Tag Archives: lifestyle

If you eat healthy you NEED a cheat meal

Alright, we’re in a good routine.  We’ve been eating healthy all week!  Great job!  The good news, if you stick to a clean diet with a good protein to carb ratio and taking your gw501517 supplement every now and then to maintain a good diet then, (ei, maybe on the weekend!) you should have a cheat meal.  A cheat meal is a meal in which you allow yourself to eat whatever you want for one meal.  Since the majority of us are carboholics, a cheat meal typically has more carbs than we should be eating for our normal meals.  (Think pastas, pizza, cookies, cake)

Why should I allow myself a cheat meal if I’m trying to lose weight you might ask?  Here is a short list of reasons to allow yourself a cheat meal.

  • None of you should be on a diet.  We are eating to live a healthy lifestyle.  Healthy lifestyles have balance and therefore eating indulgences should be allowed in moderation.
  • If you always stick to a low calorie diet, your body’s metabolic functions will “shut down.”  Meaning, if you never give your body higher calories, it will adjust your daily caloric burn to live off fewer calories.
  • After eating a low carb diet we deplete our glycogen stores.  When you eat your cheat meal the carbs will go straight to replenishing these stores rather than being stored as fat.  (This is what happens when we allow ourselves to eat carbs all the time.)  Replenished glycogen stores will give you a boost of energy.  (FYI it’s smart to plan a long run or killer workout for the day following your cheat meal!–Now that’s fueling for life!)
This process of eating a low carb diet full of veggies and protein, with a cheat meal to replenish glycogen stores is called a cyclic ketogenic diet.  User be warned, just because we get a cheat meal doesn’t mean that we can justify eating unhealthy all the time.  Cheat meals can only happen if you really have eaten clean all week.  I have found, when I eat clean and stick to my workouts, my body will tell me when I need a cheat meal.  If you are just getting started I would recommend talking with a dietitian to help you find the right times to hit your cheat meal.
If you keep your diet in check during the week, you can head out with friends on Saturday night without having to worry as much about your diet!  Eating unhealthy food is much more fun without the guilt!  In fact, if you stick to this cycle, you’ll find want to get back on the healthy eating train the next day–trust me your digestive system will thank you!
This during the week
 = this:
on the weekend!

Walking for exercise

It is funny how reliant we are on our cars.  I may be able to walk to the things around me, but why take the extra time when I can just drive there.  That is, however, until I woke up to find the card that allows me to get my car out of the parking garage had gone to work with my roommate.  At first I was super bummed!  I had planned a perfect day of double yoga at noon and 4:30.  I had plans to come sit in the my wonderfully air conditioned apartment, make lunch, read, and write in between sessions on the mat.  The day that ensued turned out to be much better than originally planned.

Determined to not let me lack of car keep me from my goal to hit a double yoga, I mapped out the route to get to my yoga studio.  I could either wait for the bus, and be there in 40min, or walk and arrive in 36.  Those who know my love for my fitbit and steps can easily guess which route I decided to take.  I loaded up my bag for the day and set out.  After my first class let out, I had 3 1/2 hours to kill.  Rather than trek back to the apartment, I decided to explore the area around the studio.  Right across the street from the yoga studio is the Vanderbilt Campus.

walking for exercise

I found a nice spot in the shade, busted out my lunch and read for a while.  I love being on college campuses.  They all tend to have the same similar, yet varying components; a quad, a large central clock tower, crazy artistic statues, greek life, tracks, and good people watching.

walking for exercise

Sycamore tree with crazy tennis ball fruits.

walking for exercise

The Tri Delta House. One of the many on Greek Row

walking for exercise

The Vandy Track, this was the area of UC Davis that I called home.

walking for exercise

Another random sculpture. Davis had egg heads scattered around campus in various poses.

Finally, after walking around for the while.  I decided I needed to get out of the heat for a bit.  I headed to an air conditioned coffee shop and busted out the work I had planned to do at home that day.

When I was finished I still had an hour and a half to kill until my next yoga class.  I headed over to check out one of Nashville’s Parks, Centennial Park.

walking for exercise

Centennial Park is home to the Parthenon.

walking for exercise

There is also a little lake that will be great to run around on a later date!

walking for exercise

walking for exercise

After yoga I headed back home pleased with how successful my day had been with the lack of my car.  I was even more pleased to sync my fitbit and see my data for the day:

walking for exercise

So the moral of the story: next time you start to head to your car ask yourself, “Could I get there by walking?”  When I drive to yoga I leave 30 min prior to the start of class.  When I walk I leave 45 min to the start of class.  Maybe you need those extra 15 min, but if you don’t that’s an extra 5,000 steps you could be getting.