A Fat Kid at Heart
Admit it we are all fat kids at heart, but unfortunately there is a slight price that we have to pay for wanting be lean.
We have to keep that fat kid under control.
But I AM a advocater of cheat meals and in some cases full cheat days.
But let me define “cheat” for you.
I consider a cheat meal or day as a caloric surplus for that particular meal or even that day that greatly supersedes your normal eating or dieting habits. Other words, your normal meal is about 400 calories but instead you went all glutenous pig and consumed 900. Or your typical day your taking in 1800 calories but then you turner Homer Simpson and just consumed 4000-5000 plus.
From what I have found over time though is that when people hear the term “cheat” meal they take it as a free pass to eat WHATEVER they want and however MUCH they want.
With this kind of philosophy the big thing that can happen is that your stomach hates you because your body is not use to taking that kind of food. Don’t be surprised if you feel puffy, bloated or have gas that can peal wall paper.
Trust me it’s not a fun experience, and if you have done this you know what I’m talking about.
What I have learned over time is that when I having the benefit of a cheat day DURING a leaning out stage it’s not worth it to feel like crap to cheat on crappy foods. Instead I want my cheat meal to benefit my body AND at the same time I want to enjoy what I’m eating.
So below are some of the foods that I personally prepare that are my cheat foods based on raw ingredients to help the body better absorb the nutrients and not leave you feeling like your carrying a food baby.
Raw Pineapple Cake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1.5 cups of raw unsalted almonds
- 6 dates, pitted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Filling
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- 2 cups fresh pineapple
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup of raw honey
- 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Combine the crust ingredients in a food processor and blend with an S-blade until the crust clumps together on the sides. Pour crust ingredients into a 9” pie plate and flatten out from the center to the sides. Put aside. Combine all the filling ingredients in a blender and blend until pourable. Pour filling into pie plate over crust and let sit in the fridge for 1.5 hours – 2 hours or until filling hardens. Serve cold.
***I’ve substituted pinapple with strawberries the other day and I will admit that this whole pie was gone in the hour***
Orginial reciepe: http://jasonferruggia.com/best-cheesecake-ever/
Mixed Nut Bar
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup pecan meal
- 3/4 cup almond meal
- 1/4 cup walnut pieces
- 2 whole omega-3 eggs plus 2 whites, beaten
- 6 scoops vanilla Protein
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Splenda, to taste (optional)
Directions:
To make the pecan and almond meal, process the nuts in a blender. Mix everything together in a large bowl, and continue stirring until all of the ingredients have mixed together thoroughly. Spread the dough into an 8X8-inch baking dish coated with olive oil cooking spray, and bake for 15 minutes at 350-degrees F.
Original Recipe from: Precision Nutrition’s Gourmet Nutrition
Pumpkin! Pumped Up Protein Cheesecake
(See the top pic)
Ingredients:
- 12 oz fat free Kraft Cream Cheese
- 12 oz 0%Fat Fage Greek Yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup Splenda
- 1 1/2 Cup Pure Pumpkin Puree, canned
- 1 scoop (32g) Optimum Nutrition Vanilla Casein Powder
- 10 Tablespoons Fat Free Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 325. Spray your 9” cake pan (or spring form pan) with some non stick spray. If you are using a cake pan, line it with parchment paper on the bottom
- Using a stand or hand mixer, mix cream cheese on medium until creamy. Add Splenda and continue mixing until incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except for eggs) – mix on medium for 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, one a time until it’s mixed (don’t over mix it or you’ll get large cracks) and pour batter into pan.
- Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Turn oven to 200 for 50min – 1 hour. Remove and let cool on the counter. Wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Original Recipe: http://www.epicureanbb.com/post/32256198395/pumpkin-pumped-up-protein-cheesecake
In Health and Awesomeness,
Travis Merritt, BS, CPT, CES, RBT is the owner of Fitness Revolution in Rowlett, TX.
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