It only seems appropriate that at this time of year I have a little discussion on cheating. The temptation is literally at the door. As of Nov. 1st most houses (especially those with kids) and workplaces are overflowing with chocolatey nougaty goodness. There is no holiday quite like Halloween. It is essentially authorized, organized and otherwise socially acceptable begging - but we call it trick or treating.

We dress our kids up and say "look how cute they are - NOW GIVE US CANDY!" By nights' end the children can take home their bodyweight in candy. After the kids go to bed (if they go to bed) it is time for the parents to exact the "candy tax"- one for you two for me...The next morning the kids' booty has shrunken considerably. It's all in the kids' best interest of course - candy is not good for them.

Even if you don't have kids you have to stock up on feedbags of snack sized this and that for potential beggars trick or treaters. Heaven help you if you hand out something healthy. I know of one house that actually gave out whole walnuts (in the shell) one year. Needless to say most of them were returned within moments of them shutting the door.

I love Halloween. It is a Reese's filled blessing of a day.

But on to the point of it all : CHEATING.

On all the nutrition programs I design for clients cheating is as mandatory as any other aspect. Every 7 days, I usually recommend one cheat day. It can be a full day, or sometimes a cheat night, or just a cheat meal. My personal cheat day is Saturday. There are two main benefits to cheating: psychological and physiological. Let's tackle psychological first.

Psychological Benefit of Cheating: In my opinion this is the more important reason of the two. The psychology of training and nutrition cannot be understated. Now let's say you come to me and say you need to lose a decent amount of fat. The bottom line is you do not get to eat the way you eat now, and look the way you want. The way you look now is a direct result of the way you eat now. That should make sense: regardless of training programming, the nutrition has to change.

Let's also assume that you love Snickers bars (you could substitute anything, sugar sodas, vats of pasta etc.) and you have one every day. Guess what- I'm going to tell you to knock it off. No more Snickers. Well for you that just sucks. But there is light at the end of the tunnel: Your cheat day. Go ahead and have 2 Snickers that day. The Cheat Day allows you a day when you don't have to worry about carbs or even fat intake. You have a sanctioned day off. So during the week you can more easily forgo the crap you would normally eat because come cheat day it is all yours. You are not depriving yourself as technically there is nothing that is not allowed. This improves nutritional compliance and keeps fat loss clients relatively sane.

The Physiological Benefit of Cheating: Your body is teaming with hormones. Some hormones want to keep you fat, some want to make you thin. They are constantly doing battle, and guess which one is winning? The deal is that your body is wonderful at adapting. From an evolutionary stand point that is great - from a fat loss perspective it is a giant pain in the ass. Your body wants to keep fat on for many reasons - not the least of which is the famine that is right around the corner. Silly body - there is no famine around the corner. Well I wish it were as easy as just telling your body that, but it isn't. Your body's main purpose is to ensure survival, and stored body fat ensures survival during times of restricted consumption.

When we alter the nutrition to promote fat loss, there will be a caloric deficit. We will be eating less calorically then we did before. But your body is not stupid, it will see that the calories are dropping, and do whatever it can to slow and even halt fat loss. Again, body fat ensures survival, and your body thinks it is doing you a favor. Silly body. The body will alter levels of key hormones that will essentially slow metabolism and blunt fat loss. This is why many traditional diets stall and ultimately fail.(Side note: intense exercise can combat the metabolic slow down, but that is a different article).

One of these key hormones is leptin. When calories are low, leptin levels fall. It is actually a very complicated system, but in a nut shell if the body's levels of leptin fall below a certain level, fat loss will cease. High levels of leptin tell the body it is ok to give up stored body fat for fuel. That is where the cheat comes in.

When you cheat you are essentially creating a short term caloric spike. The body responds very quickly to this spike (thankfully) and leptin output is increased. The increased leptin levels will allow for continued fat loss on non-cheat days. You can think of it as taking a half step back to allow you to take 2 steps forward. With this approach continued fat loss is achievable.

There is a fair amount of research going on about what makes for the best cheat foods. Currently it is believed that high carb foods work best. Yeah, I know - that is really cool. Fat should usually be kept in check, but don't stress over it.

Conclusion:

So now here we are, Halloween with all that candy. Mmmmmmm....candy. This article was not meant to give you license to gorge yourself on candy corn and Butterfinger Bites, but it was meant to give you some ammunition in your war on fat. Used strategically cheating can improve your fat loss program. Now go raid your kids' candy sack.

Happy Halloween From Carter Fitness

Yes, this is real. I actually carved my logo into a pumpkin.

Joshua Carter
The Body Transformation Expert
Carter Fitness
http://carterfitness.com/
818-337-6175

PS: Any and all Reese's related products including but not limited to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (all sizes) and Reese's Pieces as well as any peanut butter containing candies should be sent to the address below for immediate inspection and proper disposal!

