you live in a western country you really need to take this seriously and also get rid of flouride and stop taking vaccinations. I cant even believe this cheat thing is taken so seriously its simple, do you care about what you put in your body and the bodies of those you love?? Yes or no??

I agree with you… Nothing happens if you cheat one day… But in the other hand, nothing happens if you don’t. So, I preffer to keep my diet as healthy as always everyday.
I’m not a fan of junk food. I really don’t enjoy to eat burgers or fry chicken or anything like that.Well, except for the pizza. I’m a huge pizza lover (there was a time when I ate home made pizza almost everyday for the dinner!!) and I guess I’ll always be. But now, I don’t eat it very often (maeby, two slices every 3 or 4 months) and that makes the experience more special for me.
Anyway, I preffer to do the things right. I don’t need to cheat (I love to cook, so I’m always trying new and delicious dishes) and my body doesn’t need it either…

hi i totally agree with everyone who doesnt believe
in the cheat days. i believe it sabotages all the hard work
being fit and eating healthy shouldnt be like
a challenge for one week and then gorge on your cheat day
its just a choice we make to eat healthy and exerise everyday for life. its not lose the 20lbs then just eat whatever u want after. its a way of life
deciding to feed your body veggies and fruits and no processed foods and junk unreal food. chemically made food
there will be birthday parties and bbq but u can bring a veggie burger, a veggie platter, fruits
have a tiny portion of birthday cake ,
i love food just as much as the next person and i do fight it everyday to not eat when im not hungry, i eat 6 small mini meals and it really helps fight the cravings. if i dont eat junk i dont crave junk simple as that
someone asked for a grocery list
just buy fresh fruit and vegetables
if u drink milk try skim milk or 1%
eggs
whole grain bread pita
humus is very good. unsalted nuts
whole grain crackers. balsamic vinegar
olive oil soo important. u dont need mayo or ketchup
or any salad dressings u can make your own
buy delicious spices cumin, coriander, garlic , ginger
i hope this helps someone what else.
chicken . cans of beans there are soo many different kinds
i search the internet for cool recipes from exotic places all the time.
dont buy any junk , no chips, cookies non of that stuff
and u wont have it at home to eat it
and if u are going out and want to not eat out. eat before u leave. put an apple in your purse . guys i dont know where u can put food hahaha in your pocket
what else do i do. i chew gum it helps keep a snackers mouth busy.

I was taught by my mentors in Holistic Nutrition, 80 % of all diseases in the world are due to what you do or don’t put in your mouth. The rest is by accident or birth. It is so true, you can put crap in and hope your genes are resilient enough… or make wiser choices and have a better chance at surviving in a world where “everything” causes cancer ;). The same 80/20 rule applies to results in your body. It’s 80% what you put in your mouth and 20% what you do in the gym.

I gave up cheat days years ago. Now I have a slightly different approach. I don’t change what types of foods I eat (unless it is a special occasion: B-day, holiday, special dinner) I only change the amounts. I try to give myself one day a week were I increase my calories consumption a good deal. Relax, most of it is extra fruits veggies and maybe an extra serving of oatmeal. But I feel like it does my body good. I feel so energized the next day :)