MY TOP 10 TIPS TO REDUCE ABDOMINAL BLOATING & FLATTEN OUT YOUR TUMMY!

SO, you’re going out tonight and want that tummy to be tight & flat tummy for your event! But unfortunately your stomach (especially the lower abdominal area) is feeling a little uncomfortable and puffy.
Well, you’re not alone! Many people experience abdominal bloating on a daily basis!
The good news is, it is an experience that can actually be avoided very easily!
Just making simple changes in your day can make the world of a difference and help flatten out that tummy! 

 STILL INTERESTED?
KEEP READING TO HEAR MY TOP 10 TIPS TO FIGHT THAT TUMMY BLOAT AND ACHIEVE THAT FLAT STOMACH!

1. LIMIT YOUR INTAKE OF CHEWING GUM. 

When you chew gum, it causes you to swallow air into the stomach which can lead to bloating. 

2. BEWARE OF YOUR INTOLERANCES. 

Many people may be intolerant to foods they eat on a daily basis without even knowing! These intolerances can cause issues such as bloating, gas, constipation, even diarrhea. Be aware of how your body is responding and feeling to the different foods you eat on a daily basis! 

3. UP THE WATER INTAKE!

Increasing your water intake helps provides so many benefits for your body AND helps reduce abdominal bloating. It helps to keep your digestive tract regular and flush out excess toxins from your body.

SIDE NOTE: Especially if you are eating a healthy diet & consuming enough fiber daily. Then making sure you are hitting your water intake daily is key. Fiber will sit in the colon if not enough water is consumed to bind to the fiber to excrete it. 

4. LIMIT YOUR CONSUMPTION OF CARBONATED DRINKS

This includes any carbonated beverages, including the 0 calorie ones!                                       These drinks can cause gas to get trapped in your belly that leads to abdominal bloating.   

            5. DON'T EAT TOO FAST!                                                                                                            
I know I can be so guilty of this one, especially when I'm hungry!!
Unfortunately, scarfing down a quick meal does not help out our digestive system. When we consume a meal fast, it causes air swallowing and also does not give our bodies adequate time to fire up its digestive processes. Digestion begins at the mouth, so just by chewing our food more slowly, it can help reduce bloating immensely! 

6. TRY NOT TO CHUG SIPS OF YOUR DRINK IN BETWEEN BITES OF YOUR MEAL. 
During a meal, taking sips of water in between bites is totally okay! However, drinking too much fluid with your meal can reduce saliva production and dilute gastric juices necessary for proper digestion of your meal! 

7. ARTIFICIAL SWEETNERS
These are everywhere- in sugar alternatives, chewing gum, condiments, foods, drinks, etc. They are NOT unsafe to consume! However, depending on the person and their consumption they may respond differently to artificial sweeteners.
Some people may experience digestive problems because they can reach the bacteria in the intestine and produce gas.
Some people can get away with consuming more artificially sweeteners and not experience any bloating or get as bloated as others.
As always, just being mindful and limiting your intake if you find your stomach is feeling uncomfortable after consumption. 

8. DIGESTIVE ENZYMES & PROBIOTICS! 

Digestive enzymes and probiotics can be purchased at any health food store! Our bodies can sometimes lack the certain enzymes needed to break down the foods we eat.                      Digestive enzymes contain supplemental enzymes to break down the foods we eat.         Probiotics on the other hand, help maintain the healthy and good bacteria environment in your gut!

I recommend a good probiotic supplement to all my clients to ensure that we are maintaining a happy gut in order to ensure proper digestion and reduce any symptoms of gas and bloating! 

9. EAT MORE WHOLE FOODS, LIMIT PROCESSED FOODS. 

Consuming majority of your diet from natural whole foods that are not heavily processed is a lot easier for your body to process and digest! Not only that, but it also provides your body with the micronutrients (vitamins & minerals) it needs.

Keeping a healthy environment for your gut is key and having these processed foods in moderation is a great way to keep the environment in your gut a happy one!

10. MOVE YOUR BODY! 

A lot of you may be seated for majority of our day at work.                                                      Constantly sitting and eating can slow down your digestive system. So try a little stretch break or some walking around to help activate that digestive system and help to reduce any bloating you may experience in your day! 

& there ya have it folks!
MY TOP 10 TIPS TO HELP REDUCE ABDOMINAL BLOATING!
As always, feel free to message me with any questions, comments, feedback, anything at all!
I’d love to hear from you & happy to help you move closer to becoming the happiest and healthiest version of you! 

XOXO
AYESHA SEHRA

 

CARBS AFTER DARK

Its late at night and cravings strike… God forbid you snack on some carbs this late in the evening because that stuff is just ALL going to get turned straight into fat!

Don’t get too surprised when I say this, but that is NOT the truth. Carbs are not the enemy, eating late will not kill you and make you fat but hear me out a bit.

The answers are all explained in the science, so sit back, relax and lets here what the truth behind the science says!

First off, lets discuss what is going on when you are asleep.

Most believe that your metabolism slows down due to the fact that you are lying down and resting. This makes sense as you would be resting, you would be buning less calories than if you were up and moving around like during the day.   

However, research has found that sleep energy expenditure actually significantly INCREASES in the latter half of your sleep (Norton, Biolayne). Overall, your sleeping metabolic rate (SMR) is no less than your resting metabolic rate (RMR) during the day (Norton, Biolayne). (Resting Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy you expend during the day at rest to support your body's basic functions such as breathing, circulation. (Bodybuilding, 2016). 

In fact, studies have shown that exercise can INCREASE your sleep metabolic rate leading to GREATER fat oxidation during sleep (Norton, Biolayne). Therefore sleeping metabolic rate was proven to actually surpass resting metabolic rate in active individuals as well! And if you are an active individual then consuming carbs before bed may be even MORE advantageous for you!  

Now lets see what your hormones had to say about consuming carbs late at night...

A study was published in the Obesity Journey and carried out by researchers who created 2 groups. An experimental group who consumed most of their daily carbohydrate intake at dinner and a control group, who consumed their carbs dispersed throughout the day (Ferruggia, 2015). 

The results concluded that the experimental group that consumed majority of carbs in the evening showed greater losses in:

Total body weight, body fat & waist circumference. In addition to higher leptin levels, a fat burning hormone that down regulates during dieting. Keeping this hormone elevated helps fat burning and keeps your metabolism running fast (Sofer, Eliraz, 2011). 

Additionally it was found that consuming carbs at night also showed more stable insulin levels! Keeping insulin in check is another important variable to have controlled to keep burning fat.

THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY to take away on whether or not eating a bolus of carb at night will cause you to put on excess fat or not comes down to, YOUR TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the numbers, CALORES IN VS. CALORIES OUT.

If your goal is to lose weight, and your macronutrient and caloric goal is adjusted and set accordingly, then it does NOT MATTER what time you choose to eat throughout the day, as long as the numbers add up correctly!

Yes there are more optimal times of the day where carbohydrates may be of more benefit to you and your fitness goals (ex. Pre workout, intra workout, post workout) but I will get into that in another post. :) 

Pay attention to your total caloric consumption at the end of the day. If your macronutrient goals are at an optimal place for your body and physique goals then you will NOT see any unwanted changes in your body composition!

A little tip I recommend, if you are one to get hungry in the evenings is to save a good portion of your macronutrients for that time.

This way you can eat that big meal that is 100% accounted for in your day, you experience no guilt & you might even find you experience improvements in the quality of your sleep!

Eliminate the guilt, eat for your goals and as always if you have any questions, I'm here & happy to help! xo

Email – ayeshasehra@hotmail.com

Or shoot me a message in my contact forum ! :)

REVERSE DIET BREAKDOWN!

SO, you’ve just been through a dieting period, living on a lower calorie diet to achieve your end goal weight. Maybe you were prepping for a competition, photoshoot, wedding, event, or just a personal goal for yourself to attain. You’ve dieted down successfully and reached your goal… now what?
Or maybe you’ve been restricting calories for too long and your body is not cooperating anymore and you've hit a weight-loss plateau… now what?

I want to discuss the process of a reverse diet, when to implement it and why it is so important & beneficial for your body at times like these. 

The aftermath of a dieting period can really do a number on your metabolism and this period after a caloric deficit is critical to avoid excess fat gain while restoring and increasing your metabolic rate! NO harsh rebounds here folks, we’re bringing your metabolism up to speed and also bringing you benefits to help you in and outside the gym! You’re coasting in for the long-term gains!

FIRST LETS GO OVER THE EFFECTS OF A DIETING PERIOD…

After a period of dieting your body’s metabolic rate is slowed down due to decreased body mass and fat burning hormones are down regulated from dieting.

