Cheat To Lose Diet

cheat-to-lose dietCheat To Lose is a diet set out in a book by Joel Marion.

The Cheat To Lose approach gets more deeply into earlier dieting principles of aerobic and strength training and high-protein small and frequent meals.

What is the Cheat To Lose Diet?

Cheat to Lose aims to manipulate the level of the hormone leptin – this naturally falls when calorie intake drops as happens in most dieting regimes, thereby restricting the tendency for the body to keep burning fat, so weight loss slows or stops.

Marion’s objective is to increase the leptin level, and since Leptin supplements are not available, he claims that an increase of caloric intake boosts leptin and ‘tricks’ the body into resuming weight-loss – in fact suggests that a single day of overfeeding or ‘cheating’ restores leptin levels and the resumption of weight-loss activity.

This is the ‘cheat day’, when you can consume foods “you crave without feeling guilty” – or so says the book.

The 2 main phases suggested are:

The Priming Phase

One week of reduced carb, one week of Low Glycemic Load carbohydrates, one week of Higher Glycemic Load, and then a “cheat day” – as shown in the book:

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Week 1 Low Carb Low Carb Low Carb Low Carb Low Carb Low Carb Low Carb
Week 2 Low GI/GL Low GI/GL Low GI/GL Low GI/GL Low GI/GL Low GI/GL Low GI/GL
Week 3 Higher GI/GL Higher GI/GL Higher GI/GL Higher GI/GL Higher GI/GL Higher GI/GL CHEAT day

The Core Phase

Each week begins with two low-carb days, followed by an increasing Glycemic Load on each of 4 days, finishing with a ‘cheat day’. The idea is to manipulate leptin levels in order to maximize fat loss.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Low Carb Low Carb Low GI/GL Low GI/GL Higher GI/GL Higher GI/GL CHEAT day

Daily exercise is recommended, including suggested strength or resistance training, and the book includes ideas and tips, many medical references, suggested meal plans, and recipes. Some supplementation is recommended by the author.

These exercises can be used with the Cheat to Lose Diet.

Available from Amazon →

Sample Meal Plans for the Cheat To Lose Diet (recipes in book)

Priming Phase Menu

Day 1: Low Carb

Breakfast
African Bobotie
Snack – Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

Lunch
Grilled Tuna Salad
Herbal tea

Snack
Fruit juice sweetened yogurt
Snack – Sliced fresh ham, mixed nuts

Dinner
Grilled salmon, mixed greens

Day 2: Low Carb

Breakfast
Tomato-Basil Omelet
Snack – 2 hard-boiled eggs, celery

Lunch
Bunless 95% lean cheeseburger, broccoli

Snack – Low-Carb Vanilla Protein Shake, 1 ounce Cheddar cheese

Dinner
Insalata Mista with Lemon-Garlic Chicken

Day 8: Low GI/GLBreakfast

Raw Oatmeal with Dried Fruit
Snack – Berry Blast Protein Smoothie   Lunch
Ground turkey and lentil soup, navel orange
Snack – Strawberry Parfait

Dinner
Asparagus-Stuffed Chicken

Day 9: Low GI/GL

Breakfast
Ham and egg white omelet (1 to 2 whole eggs, plus additional whites), oatmeal (plain rolled oats) topped with ground flaxseeds and strawberries
Snack – Protein Energy Bar

Lunch
Balsamic Chicken with Chickpea Puree
Snack – Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein cookies

Dinner
Grilled Lamb and Couscous Salad

Day 15: Higher GI/GLBreakfast
Apple-Carrot Muffins (Chapter 13)
Snack
Peach Cobbler Parfait (Chapter 17)
Lunch
Chicken noodle soup
Snack
Metabolic Drive Protein Energy Bar
Dinner
Breaded Chicken with Rice (Chapter 15), spinach

Day 16: Higher GI/GL

Breakfast
Lumberjacks Breakfast (Chapter 13)

Other high protein recipes can be found here.

 By Mizpah Matus B.Hlth.Sc(Hons)
    Citations:
  • Heymsfield, S. B., Greenberg, A. S., Fujioka, K., Dixon, R. M., Kushner, R., Hunt, T., … & McCamish, M. (1999). Recombinant leptin for weight loss in obese and lean adults: a randomized, controlled, dose-escalation trial. Jama, 282(16), 1568-1575. link
  • Havel, P. J., Kasim-Karakas, S., Mueller, W., Johnson, P. R., Gingerich, R. L., & Stern, J. S. (1996). Relationship of plasma leptin to plasma insulin and adiposity in normal weight and overweight women: effects of dietary fat content and sustained weight loss. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 81(12), 4406-4413. link

7 Comments or Reviews

Comments now closed
  1. Stephanie

    there is a Video on this page that explains the differences between GI/GL

    and on this page

    is a link to International table of glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) values: 2002 with over 700 products
    that link is just above, “WHY DO GI VALUES FOR THE SAME TYPES OF FOODS SOMETIMES VARY?”

  2. Stephanie

    Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load are two DIFFERENT thing.

    My Cardiologist has me following a Glycemic LOAD scale not the Glycemic Index scale. Which is a big pain because there is way more info about Glycemic Index.

  3. Ramona Anold

    would like more information. Great diet.

  4. sally

    body weight exercise eg push ups

  5. admin

    GI/GL stands for Glycemic Index / Glycemic Load

  6. sam

    hi
    i wanna know wat is GI/GL stands for????

  7. linda

    i am interested in this diet,but the exercises included strength or resistance training?because i don’t have equipment ,i could make cardio but resistance exercises withouth equipment how?

    thanks for reading me and waiting your answer

    thanks a lot!
    bombomv20001@hotmail.com