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In a nutshell, the Cheat to Lose Diet asks dieters to eat low-carb, low-glycemic foods each week, then end their week with a high-calorie day. The hook of the Cheat to Lose Diet came to its creator Joel Marion by accident. After following an extremely strict diet and hitting a weight-loss roadblock, he briefly binged on pasta, pizza and ice cream, then lost weight and fat. Cheat to Lose proposes that the reason people fail on diets is leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells that tell the brain whether your body is starving or not. When you don't eat enough calories, the amount of leptin in your body drops drastically, causing your body to do whatever it can to preserve weight. Your metabolism slows down, your appetite increases and serum cortisol, a stress hormone that causes your body to store more of the calories you eat as body fat, is released. By binging at the end of the week, dieters raise their leptin level back to normal after six days of strict dieting, so their body never thinks it's starving.
Despite all the science it presents, experts agree that the diet itself is simply a low-carb, low-glycemic program that works in the same way as other popularized diets that follow similar guidelines, such as Atkins and the South Beach Diet.
Is the diet healthy?
Eating low-carb, low-glycemic foods six days a week and exercising three to four times weekly will certainly shave off the weight, but the ADA isn't supportive of low-carb programs because they tend to exclude many high-fiber fruits, vegetables and grains. The Cheat to Lose Diet does try to address this by telling dieters to eat plenty of low-carb, high-fiber veggies and add a fiber supplement (such as Metamucil) whenever possible.
Some dieters may also binge beyond what's considered healthy eating on their cheat day. However, the diet does lay down a few ground rules meant to keep dieters from falling too far off-track, such as: Don't wake up earlier than usual (so you end up eating more meals and calories than usual), don't skip meals (which can prevent your blood sugar from elevating, which causes the storage of body fat) and don't stuff yourself.
What do the experts say?
"There's not a lot of science to support why it's necessary to alternate between eating low-glycemic foods and higher-glycemic foods, but the diet is nutritionally balanced," says Beth Thayer, MS, RD, American Dietetic Association Spokesperson. As for leptin and its' impact on helping dieters shed pounds? "There are studies out there about how leptin levels affect and manage hunger, but whether or not manipulating what you eat plays out in the real world, I don't know we can say that with certainty."
However, that said, the diet still has its fair share of positive perks. "By having a cheat day, it gives dieters something to look forward to, which may help them make it through each week," says Thayer. "If you follow the rules recommended on how to eat on your cheat day, you won't end up eating thousands and thousands of calories." In fact, the rules -- such as don't eat until you're full and break up your meals --may help dieters learn some of the tried-and-true rules of weight management.
"The three-week, low-carb, low-glycemic primer at the start of the diet is fairly safe for a healthy person," says Thayer, who points out that most dieters will see quick weight loss from shedding mostly water weight. "Although it's not true fat loss, for some dieters, that loss can build a sense of accomplishment, which might make them more likely to continue on with the diet." Her final analysis: Although there will be some people that could be successful using it, it's not the cure-all for weight management,but it's a healthier start than most.
Who should consider the diet?
Anyone that requires a sense of structure, but still needs to have some type of reward at the end of their week for a job well done.
Bottom Line
If you ignore the hype about it being revolutionary, and don't completely gorge yourself on cheat days, the diet's basics are still sound in principle and may help you lose weight -- even if it's repackaged advice you've seen before.
What you can eat: Beans, brown rice, apples, beef, eggs, almonds, fish, venison, carrots, bananas and potatoes. What you can't: Although high-carb, high-glycemic foods are a no-no most of the time, you can eat anything you want on your cheat day.
Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have, Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and The Men's Health Gym Bible.
Despite all the science it presents, experts agree that the diet itself is simply a low-carb, low-glycemic program that works in the same way as other popularized diets that follow similar guidelines, such as Atkins and the South Beach Diet.
Is the diet healthy?
Eating low-carb, low-glycemic foods six days a week and exercising three to four times weekly will certainly shave off the weight, but the ADA isn't supportive of low-carb programs because they tend to exclude many high-fiber fruits, vegetables and grains. The Cheat to Lose Diet does try to address this by telling dieters to eat plenty of low-carb, high-fiber veggies and add a fiber supplement (such as Metamucil) whenever possible.
Some dieters may also binge beyond what's considered healthy eating on their cheat day. However, the diet does lay down a few ground rules meant to keep dieters from falling too far off-track, such as: Don't wake up earlier than usual (so you end up eating more meals and calories than usual), don't skip meals (which can prevent your blood sugar from elevating, which causes the storage of body fat) and don't stuff yourself.
What do the experts say?
"There's not a lot of science to support why it's necessary to alternate between eating low-glycemic foods and higher-glycemic foods, but the diet is nutritionally balanced," says Beth Thayer, MS, RD, American Dietetic Association Spokesperson. As for leptin and its' impact on helping dieters shed pounds? "There are studies out there about how leptin levels affect and manage hunger, but whether or not manipulating what you eat plays out in the real world, I don't know we can say that with certainty."
However, that said, the diet still has its fair share of positive perks. "By having a cheat day, it gives dieters something to look forward to, which may help them make it through each week," says Thayer. "If you follow the rules recommended on how to eat on your cheat day, you won't end up eating thousands and thousands of calories." In fact, the rules -- such as don't eat until you're full and break up your meals --may help dieters learn some of the tried-and-true rules of weight management.
"The three-week, low-carb, low-glycemic primer at the start of the diet is fairly safe for a healthy person," says Thayer, who points out that most dieters will see quick weight loss from shedding mostly water weight. "Although it's not true fat loss, for some dieters, that loss can build a sense of accomplishment, which might make them more likely to continue on with the diet." Her final analysis: Although there will be some people that could be successful using it, it's not the cure-all for weight management,but it's a healthier start than most.
Who should consider the diet?
Anyone that requires a sense of structure, but still needs to have some type of reward at the end of their week for a job well done.
Bottom Line
If you ignore the hype about it being revolutionary, and don't completely gorge yourself on cheat days, the diet's basics are still sound in principle and may help you lose weight -- even if it's repackaged advice you've seen before.
What you can eat: Beans, brown rice, apples, beef, eggs, almonds, fish, venison, carrots, bananas and potatoes. What you can't: Although high-carb, high-glycemic foods are a no-no most of the time, you can eat anything you want on your cheat day.
Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have, Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and The Men's Health Gym Bible.
