Since we’re talking about cheating, how does everyone deal with the ‘need to stuff my face’ cravings? I get it every so often and usually manage to fend it off, but occasionally I end up eating lots of VERY bad stuff… (Please tell me I’m not the only one!!!)
I try to push it off until later in the day. Sometimes if I pig out, I’ll consider the day a loss and cause even more damage. But, if I can wait till later, I’ll have my binge and be full for a couple of hours and then I’ll go to bed. I wake up the next day ready to go.
Well, as best as I remember Ko (my boyfriend) explaining it, hanger steaks are located at the front neck region. They’re a spendy cut of meat, too - so you wouldn’t find them in your local meat market. Ko’s restaurant is a four star, that’s where you’d be most likely to find this particular cut on a menu. I’ve never checked a “steak house” - so I don’t know if those types of places would offer them either. It’s definitely a treat!
As for “cheat days” - or the need to eat ALOT of “bad” foods. Hmmm- is there such a thing as “bad” foods? If I’m craving something that I normally would not eat, then I just figure out that it may be due to my body telling me that I’m missing something nutritionally and it’s time to add it, pronto. Or if I’m craving more food, then I chalk that up to a increased activity level and well, that would require more calories. So I eat. I’m very simple when it comes to my nutritional needs. I hate, despise cheese, sour cream and could live w/out dairy (hey, I water down non-fat milk - I know, very wierd). Oh and avacados are wierd, and I do not understand the love of guacomoli and mayonaise is plain icky. So, that eliminates ALOT of “cheating” options. But I eat alot of meat (red, poultry, fish) - well, I actually eat WHAT I want and don’t eat what I don’t like. Simple. And I eat however amount of food I need in any given day. Is there such a thing as “bad” food? I don’t consider Mike-n-Ike’s as food. I know they have no nutritional value what-so-ever and once I have a handful or a box - I’m done. Gosh, after all these years, I have just developed a real no nonsense way of thinking when it comes to my food intake. I honestly don’t think about it - I just eat.
Stick to high carbs, low fat and med. protein.
Eat around maintenance +50%. You will upregulate leptin and you will not add any fat.
`Podge,
I’ve gone from 19.3% to 12.5 % bodyfat since 01/01/02. What has worked for me is having one “free” meal per week. I eat whatever the hell I want that meal and I don’t call it a “Cheat Meal”, because it is actually part of my eating program. It satifies the psyche and the soul. Also I have my bodyfat measured every 2 weeks. That really keeps me on track knowing of have NO leeway. Write back if you want any of my diet and exercise plans, its all from the good folks here at this website,
There is a wealth of info. to be learned here, so learn it and APPLY it.
Best of Luck in your goals/
Damn Patricia that hanger steak sounds awesome ! hopefully I’ll luck into finding some someday…. I’ve given myself 16 weeks to drop the weight (trying to do it slowly, since I haven’t been single-digit BF since 1993) so as to figure out what my body can and can’t do. I’m getting married at the end of 16 weeks, and like to look good on the honeymoon, so that’s my goal/motivation.
Paul B, thanks for the encouragement !.. yeah, I’d be really interested in hear what you’ve been doing with your diet, and how and what you do for your cheat day. I’d be interested too to see what you’ve done cardio-wise, if any. You’ve started at, at about where I’m starting now.
I hook as well where do you play? How do you train?
I do cones work and some hills on mon(heavy legs for lifting) Tuesday 1.5-2miles of fartliek running(sometimes rucking or driving drills during this) and heavy upper body day. Wen full speed sprinting, mostly 40/20’s and then GPP, Thurs speed squating, more cones and fatliek, Fri Circut of lifting, jumps, jump rope, sprints, strongman exercises, untill we are wiped out. Fri night bath in Beer and Burgers, saterday repeat.
Paul to Podge:
Here’s what I’ve been doing since 01/01/02.
Weight Training. 3x per week. Just started Ian King’s Great Guns program. I do that on Sunday’s and Thursdays. On Tuesdays I do maintanence on other body parts ,keeping the total volume less than that of the Arm program.
Cardio: 20 minutes 3x per week right after my weight training. These are Hi Intensity bouts on the elliptical trainer. 1 or 2 days a weeks I’ll go in early morning and do a 45 min. low intensity steady rate cardio session on the elliptical machine. Also do 4 to 5 30 minute late evening low intensity walks.
