Cheat Meals - The Hard Truth (YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!)

Eat foods you like while building ripped athletic muscle here
Cheat meals are one of the most asked about topics when it comes to bodybuilding and workout nutrition. Everyone wants to know how often it is ok to indulge in cheat meals and whether it is possible to have them and still be ripped. It is just another one of those nutrition questions that people seem to get hung up on, rightfully so, on their way to getting a six pack. In this video, I’m going to cover the hard truth about cheat meals and give you all the facts so that you can decide for yourself.
First, we have to define what a cheat meal actually is. In my opinion we are not talking about foods like steak, pizza, pasta, potatoes, or mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt. Those are actually just foods that are not only part of my recommended meal plan but what I eat in a single day. Instead, I am referring to those foods that are loaded with fats, carbohydrates or calories that are typically served with a death certificate along with a napkin.
That said, as long as we are defining these indulgences the same way I would say that you have to ask yourself 4 questions when it comes to deciding how important cheat meals are to you.
First, you have to ask if the meal plan you are on right now is making you feel deprived. Most diets and diet plans do exactly that. They revolve around the concept of deprivation. No carbs. No fats. No wheat. While this is something you can likely follow for the short term you will not likely be able to stick to this for any meaningful period of time. If this is you, you might find yourself craving cheat meals.
Next, you have to ask what your fitness goals are. I have a brand that I am the face of that I believe I must represent honorably. Because of this, I follow a pretty rigid eating plan. You on the other hand may be perfectly happy having 8 percent body fat and still being able to eat some cheat meals every now and then. It’s totally possible as long as you follow the remainder of the rules I put forth in the video.
You also have to determine your level of motivation and how likely you are to not allow a cheat meal to turn into a cheat day and a cheat week. Staying the course long term again is the goal of any nutrition strategy. One that includes cheating or not.
At the end of the day, eating the right foods and having good nutrition is important for getting your six pack abs to show year round. You can’t eat unhealthy foods and follow a bad diet and think that you are going to be showing good muscle definition. That said, while this can be the hardest part for many it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simplify your nutrition with the X Factor Meal Plans included in the ATHLEAN-X Training System that you can get at today.
For more videos on workout nutrition and cheat meals as well as cheat days, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube at