Cheating allowed?

[NumeroUno]

If you guys are on cut, how do you incorporate any sweets into your food? If you add those in and still get your calorie deficit, are you good to go? Also, if you are gonna eat em - if you eat them right before you work out would you burn them off better? How often do you cheat?

-Daniel

[Jon]

if u eat it right before u train you wont burn it..

dunno, i cheat once a week and thats it

[BuffLove1]

Yeah. If you absolutely need it, I'd throw in the sweets on a Sunday, maybe. A little here and there will help keep you sane, but during the week you should keep it all business. Best of luck with the diet, man. I know it's a bitch to get the hang of :-/

[NumeroUno]

Yeah it is. I'm used to eating everything in sight. This is definitely a littel bit of a change.

-Daniel

[Arbalest]

This might help.

I eat my oats w/ a 1/4cup Sugar Free maple Syrup. Add a little salt and some cinnamon and its sooo good!

1cup oats = 300cals
1/4cup Sugar Free Syrup = 35cals


Helps with the sugar cravings.

[jeriboy54]

I think cheating should be a part of everyone's diet. It keeps one sane and boost metabolism. If you're in a pre-contest diet, I'd suggest just having higher carbs.

I have buckwheat pancakes with blueberries, bananas or strawberries. I'll top it off with either peanut butter or jam

[BradPDX]

Cheating is likely inevitable so should be prepared for when a craving strikes. Like some of the suggestions for food posted here. Once in a great while I get the chocolate craving and keep some very high cocoa content (85-87%) chocolate bars around. This is very dark, more bitter chocolate but stops my craving and don't have to eat much, just a couple of chunks at the most. And this type of chocolate has very low sugar content (at least the brands I purchase). Did try 100% cocoa chocolate once and after a small bite I climbed down off the ceiling in a couple of hours. Bad, bad drug!!

[GoldieLocks]

You guys are so lucky. Cheating doesn't effect you as much as us ladies. Totally different rules apply.

I tell my clients that if they have sugar cravings is to indulge in splenda sweetened foods, and to add in another 1 or 2 servings of fruit. get's the kick without the processed sugar.

Depending on your goals, cheating will sneak up on you. You can either indulge in a little cheating...or a lot.

[Tank87]

If you are really in need of something sweet during a pre contest diet or just diet grab some sugar free popsicles and have a few. Only 15 calories generally and it gets the job done.

[LuvsThePain]

Try replacing your sweets with honey. I've heard that there are less complex sugars in honey.

[BigAnt]

Off season, which I am in now, I eat clean Mon-Sat and my cheat day is Sunday. On the cheat day, I eat whole eggs instead of whites, will have blueberry pancakes, maybe some oatmeal raisin cookies, or a fat burger. Even pizza or some ice cream. Now for me and this is an individual thing, I don't eat crap all day, just maybe 4 meals out of my 7 are cheats.

Now pre-contest...THERE IS NO CHEATING FOR ME...I play hardcore. Nothing tastes better than an over-all win for me.

[Benway83]

* I want to stipulate this next statement does not apply to pre-contest BBs, or women as a general rule.

Eat everything. Dont go wild, mind you, but fucking down it. My personal opinion is that if you have to start worrying about your carbs too much, then you don't do hard enough cardio work. Too many people think balls-to-the-wall on the iron means you can go light-as-a-cream-puff on the other side of things. What good is it to have an 800 lb squat if you can't climb a flight of stairs without shortness of breath?