Diet:Meal one: 1/2 cup oatmeal with 2 scoops Grow protein powder, is the norm. or 6 eggwhites with grits.
Meal 2: 3 hours later: MRP
Meal 3 : 2 or 3 hours later: Usually 8 oz. chicken breast, 1 cup of rice or 8 oz. potoato, and 1 cup of green vegetables.
Meal 4: 3 hours later, MRP
Meal 5: 2 or 3 hours later, usually can of tuna, fish oil capsules, big salad with oil and vinegar. NO CARBS FOR ME AFTER 5:00 to 6:00pm.
Meal 6: Bedtime, 2 scoops of Grow Protein powder.
I drink 2 gallons of water daily, EVERY day.
I do this 6 days per week.
One day ,usually Saturday afternoon or evening, I have my free meal.
Its been anything from a feast at an all you can eat Chinese buffet to 2 plate fulls of spaghetti with sauce and 3 slices of home-made bread. I also ate a whole large pizza one meal. It’s whatever I’m craving.
I’m 41 years old, and now I’m at 12.5% body fat and I weigh 212 pounds.
Goal is 8% and maintain that for a while before going on the Growth Surge project talked about on this website.
Hope this helps, Let me know.
Hanger steaks come from the diaphram region of a cow. They are starting to become trendy here in the states so you may be able to special order them from a specialty store or, if you are lucky enough, to have one, an old school butcher shop. They are good but they can sometimes be a bit chewy. Your choice of a filet is perfect as they are low in fat and tender. If you really want to treat yourself get a porterhouse, which has not only the tenderloin (filet) , but also the new york strip, my two favorite cuts all in one steak.
- I have seen someone actually mix Gentleman Jack w/ a protein shake (seriously, and it wasn’t T.C.)
- In regards to my training, I run/ do cardio 4-6x a week, 40 mins. each time. Lifting is 4x a week, 45mins each time, mostly explosive type stuff, low reps, high sets. Sprint work is done in my off season, when my cardio is only at 20 mins. 5x/wk., then during the season I just try to avoid injury, and maintain (or slightly improve) my gains from the off season. Umm…max. bench = 330, 40yd. dash = 4.69 seconds.
thanks for your input !.. my diet is pretty similar to yours. I’m 31, and fat seems a lot harder to remove than when i was 23 !.. i’m glad to see someone in their early 40’s be able to do it, gives me some motivation !.. i had my filet mignon and potato saturday, and i believe it was the best peice of meat i’ve ever had ! pretty guilt-free for me too. i’m looking forward to where i too can eat a whole large pizza and not hurt me too much. i used to be able to put down a ton of food. Eating what i want is one of my reasons for living. Now i’m just trying to re-focus my goals and desires to want to be lean. anytime i think about bad food, i tell myself i want to loose a roll of quarters in my abs, think about how great they’ll look, and how hard i’ll be on my honeymoon, and that usually gets me through for the time being. thanks everyone for their input !
Well i have 2 full cheat days a week. the first day i cheat with ice cream, pitza, korean food, and mcdonalds. the second day is with blonds, bruntes, and redheads.
Mangus, since you like chocolate, I have an alternative for you…Russell Stover’s sugar free. The pecan delights are BETTER than the regular variety, I find. Then you can have an occasional treat without screwing yourself up. They DO have a laxative effect, unfortunately. (Since that keeps you from eating more than one or two, I view this as a good thing.) When you subtract the sugar alcohols, (xylitol) you get about 4g carbs per piece.
I can’t do a cheat day at all…an occasional cheat meal without sugar works if it’s a special occasion. Sugar gives me hard core cravings. I don’t EVER cheat except for very occasional wine with dinner.
I appreciate the tip, but I have to tell you I’ve tried to satisfy my chocolate cravings before with sugar free chocolate and suffered really bad consequences. Even with one or two pieces, the malitol gives me awful gas and stomach cramps. I hate to gross anybody out, but the gas is so bad I can’t even stand myself. I haven’t actually tried the russel stover brand, but at this point I’m afraid to. Maybe I’ll try one and see how it goes. This really sucks, because I love chocolate. I could honestly eat 5 chocolate bars a day and never get sick of them. I also sypathize with you not being able to eat a cheat meal. While I do have one every Sunday, if I go overboard (which doesn’t take much) I screw my whole week of dieting. However it’s it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who struggles with dieting. I guess it’s true misery loves company. Thanks again for the tip, keep up the battle.