The concept of a reverse diet is used here to restore metabolic rate by slowly and strategically adding more calories back into your diet again so you do not gain a lot of excess body fat rapidly and are set up for long-term success moving forward.

After a calorically restricted period, many people will gain that weight back if they shoot their calories up right after a fat loss period.

Dr. Layne Norton’s podcast on reverse dieting, noted that most people after dieting cant keep that weight off and 80% of people will re-gain weight they’ve lost and may even add on even more fat due to the down-regulated effects of dieting on metabolism.

Once you’ve gained that weight back, it is even harder to diet down to lose it due to the fact that you will have to bring your calories even lower to enter a caloric deficit and lose body fat.

Lets take this in an example-  Say you have just dieted down, and your new maintenance level of calories is now 1300 kcals, and you would like to CONTINUE cutting down. You would have to keep reducing from this level of calories in order to further see results.

The goal of a reverse diet is to build your metabolism to a point where when you want to diet down again, you are cutting from a higher maintenance level of calories of lets say, 2800 kcals.

By reverse dieting you will allow your metabolism to fully recover, slowly work towards increasing your maintenance level and burn through those more calories more efficiently. You may even find yourself getting leaner in the process!  

THIS ALSO PUTS YOUR BODY IN A MORE EFFICIENT PLACE TO...

-       Put on lean muscle mass

-       Enjoy HIGH CALORIE meals out and not be as affected because metabolically your body is now in a much more stable place to metabolize that meal

-       Prepare you for your next cutting/dieting phase so you can diet on eating MORE calories while staying leaner!

Maybe you lose 10 lbs, re-gain 5 lbs but get your caloric intake higher than it was before. 

One of the major benefits of a reverse diet is that when you get back up to your maintenance calories, you have LESS body fat than you had prior to when you began dieting and are EATING more.

Now lets say you want to diet again, this means you can now diet down on a HIGHER daily caloric intake. (since you’ve increased your maintenance level)

= A NET WIN FOR YOUR METABOLISM!

This makes your next cutting phase easier.

Apply this over multiple phases cutting and reversing phases and imagine where you will take your metabolism!

Reverse dieting is a different process for each individual depending on how your body responds. It is an important phase to go through for all individuals who have been through long dieting phases and metabolisms are down-regulated. 

Look after your body for the LONG-TERM. You have this body you are blessed with for your lifetime. Take care of it, be patient with your process and most importantly love your body!

If you have any questions at all about reverse dieting or need help with getting on track with your fitness goals, feel free to message me! I am more than happy to help <3

Below is a picture of the reverse diet approach I applied on myself! 

I was on a long cutting phase for about 20 weeks until my bikini competition.

I was eating around 1 150 kcal/ day and doing up to 1.5 hours of cardio a day in the picture of the left. 

I successfully reverse dieted myself out of that eating around 1 900 kcals (and still increasing calories!) with weekly refeeds and doing very minimal cardio in the picture on the right. All while keeping fat gain to a minimum and increasing my strength and energy in the gym! 

SMOOTHIE BOWL

Making smoothie bowls have been my new favourite thing to have in my day! 

The possibilities of toppings are endless and lets be real, eating a smoothie with a spoon is way better than drinking it from a glass! :) 

It also makes you feel like you're eating ice cream and satisfies that sweet tooth without the calories!!

Here is the recipe for a macro-friendly smoothie bowl I have been LOVING lately!

INGREDIENTS FOR SMOOTHIE: 

• 1 Scoop Protein Powder (I used PEScience Snickerdoodle Protein)
• About 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cashew Milk 
• LOTS OF ICE!!! 

Optional: dash of cinnamon & stevia! 

TOPPINGS:

• 2 tbsp PB2 
• 1/3 cup Cinnamon Puffins Cereal (A great healthier alternative to the classic Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal)
• Walden Farms Pancake Syrup drizzled on top! 

The amount of toppings & portions you can use is completely up to you & options are endless!  

Feel free to get creative and add whatever your heart desires to top off your smoothie bowl! :)

Total Macros for my Smoothie Bowl: 

220 kcals | 19 C | 4 F | 30 P

1 CARB PROTEIN PANCAKES!

If you're like me and have a big sweet tooth then you will absolutely LOVE these! 

I have found the solution for the best high protein stack of pancakes that will NOT sabotage your diet & waistline! 

