Abs-Stomach Fat and Cheat Meals

I don't know that having a cheat meal "tricks" your body into doing anything. Cheat meals are simply a useful tool to keep you on track with a strict nutrition diet. This is a great link about how to successfully use cheat meals. http://scoobysworkshop.com/cheat-meals/

I do think it's true, however, from what I've read around here, that eating too little may slow your metabolism in such a way that you eventually reach a plateau. Many people have reported upping their calories - and I assume level of physical activity - to overcome a plateau. If you're eating a strict nutrition diet and not getting enough nutrients or calories, small cheat meals or snacks may help pad out those calories.

Edit: having a treat from McDonalds every once in a while is awesome

No. Cheat meals are for people who don't have the ability to control themselves or who haven't figured out how to have a healthy, balanced, sustainable approach to eating.

Read up on refeeds if you want, but you should be worrying more about a healthy sustainable diet and less about gimmicks and trickery.

Thank you everyone!

I think Subway is a treat meal for me, seeing as it has one-third of my daily carb serving in a six-inch sub. :P

I think I'll have a treat on occasion if I feel like it, but I'm not too sure about using it to get over a plateau still.

Why do you consider that a cheat?

But that's still well within your daily limit. I still don't see why it's a cheat. Cheating is about breaking the rules, no? You aren't doing that (as you said, it's 50g out of 170).

wow... ok, but that sounds like a rip-off of a cheat meal to me.

Oh, back to your original question...

If you aren't eating at least maintenance, then you aren't going to "trick" (or reset or whatever else) your body/metabolism/whatever into thinking/doing anything.

Hi All

My weight is 135 @ 5.6’ height-I’m a 47yr female. My problem area is around just below the waist only as far as fat. The waist is 27 and hips at about 36 but around the belly button is 30-31!

My goal is to lose it but want to firm and flatten with muscle the abs area.

I was on a combination of insanity and BBL workout schedule for 8 weeks. Taking in about 1200-1300 cal a day. Up to week 6wks no real fat lose results-- but my muscles were getting some tone and strength in legs butt and high waist. so I reduced cal intake to about 950-1000. Assumed about at least 339 cal burned each day exercising (energy was an issue for the insanity workout days). Last Thursday after about week and a half of doing this I weighed in at 130- so lost five pounds and lost almost 1 inch around the waist. After the weekend on Mon however I weighed in at 134-but don’t seem to have gained the lost inch back. I can only tell by how the clothes fit so it’s a little confusing. The calorie tool on this website really helped me identify that on weekends I am slipping by too much cal food intake and also I average about three to five alcohol drinks total over the weekend (wine with dinner or rum and seltzer) each drink is about 50-125 cal each so I didn’t assume it would hurt. But coupled with one high calorie meal on same day (cheeseburger etc) I think this is what is blocking my results. What do you think? I was under the impression taking a day off each week would not hurt results. I am thinking now to raise the cal intake to 1300 by incorporating protein shakes which will also add protein that I know I am not getting more than 20-30 percent otherwise, hoping to increase some muscle to cause more fat lost. Now do I also have to totally abstain from alcohol on the weekends? Or can I just be more strict about the one bad meal each Friday and Saturday when dining out?

Also I will be going to just doing another 4 weeks of BBL workout schedule as I think the insanity is too hard right now to keep up with until I’m stronger 

Please advise thoughts—looking for some input from anyone who has had this similar experience during their journey 

No. Cheat meals are for people who don't have the ability to control themselves or who haven't figured out how to have a healthy, balanced, sustainable approach to eating.

Read up on refeeds if you want, but you should be worrying more about a healthy sustainable diet and less about gimmicks and trickery.

I have a weekly cheat meal, usually with the girlfriend as then I have something to look forward to through the week and I usually still hit my macros and calories that day, so no, it's not just for people who are unable to control themselves.

No. Cheat meals are for people who don't have the ability to control themselves or who haven't figured out how to have a healthy, balanced, sustainable approach to eating.

Read up on refeeds if you want, but you should be worrying more about a healthy sustainable diet and less about gimmicks and trickery.

I have a weekly cheat meal, usually with the girlfriend as then I have something to look forward to through the week and I usually still hit my macros and calories that day, so no, it's not just for people who are unable to control themselves.

If you're still hitting your cals/macros, it's not a cheat meal. It's eating within your macros/cals. It may not be eating "clean" which apparently some consider cheating, but in most cases "cheating" means going over your cals.

Oh, back to your original question...

If you aren't eating at least maintenance, then you aren't going to "trick" (or reset or whatever else) your body/metabolism/whatever into thinking/doing anything.

I amn't eating maintenance because I still have to lose, and I hit a plateau about two and a half weeks ago.

@bcattoes: Thank you for your input- I don't really have cravings for cheating really, but I do feel like my weight loss has plateaued, which is why I thought of doing this.

IME, most people plateau because they get lazy. Either they aren't logging as accurately/honestly as they did when they started, or they aren't working out as hard as they were when they started.