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While looking at the workout programs I've been given (mainly Rippetoe's) and trying to work with time constraints, I've decided to hold off on bulking until after OCS (boot, basically..tears the body down) and just cut the fat I have now. My question is with "cheater days." I know that they are necessary in order to keep the body from reaching homeostasis (I think...if someone wants to embellish then by all means please do), but I also know that a cutting diet is roughly 50/35/15 pro/fat/carb. Those fats, with things like natural peanut butter, also include a decent amount of saturated fats. Now, since the high fat intake of a cutting diet also includes saturated fats, is a "cutting day" really necessary? And if so, about how often, once a week? More?

Depending on the length of the cutting diet, yes cheat days are definately necessary. They keep you mentally focused by giving you something to shoot for. Since you are planning your cheat day/meals you are less likely to go off your diet randomly and gorge yourself on shitty foods. cheat days (or in many instances carb up days) restore muscle glycogen also, this is important if you dont want to lose muscle mass.

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I know peanut butter has the good fat, but it sure dosen't take much for it to add up. Personally I would rather keep my fat intake to foods like fish and chicken.

Eat a lot of these for your main protein. They do not have a lot of calories so eating 8 chicken breasts a day is not hard to do. Or something like 10oz of sole....The downside to that is it can get expensive, so it all depends on how far you are willing to go.

In regards to cheat days...That's different for everyone aswell. There are other ways to keep your glycogen levels (WMS for example...lots of cals with little to zero sugar )without cheats.

How much bodyfat do you want to lose ? what are you now? what's your weight/height ?
what are you eating now ?

But if you are going to have cheat days then hrdgain is right. Write them down...you should really write down what you eat everyday...Just like training it helps you to stay focused

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What's WMS?

Right now I'm 152lb, 5'10" and probably around 13%bf. I'm real light for how I look, which is odd.. I lost all muscle due to an accident over the summer and at my lowest point only weighed 136. Right now I'm trying to just make it through campus food with half a measure of success...
I eat a bowl of oatmeal in the morning with some protein supplement, usually go to class after that then work out immediately after (400-600cal workouts, long intense stuff), I'll have a can of tuna on a slice of bread afterwards, maybe a little more protein, and some peanut butter or nuts or other healthy fats. After that it's kind of a toss up, just try to eat whatever decent stuff I can scrounge up in the food court, I eat 5-6 meals per day. End up eating a lot of salad with a few crutons as well, put some turkey on it or something. Campus food is frustrating!

WMS = Waxy Maize Starch ( I just started using it, but a lot of people swear by it)

your 5'10 157lbs....why do you want to lose weight ? 13% bf isn't high at all...

I would sugest you eat alot more than what your eating now, put some weight on. Clean bulk if you want and yes have a cheat day once a week or once every two weeks..... pizza is a good one

If you went to 7%bf you would lose about 15lbs (aprox).

Eat man, don't worry you wont get fat.

It is very important for you to eat as soon as you are finished training. Alot of people have a shake with water, then about 30-45mins after have some protein and carbs (real food)

What exactly is a "clean" bulk? My only concern while at college, as I was saying in the other thread, is that the food here is crap. Unfortunately I can't follow a strict diet and monitor my ratios very well at all here (would gladly stop the meal plan and start buying my own food, but too late...) any hints/suggestions on how to work around this? And when I say crap, I pretty much mean garbage.

I was the leanest I've ever been in college, and the food was shit there too. Not to mention the beer, and 4am cheese steak runs. Just do a little extra cardio and you'll be fine.

Great point Talo ... with those stats you shouldnt even be cutting.

I think cheat days are nessisary to help rev up the metabolism, if they are used correctly. If you put yourself in a low calorie state for a week or two at a time then you increase the calories let's say by 1000 calories wouldn't that be benificial, because it would decrease the chances that your body would go into "survival" mode (as in eating muscle for energy and storing fat instead of burning it) and also more importantly keep you mentally sane?

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I think throwing in some sweets and stuff in moderation keeps you from feeling deprived.

We are living life. Life is full of different experiences. Have some of that fun now and then. Have some cheesecake if you want some. Drink some beer with a friend if you like.

Bodybuilding is great, and taking care of your body is great, but we don't have to walk a "tight-rope" 24-7 to be healthy, gain muscle, lose fat and all that.

I'm not telling anyone to crack open a 12 pack of beer every day, or eat a half gallon of ice cream every day, but don't be afraid to loosen up now and then, if you want to.


Troy

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