MACROS for the entire recipe: 

196 Calories  | 1 CARB | 2 FAT | 41 PROTEIN

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 SCOOP PROTEIN POWDER (I used PEScience Snickerdoodle protein, highly recommend using this as it is a whey + casein blend, its great for baking! But any protein powder will do! :) 
• 150 g EGG WHITES
• 1/4 C CASHEW MILK
• 1 TSP BAKING POWDER

Toss all the ingredients in a blender, blend it up and you are ready to start cooking!

I also added in some cinnamon into the mixture! 

& there ya have it! SWEET & TASTY PROTEIN PANCAKES!

TOPPINGS: I always top my protein pancakes with a nut butter (I used Nuts' n More White Chocolate spread) but any will taste great! I also used Walden Farms Maple syrup or recommend a Sugar-Free maple syrup! :) 

ENJOY! XO 

WHAT IS IIFYM (FLEXIBLE DIETING)?

Flexible dieting, or better known as IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) is the tracking of your macronutrients (Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats). These macronutrient daily requirements are determined based off of your body compositional goal. The beauty of flexible dieting most people love about it is that everyday you have the option to eat different things as long as at the end of the day you hit your required macronutrients. If you still hit your correct macros goals daily, you will get the results you desire!

Now don’t get me wrong, flexible dieting and tracking your macros isn’t about trying to fit in Oreos and doughnuts everyday. Yes, you have the CHOICE to fit treats into your daily macros but it is still crucial and optimal to fuel your body with nutritious whole foods. Just because you may be able to fit 3 donuts + candy and other empty calories into your macros doesn’t mean you should.

Especially if you are cutting, and you don’t have much room to play within your macronutrient ranges, it is important to eat foods that are higher volume, nutrient dense that will satisfy your hunger and make you feel more full!

Making sure you are eating lots of nutrient dense foods is important for overall health and for your body to recover and function properly.

By all means, if you have an urging craving for a donut one day, the beauty of counting macros is that you can satisfy that craving AND still be well on your way to achieving your goals!

That is what I think this makes flexible dieting so sustainable and effective!

It allows people to be strict but NOT restrictive with their diets.

EFFECTIVE because at the end of the day it is a numbers game. In order to lose weight you must understand that a calorie deficit is necessary and in order to put on more muscle mass, a surplus of calories is ideal. Tracking everything you are eating gets you well on your way to taking control and reaching your goals!

SUSTAINABLE because like I said above it does not restrict you. Flexible dieting has been said to kill the binge diet. It is more mentally and emotionally sustainable knowing that you don’t have to always deprive yourself and then go crazy on a binge. You can eat what you want in moderation and still accomplish your goals!

Hope this helped your understanding on the IIFYM diet!

As always, if you have any questions or would like to try out this style of dieting or want to find out your ideal macronutrient intake should be for your goals, shoot me a msg!

I’m always happy to help! Xoxo

ALL ABOUT PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION!

SO, what is the deal on whey protein powder supplements and what does it do for YOU, YOUR BODY AND ULTIMATELY YOUR RESULTS? I will break it all done for you and explain to you the use of supplementing with protein into your daily routine as well as go over the different types of whey protein supplements!

 SO LETS GET STARTED... 

First lets talk about the macronutrient, PROTEIN itself. Protein is the body’s building block. It is composed of amino acids that our body uses to function properly and maintain structure and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs.

Below I will discuss protein’s role in particular to building muscle.In order to be successful with building more muscle mass, you want to ensure you are consuming enough protein daily.

DO YOU NEED TO TAKE A PROTEIN POWDER SUPPLEMENT?

Protein powder supplements are not a direct requirement to gaining muscle mass, as long as you then are consuming enough protein from your diet from whole foods.

I personally feel that taking a protein powder supplement helps me to reach my daily protein intake goal. This is just because I find it a lot easier to drink 25-30g of protein and also the convenience of drinking an extra serving of protein than consuming it from whole food meal. Especially if you are trying to increase your muscle mass, you are probably already eating many other whole food meals throughout your day.

THE BENEFIT OF TAKING A WHEY PROTEIN POWDER…

Immediately after a workout it is a crucial time to make sure your body is getting a solid amount of protein to give your body fuel to heal and grow. This is because when you workout you are creating small tears in your muscle tissues as you contract your muscles throughout your workout. Your body then needs to repair itself. Protein is used here by being delivered to your muscles to start repairing these microtears in the muscle fibers. Immediately after your workout, your body is in an anabolic state. You want this process to begin right away and this can occur quickly and efficiently by taking a whey protein supplement immediately post workout.

