Getting Lean. Personal trainer style.

Hi all,
Here we are on the 14th day ( I think ) and things are going along swimmingly. The hint of a six pack has started to develop nicely and people have also started to comment on the way I look. This is always a good thing, often others will see the changes before you do. When you get the comments, take them. Don't discount them, slight of hand style. The best way to keep your confidence is to praise yourself or allow others to praise you. At two weeks in, the thing about eating enough food is getting easier. Which brings me to todays subject. Cheat days or cheat meals?
Most of the serious get lean programs, mine included, ask you to have a cheat day or a cheat meal. So which one is preferable and why.? Well, for me, I prefer to have just a cheat meal. First lets look at why a cheat meal is important. The human body is VERY adaptive so after a while on any kind of eating plan it becomes use to what you are eating and looks for ways to become more efficient at processing the energy. An increase in efficiency equals a decrease in metabolism, which equals fat storage. In order to keep the body guessing, throw in a cheat meal a couple of times a week. I usually have my cheat meal after a day of eating mainly protein, but this isn't always required. I prefer to have a cheat that is not too loaded with sugar. I might have a burger and some chips or something like that.( Real Hamburger, not Macca's) The reason I have just a cheat meal and not a cheat day is because a whole day of eating " cheat style" can trigger the processed carb addiction and it can then be very hard to go back to eating well. If you are like me and you have a bit of a sweet tooth, stick with the cheat meal formula and don't swallow a whole bucket of ice cream as your cheat. Instead look for something that is only a little junky and only buy enough for one meal. Don't go for the one kilo family size chocolate, thinking that you will have a line or two and keep the rest for next cheat meal. The next cheat meal is likely to become the next ad break. Be smart, be prepared and be lean. Remember, like a good paint job, preparation is the key.
Daran