The Cheater’s Diet by Dr. Paul Rivas and A. E. Tremblay is a refreshing weight loss book that alleviates the boredom of dieting while boosting your metabolism.
The Cheater’s Diet is a realistic weight loss plan for people who crave “forbidden” foods while on restrictive diets. With the Cheater’s Diet you are actually encouraged to eat what you want. You can have pizza, cake, chocolate, or whatever it is that you have been craving. What’s more is that eating these foods, as specified in the Cheater’s Diet, will actually speed up your metabolism and keep your body from going into starvation mode (which is often the cause of plateaus.)
How Does the Cheater’s Diet Work?
The Cheater’s Diet is basically an 80/20 rule. You eat healthy and sensible foods 5 days a week and take the weekend off from the restrictive diet. By doing so you are tricking your body again and again and not allowing it to adjust to the same amount of calories everyday. Your body has to work harder and the result is increased metabolism and better weight loss. It makes your body more efficient at burning calories and losing weight.
The bonus is that boredom is alleviated on the Cheater’s Diet. You can look forward to treating yourself to ice cream, cinnamon rolls, beer and more on the weekend after a week of being “good” on the healthy diet. It is psychologically helpful to know that you don’t have to wait a long time to eat cheat food again. Anyone can make it through 5 days of healthful eating to get their cheat food on the weekend. It becomes something you can look forward to and use as motivation during the week.
The Cheater’s Diet Isn’t Restrictive
Many diets advise you to avoid one food group or another. And while their rationale may make sense, it is not healthful to avoid food groups over long periods of time. Your body needs a wide variety of foods for optimal health.
“The fact is, you can’t live completely without either carbohydrates or fat because your body needs them in order to function,” Rivas states. “They are not your enemies, and trying to eliminate either from your diet completely will leave you with an incredibly monotonous menu plan.” (53)
The Meal Plan for Weekdays
- Avoid sugar, bread (unless whole wheat), saturated fat and alcohol.
- Include protein, fish, nuts, yogurt, fruits and vegetables, good fats (like olive oil) and dairy.
The Four-F Plan
The Cheater’s Diet includes a special section for anyone who wants to lose weight quickly. This plan is recommended for short periods of time, but will produce faster weight loss results.
- Frequently eat small meals.
- Fluids should include 8 cups of water per day plus a cup for every 3.5 point over 25 on the BMI chart.
- Fish is encouraged for meals.
- Fiber will help keep you full and lower your cholesterol levels.
The Cheater’s Diet is full of weight loss secrets and shortcuts that the lazy dieter in all of us can appreciate.
Tips from the Cheater’s Diet:
- Don’t give up food groups.
- Cheat to alleviate bordeom without feeling guilty.
- Take the misery out of restictive dieting.
- Use supplements proven to aid weight loss.
- Incorporate N.E.A.T activities (nonexercise activity plan) throughout your day.
- Tahe the weekends off and eat whatever you want.
- Don’t allow yourself to binge.