Solid foods take a longer time to digest in the body and therefore reach your muscles to start this process in comparison to a protein shake, which only takes about 30 minutes to digest and reach your muscles.

Now there are many different types of protein supplements out there on shelves at supplement stores. To name a few there are,  whey protein isolates, whey protein concentrates, casein protein powders, hydrolyzed whey proteins, soy protein powders, milk protein isolates, etc.

Depending on your goals, your dietary preferences (i.e. lactose intolerant, vegan) and what you would like to use the protein for, one protein may be more ideal over another.

Particularly for immediately after workout, a whey protein isolate or hydrolyzed whey protein would be ideal as it contains the greatest concentration of protein (ranging from 90-98%). Due to its chemical nature it is the easiest to absorb in your system. It also contains the lowest level of lactose and is typically the lowest levels in calories, fat and carbs.

Here is a just brief outline on some of the other types of protein supplements that may be of interest to you!

Whey Protein Concentrate

• 70-85% protein content
• This protein contains higher levels of fat and lactose than isolates. Whey concentrate is good to be used for both pre and post workout as well as a good supplement in between meals to help add protein to your diet!

Casein Protein

• This protein is a slow-releasing protein that will be broken down in your body over a span of several hours (5-7 hours).
• Casein protein can be used as a meal, especially as a meal before bed to help your body stay anabolic throughout the night!

Whey Protein Isolate

• One of the quickest absorbing proteins with a high concentrate of 90-98% protein content.
• Ideal for pre ad post workout as they are quickly absorbed and utilized by the body.

Hydrolyzed Whey Protein

• Highest absorption rate with a great anabolic effect among all protein supplements!
• Better on the digestive system compared to other proteins and used ideally for pre and post workout!

Soy Protein

• If you are looking for a vegetarian source of protein then this may be an option for you!
• Soy supports a healthy cholesteral, is lactose-free
• This can be used both pre and post workout, or anytime throughout the day to help reach your protein macronutrient goals.

Milk Protein Isolate

• A combination of both casein and whey protein.
• Typically used at anytime throughout the day due to the fact that it has both fast and slow rate digesting properties.

As always, if you have any further questions on protein supplements, what would be an ideal choice for you, if you should start supplementing, etc, feel free to shoot me a msg through my 'CONTACT' tab!:)

5 TIPS TO STAYING LEAN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

The greatest time of the year is finally here! With all the holiday celebrations with family and friends comes all the FOOD! Now, don’t feel like you have to deprive yourself of the food and festivities that come with this time of year!

Its all about finding a balance of letting yourself indulge but not losing yourself this holiday season and letting yourself go overboard.

Here’s a list of my 5 tips you can keep in mind while enjoying your holiday season! :)

1. PRIORITIZE the Protein!

Protein has a high thermogenic effect meaning that your body uses more calories to digest protein (20-35% of calories) than it does for carbs and fats. Protein also has a stabilizing effect on your blood sugar and will help you to feel full!

Increasing your protein intake will boost your metabolism and help to maintain your muscle mass, both key ingredients in losing fat and keeping it off.

2. Drink lots of water and make sure to eat your fiber!

Making sure you are drinking enough water and eating foods high in fibre will definitely help with satiety! Fibre tends to sit in your gastrointestinal area longer, which pulls fluid into the area, making you feel full for longer!

Fibre also helps blunt the secretion of sugar, which will help with the all the yummy desserts you may plan on enjoying ;)

 3. Never arrive to a party or dinner hungry. 

Starving yourself all day up until the social event often leads to overeating and making many poor nutritional choices. Try to keep your diet clean throughout the day, eating a smaller meal about an hour before your event. Protein and healthy fat sources are great options that will help fill you up so you’ll be less likely to overindulge at the event.

4. Feel free to add in some extra cardio sessions to your workouts!

To maximize your chances of avoiding the holiday weight gain, make sure you stay active! If you're finding if hard to schedule workouts into your busy schedule, try out HIIT (high intensity interval training) style workouts. HIIT will help you to burn fat faster with a less overall training time! (Want to read more about HIIT training? Check out my blog under the 'fitness' tab- "Lets Talk Cardio")

5. Don’t eat the leftovers the next day.

Try to leave the holiday food for the holiday itself. It’s hard to get back on your normal diet the next day after your cheat meal if you are staring at the tempting foods in your fridge.

Instead, enjoy your indulgences over the holidays but get yourself back on track with your goals the next day!

Overall, it is the holidays and it comes only once a year so by all means, ENJOY IT! You only live once and these times you share with your loved ones create memories you'll always have.

But by just being a little mindful of your choices you are already that much more ahead, leaving you pumped and motivated for the new year instead of frustrated or upset that you let yourself go completely over the holidays!

THE BREAKDOWN ON BCAAs

First off, lets begin with what are BCAAs? BCAAs stands for branch chained amino acids.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein (we get this from our diet from foods like meat, dairy and legumes). Branched chained amino acids are made up of three essential amino acids, leucine, isoleucine and valine.

These are essential amino acids because our body is unable to make them so therefore we need to consume them through food or supplements.

WHY SHOULD YOU TAKE BCAAs?

BCAAs are a great supplement to include in your diet because they play a major role in stimulating protein synthesis!

They increase synthesis of the cell’s to carry out the process of protein synthesis as well as increasing the cell’s capacity for protein synthesis!

BCAAs are believed to also enhance exercise performance. During exercise, it causes an increase in serotonin levels which are believed to cause fatigue. BCAAs have been found to reduce serotonin levels, therefore minimizing fatigue and enhancing exercise performance!!

BCAAs are primarily metabolized in skeletal muscles in comparison to other amino acids, in the liver.

This is why BCAAs also help repair damaged muscles, decrease muscle soreness and increase mental function.

WHEN TO TAKE BCAAs?

Drink your BCAAs before, during or after your training!

I love drinking on mine throughout the day in addition to during my workouts!

Aim for 5g of BCAAs per hour of training.

WHICH KIND OF BCAAs SHOULD YOU TAKE? 

The list could go on forever with possible options of flavours and brands of BCAAs to take!!

I’m all for trying new supplements and changing it up but currently I have been taking & loving:

Rich Piana’s 5% Nutrition- AllDayYouMay

Flavour: Blue Raspberry

I absolutely love this product! Not only is the taste AMAZING it offers some unreal benefits in comparison to other BCAA brands.

• It has a 10:1:1 BCAA ratio!!!
• Offers joint & liver support
• Powerful Anti-oxidant Immue System Support
• Muscle Stamina Enhancers

Ballistic Laboratories- Amino Reload

Flavour: Peach Mango

Another one of my favourites! This one sold me because this company is a Canadian company and all of their products are pharmaceutically licensened! Therefore, you know you are getting nothing but highly advanced, quality formulas!

Not only is the product made from high quality ingredients and a trustable brand, the taste is out of this world!!!

Definitely a company to check out if you haven’t yet :)

THE POWER OF A CHEAT MEAL.

Believe it or not, a cheat meal can be used as a great dieting tool that can actually keep you dieting longer!! For individuals dieting for long periods of time, it allows you to have a momentary break from their diet. When cheat meals are given at the right time, a proper one can…

• Prevent muscle catabolism
• Can boost metabolism
• Refill glycogen stores
• Resist you from hitting plateaus

When dieting for long periods of time, your body’s hormones naturally begin to down-regulate.

The most affected hormones in controlling one’s metabolism here are, leptin, thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) and grehlin.

Responsibilities of these hormones:  Overall energy expenditure fat storage, mood, metabolic rate and hunger.

By giving your body the occasional “cheat meal” you are giving your body a spike in calories and carbohydrates. This tricks the body into forgetting about its calorie deficit and keeps it from attaining the negative side effects of a sustained caloric deficit.

This high calorie and carbohydrate meal, you are spiking your metabolism and driving these hormones back to normal levels and increasing your metabolic rate. The high calorie/high-carb meal is highly unlikely to be stored as fat due to the body already being accustomed to a restricted calorie/carb diet.

When you leave the body in a constant caloric deficit, it will continue to down-regulate the thyroid. This leads to lower metabolic rate, decreased fat burning and increased hunger and cravings over a long period of time.

Signs of time for a cheat meal?

• You are feeling very depleted and experiencing very low energy during your workouts on a regular basis (no muscle pump, poor strength, poor focus)
• Body temperature in reduced, you tend to feel cold most of the time
• Your fat loss has plateued and lowering you calorie intake is not helping.