Can I Get A Burger...Fries...

"Can I get a burger, fries..?" For those of you who don't know the quote, it is from a commercial in which the actor Shaun Weiss who played Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" and Josh in "Heavyweights" is ordering fast food. He is was one of my favorite childhood actors and played in many of my favorite childhood movies. There is a picture of him below. He unfortunately hasn't done much since his teenage acting days…Anyways as you know I believe strongly in eating healthy especially during weight loss or any type of physique transformation. Sticking to a diet filled with lean proteins, healthy fats, and low glycemic carbohydrates can help you shed pounds of fat or add pounds of lean muscle. Achieving this takes time, discipline and consistency. The longer you stick to your diet and exercise plan the better. Now although it would be ideal to eat the healthiest foods 100 percent of the time, most people including myself would have trouble doing so. I mean don’t get me wrong I enjoy chicken breast and broccoli, especially with some seasoning and a bit of olive oil, but it isn’t the type of meal I want to eat everyday for the rest of my life. I want to enjoy food with friends and family at dinner, tailgates, parties, barbecues, fairs, and the movies. I don’t always want to be the one ordering a lean cut of meat with vegetables cooked in no oil at restaurants or the one sipping on water at parties and other social events. Most of the time this type of lifestyle is great and helps me stay especially lean, however there are times when I want to have funnel cake at a carnival, popcorn at the movies, and wings and beer at a cook out. That’s why I believe strongly in sticking to your diet 80-90 percent of the time (depending on your goals) or allowing yourself a cheat meal or cheat day.

When I say cheat meal I mean eat anything you want. Whatever you crave the most!

Concepts such as these make losing and maintaining weight possible and allow people to enjoy life while being healthy. You may have these meals mid week at an office party or on a weekend barbeque or dinner. The biggest problem I have found with this strategy is not the impact of the meal on people’s physiques, but on their minds. Most people, me included, are left feeling extremely guilty after indulging during this time away from healthy eating, but the truth is that if you are sticking to your diet 90 percent of the time this occasional indulgence will have little if any negative impact on you physique. In fact, I have found that most people benefit from this meal, especially those who are on the lower end of calories for the week. Honest to God after my first cheat meal I lost four extra pounds the next week. This meal for many low calorie dieters can positively affect the metabolism and even help your weight loss efforts.

Tell me you would say no if she handed you a burger....I thought so

A great strategy for those who can’t take the guilt after eating astray is eating nothing but lean protein and vegetables (No other carbs) three days to a week before a cheat day. By eating vegetables as your only source of carbs you ensure that you are in the fat burning zone because your glycogen levels will be low. (Read my “Don’t Fear Carbs Post” to learn how low glycogen leads to fat burning - http://www.aryafarzin.com/2009/04/dont-fear-carbs.html) Going into a cheat day or meal with low glycogen levels ensures that most of the food you eat will be used to fuel your muscles rather than stored as fat.

Brady Quinn EAS Commercial - The funniest home videos are here

"Brady Quinn doesn't waste his workouts". He makes the most out of them by drinking EAS Myoplex!...Now hes done! (Matt Hasselback was better) Make the most out of your next workout with some hot wings! Ok maybe not, but take advantage of the state your body is in after an intense workout to minimize the damage of a cheat meal.

Another great time to eat your cheat meal is right after anaerobic exercise such as weight lifting, High Intensity Interval Training, or body weight circuits. I hate to admit it, but B-Quinn was right in drinking his Myoplex 30 minutes after his workout. Unlike aerobic exercise anaerobic exercise burns glycogen rather than oxygen for energy, which leaves your muscles hungry for fuel. This leaves you with a 30 -60 minute “window of opportunity” after these types of workouts where most of what you eat will be used to repair and refuel your muscles. The window will stay open for hours afterward, but the longer you wait the less effective your body will be at soaking up the nutrients from the food you eat. The ideal meal for this “window of opportunity” is actually one consisting of little fat ,(fat slows absorption) a quick digesting protein such as whey or casein powder and a high glycemic fast digesting carbohydrate such as white bread or sugar to shuttle the protein and nutrients into your muscles. This is the type of meal most bodybuilders use to build muscle after their workouts. The point I want to make about the window of opportunity is that it is similar to the strategy of eating vegetables all week to deplete your glycogen levels, in that it is one of the best times to eat a cheat meal. These two strategies will ensure that your cheat meal or cheat day has no negative impact on your body and in many cases will actually benefit your body.


I had to throw in this picture of Shaun Weiss as Josh from Heavyweights.
"Step on the scale son!...Step off the scale son!" - For fans of the movie.