Saturday, July 19, 2008

Lovin' the "Cheat Day"

Saturday is generally my "cheat day" for the week because I do not work out on Sunday. Having one day a week to take a break from weighing and measuring and worrying about blocks is a valuable thing. Anyone who is staying strict on the zone is working hard to maintain that no matter how long you have been "zoning". I treat my cheat days more as a "relax" day. I do not necessarily go crazy and eat a whole chocolate cake (yet, anyway) but I let myself eat what I am craving (Carne Asada was the focus tonight). Another benefit that I have experienced with my cheat days is that when I do go crazy (especially with sugary treats) I feel so bad after, that I WANT to get back in the zone. It acts as a great reminder to me just how good I feel when I am monitoring what goes into my body, and makes staying there much easier. I would love to hear your thoughts and habits regarding "cheat days" and what your cheat foods are. Post thoughts and cheats to comments!

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12 comments:

  1. TexasPatrickJuly 20, 2008 at 7:48 AM

    First, LOVE the recipes you're putting up. Very helpful.

    Second, cheat days are like rest days . . . time for something different. A time not to worry about form, etc., but to relax a bit. So I very much agree with you.

    I'm actually taking a cheat . . . um, month? Ha. The reason is that I've got vacations and things planned. I am not going overboard and still hitting zone meals and snacks but I've totally dialed back the counting and the weighing.

    And I'm going to get a new scale . . . yes . . . I learned a brilliant trick from some cooking folks: The Tareing function: Set the bowl on the scale. The tare function will automatically zero out the weight of the bowl. Fill it with salad greens. Zero it out. Put in the protein . .

    This will save me from multiple measure, and multiple bowls. Essentially bakers weigh stuff and the 30-40$ scales can do this, can switch from grams to oz at the push of a button, etc. And I know they'll be more accurate than my 4$ scale. And I think it will both be more accurate and more precise (what is half an apple anyway) for some things.

    So yes, I'm resting, but I'm planning to hit it hard in couple weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eva T.July 20, 2008 at 1:40 PM

    great product, egg whites that you can use uncooked in shakes and other stuff and it is safe! a great protein source. the site is swanky, but the product is great!
    http://www.eggwhitesint.com/go/bodybuilding-protein.htm

    ReplyDelete
  3. Eva T.July 20, 2008 at 1:57 PM

    more on the egg whites, i just ordered 2 half gallons and the coolest thing is you order the pump and it is 1 block/egg -per pump!
    EASY!!!!

    Here are the faq's on the product:
    http://www.eggwhitesint.com/faq.htm

    and a less "swanky" site:
    http://www.eggwhitesint.com/index.shtml

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 20, 2008 at 8:12 PM

    Hi my name is Skip and I am a cheater...I went out for sushi last night and blew my carb blocks to hell :) Oh and I ate an onion tempura. It was gooooood !!!

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  5. TexasPatrickJuly 20, 2008 at 8:40 PM

    Hi Skip . . . Onion Tempura? Is that a fancy way of saying "Bloomin' Onion" from Outback Steakhouse? ;-)

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  6. mrsmommybJuly 20, 2008 at 11:28 PM

    eva-

    is this stuff for real?! i saw the "opening" pic of Chris...DANG!!! that's some crazy ish. so, you're going to have to share you thoughts on this product. i'm really curious.

    also, i had a general protein question--i'd rather ask here than searching on google: Do Zoners take in any additional protein? Say in powder shake form? because obviously a lot of body builders take in high protein but zoners balance.

    the other thing is that it was suggested that i go 11 blocks when i was starting zone and CF. now i'm not training. should i lower my blocks? i've read of women going as low as 9 blocks. i'm assuming yes. and if i go as low as 9 and maintain that while training again, will that hurt me?

    basically, i'm 5'5", 139. my goal is gaining visible muscle.

    CF Grasshopper,
    sakura

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  7. AnonymousJuly 21, 2008 at 3:10 PM

    Darn it Patrick...now you have me thinking about an ENTIRE "blooming onion" :)...now that would be a MAJOR cheat ! soooo tempting....

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  8. micheleJuly 21, 2008 at 6:47 PM

    Sakura,
    To answer your protein question i do not think you need any extra protein if you are getting enough blocks. You mentioned that you were considering going as low as 9 blocks and I think that is way too low. 11 blocks is good if you are trying to lean down, and as your activity increases and your need to maintain stabilizes, increase your blocks to get there. I generally eat 12 blocks per day and I am pretty active. I found I was too hungry at 11 and I feel better at 12 overall. 11 blocks is not a lot of food, so make sure you are not starving yourself, or your body will not respond well!

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  9. micheleJuly 21, 2008 at 10:18 PM

    Skip,

    Take a deep breath and PUT DOWN THE ONION BLOSSOM!!

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  10. AnonymousJuly 22, 2008 at 7:37 AM

    Thanks for talking me down Michele :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousJuly 24, 2008 at 1:45 PM

    when you "cheat", do you try to balance that out with your other blocks? In other words, if I had two pints of beer, should I try to grab some protein and fat to balance it, or am I better off not adding even more calories to a day gone bad?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  12. micheleJuly 25, 2008 at 6:40 PM

    Anonymous-

    On my cheat meals I do not worry about blocks at all! Enjoy and cheat and get back to counting the next day or next meal.

    ReplyDelete