Reese's Disposal Unit
8300 Valley Circle Blvd. Unit B
West Hills, CA 91304

The Super Hero Family: Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Spider-Man.

You have to admit, going out in public like this takes guts.

Each year I think to myself there is no way I could possibly look any more ridiculous. Each year I find a way to prove myself wrong. The kids love it, so I really don't mind.

Off to fight crime...

I'm Batman.

You know that exercise promotes better health. Your doctor tells you to get more exercise. The government puts out official exercise recommendations for you to follow. And I'm always ranting about the importance of regular exercise.

So you go on a walk and then pat yourself on the back. Exercise accomplished-right?

This begs the question: Can you get fit by walking?

A research team at the University of Alberta took this question on in a detailed study. They compared a group that took part in a walking program with a group that did a traditional fitness routine at moderate intensity.

The results? The fitness level of the walkers was significantly lower than those who did traditional exercise at moderate intensity. Here is what the lead researcher, Dr. Vicki Harber, had to say:

"Generally, low-intensity activity such as walking alone is not likely to give anybody marked health benefits compared to programs that occasionally elevate the intensity."

Harber went on to say that, "You've go to do more than light exercise and move towards the inclusion of regular moderate activity, and don't be shy to interject an occasional period of time at the vigorous level."

Hmmm, so walking for exercise won't give you the health benefits that more challenging exercise delivers. What does this mean for your walking routine? Is there any place in fitness for walking?

What walking can do for you...

Don't get me wrong-there is a place for walking in fitness. If you are brand new to exercise then walking is the first activity that you'll need to master. Walking is a wonderful activity for you if your body is overweight, under conditioned and simply unaccustomed to moving much.

Look at walking as a stepping stone to fitness. It transitions you from the couch to the gym. Walking is just a notch above not moving-you'll burn a few calories and warm up unused muscles.

The problem comes when your exercise routine begins and ends with walking.

You see, like the study above pointed out, walking just won't deliver results. Your body is so efficient in its ability to adapt that you have to increase your exercise intensity in order to see results.

Beyond walking...

Once you have mastered brisk walking, you are ready for a new challenge, namely, resistance training. If you haven't tried resistance training then it may sound a little scary.

Isn't resistance training just a fancy word for 'lifting weights'? And don't you have to be an athlete to lift weights?

I understand your reservations about beginning a resistance training program, however the facts are undeniable-in order to achieve substantial health and fitness results you must use resistance training. Besides, you will soon find resistance training to be quite enjoyable and not something exclusive to athletes.

What are the benefits of Resistance Training? Just to name a few...

• Increase in muscle strength and tone
• Increase in metabolism (this means extra fat burning)
• Increase in bone density
• Injury prevention
• Improved posture
• Improved health (lowered blood pressure and cholesterol; lowers your risk for adult-onset diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers)
• Improved mood and self esteem

Wow-that's an impressive list of benefits. Resistance training is simply the way to go when you want to get fit. Couple a resistance training program with a challenging cardiovascular routine and you will be well on your way to achieving all of your fitness goals.

If you aren't seeing results with your current exercise program then it is time to give me a call.

Let's get you started on a program that offers the resistance training and cardiovascular challenge that your body needs. Contact me now!

No one's perfect. And guess what? A perfect person would be pretty boring. So why do expect yourself to be perfect? Learn to love who you are as you take active steps to improve your health and fitness level. Loving yourself means taking good care of your body through healthy eating and regular exercise.

Who says you can't have your quesadilla and eat it too? This recipe slashes the fat and calories found in traditional quesadillas while packing an enjoyable flavor punch in each bite. In a hurry? This recipe only takes 15 minutes to make-try it tonight. Servings: 2

Here's what you need...

• 4 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 2 whole wheat tortillas
• 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup shredded nonfat mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 2 tablespoon nonfat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste

1. Combine the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Season raw chicken breast with the spice mixture. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat the skillet. Add the chicken and cook on medium heat until brown, turning once. Cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes more or until the chicken is fully cooked. Cool and cut into cubes.
2. Preheat the toaster oven to 350 F. Place tortilla on a cutting board. Arrange the cubed chicken on the tortilla and top with black beans and mozzarella. Cover with the other tortilla and press down. Bake until the cheese is melted.
3. Cut the quesadilla into quarters and top with salsa and sour cream.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 255 calories, 3g fat, 35g carbohydrate, and 21g protein.

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About the Author: 
Joshua Carter is a certified personal trainer as well as a fitness and fat loss expert. With over 15 years personal training experience, Joshua has developed training & nutrition protocols that have delivered proven results in half the time as traditional programs.  These successful protocols have been shared with a select few trainers who assist Joshua with training at his Carter Fitness in West Hills, California.  His facility offers personal training for those who live near West Hills , Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Chatsworth and Calabasas.

Email: joshua@carterfitness.com
Phone: 818-337-6175
Web: http://carterfitness.com