Make sure cheat meal is last meal of the day..great advice...that quote will stick in my toolbelt of knowledge

Mountain dog = goals as a man, a father , a lifter , and a sick ass nickname

I like the fact that you took your time, figuring out all the questions people have to Bodybuilding, Nutrition etc. The quality of your content is seriously good! I allways look forward to see what video you come up with next..! Thank you for doing what you do and for being who you are! You're truly a great man and an awesome Bodybuilder 👍😃 💪

7:34 is exactly why we all love this man such a genuine person

Great point on the ‘alienating yourself’ scenario - such an easy thing to do

Pure genius again Mr. Meadows-tryin' to catch up on all your older vids.

Absolutely love that you consider the social aspect 💖

Thanks for the video 😁 I have lost around 11kg in the past 4 months of lockdown and have got to the point I’m scared to eat anything that I can’t find the exact macros/calorie information for, this is due to a fear of undoing my progress 😕 now that we are coming out of lockdown, I don’t have as much time on my hands to meticulously weigh food, and this has made me realise there’s more to life and that the best diet is a sustainable one 😁 I plan to just relax a bit with the tracking and instead be mindful of what I am eating and how much, I don’t feel a need for a set cheat meal, and I enjoy the benefits of eating healthy, but satisfying the odd craving now and then can’t hurt 😁 Keep up the good work 😎

This is a great explanation. Made me realize that I do a refeed meal once a week and a cheat meal once a week.

Thank you John. your videos help me alot. I've lost 20 kilos so far.. through pure stubborness and determination. And im killing it in the gym. It's been really hard lately with continuing fat loss, due to my shin splints in my legs, and ive begun lifting alot of weights. Your insight and knowledge helps me alot with things I know very little about. Thanks for taking the time to do all these videos. Wish you and your family well. I'll keep watching.

This is a really good video, I came here after watching like 5 other videos about the same topic, and I like that he's talking honestly and straight to the point.

Thanks! You are so knowledgeable & seem so humble. God bless you!!!!

Thanks so much for this, John. I'm deep into my own contest prep, and recently had a refeed and felt quite bad about it, due to the whole "not hardcore enough" aspect. This really gave me some relief and peace of mind. Keep up the great work! Love your videos.

Really love your channel! This video was the best one on dieting. I eat great 95% of the month and cheating can be done because of my normal good diet. Before I started working out and eating right, I cheated every other day and then some and that's why I was out of shape! I eat more food now then I ever have but it's all good food, food that works for me, not against me

John being right on the money with the social gains. You need to just be a person and enjoy that meal with your family or friends sometimes without feeling like its a bad choice. Great video bud keep it going

Thanks for clearly and concisely explaining refeeds! I’ve watched another vid on that and still didn’t understand it, but you clearly explained what it is and WHY and when to do it. Thank you !

I have started to watched all your videos lately and your thinking and how you explain stuff is fantastic and I love the way you see bodybuilding and life and family. Thank you for everything, keep the videos coming. Hope meeting you one day and have a workout

This video is brilliant mark. I just came across your channel today & I’m subbing now

Great info as always! I've competed in 8 shows now and this was the FIRST time I have been in a better 'mental state' to handle it- I attribute it to keeping my weekly cheat meals in instead of being so strict like times before. Not sure if it cost me any extra leanness, but as far as negating post-contests rebound and having a positive reverse diet mentality I am definitely a cheat meal fan.

Love your videos so glad i discovered this channel.

Simple yet really informative!

Great point on having the cheat meal at the end of the day!

The best coach out there Ur clients are lucky to have you 🤞 💙🌷🍀

You have a new fan from Malaysia. I can't believe I discovered your channel so late. Thank you for this.

Another great video. Thank you so much for those daily very informative videos.

Mountain dog is most insightful and honest KZfaq coach

John Meadows is the BEST source of BB info on KZfaq. Love ya for the great content!

Fantastic video sir! Very informative, compassionate and well thought out. It would be an honor and a privilege to be coached by you. Have a great day!

I absolutely love your videos for the sound advice and excellent training!!! Thank you so much!! 👏👏😘😘

Outstanding info. Keep up the great work.

Another great video. I love how passionate you are. Really comes through, even on video. Can only imagine what it would be like to workout or attend a seminar with you. Plus I love there’s no foul language. No F bombs. You’re awesome brother! Keep up the great work. Respect 👊🏼

Excellent video! Thanks John.

Scrolling through the comments and noticing how many people John replied to is just another example of how quality this guy truly was.

Thanks for explaining this in detail.

Great and helpful content. Thanks a lot for sharing it with us

John you always have great video you the best...

I really love ur words...i love ur way and i love ur experience

Subd! I think I learned more in this video then hours on hours of info everywhere ... Thank you so much for this great real life info..going to check all your videos..

Great video. I always did a cheat at certain targets. For example, if someone starts out at 250, they should cheat at 240, 235, 230, 220, etc. That always made me get the job done faster and stick to the diet harder.

Thanks for the info!

Thanks a lot for this great content

As always great video

i dont even know john personally, but meh after all these good advice i love this guy

Gotta say this is your best video ever.

Attacking it from all aspects and very possible scenario. This is why I like this channel. It’s not a one size fits all and that’s what meadows takes into consideration

John your Videos are the best on youtube! I´ve learned so much! Thanks a lot! Greeting from Hamburg / Germany ;) and especially from my wife ;) (she´s on Diet) :D

Thanks John, I'm glad someone acknowledged the social component which is so important. I feel like people are getting older and smarter in this industry. well some.

This was very informative! Thank you. I get one refeed a week right now but honestly I mentally need a cheat day. 3 days a week I have no carb days and 1000 calories and its beyond tough. But I'm sticking to it.

What a awesome man, husband, father and bodybuilder!!

Another great video full of info.

For sure,i did a cheat meal or meals last night,and woke up sweating all night,so yea it works,thank x

Great advice

You explained this very well

Lovely Info and opinions 👌

Great info!!

Good information 👍🏼

thx very nice information..

Thank you very much 🙏🏻

Very helpful!

Nice big berkey and thanks for the info brother

Anecdote: weekly "cheat/refeed" meal has legit made losing weigh so much easier for me. During the week i can keep my calories pretty clean and at around 2000-2300 then saturday i know i have a big ass cheat meal and for the whole day ill be at like 3000-3200, then sunday we cut it back to just a little bit of a cheat where im only eating 2500 to get myself into the grove for mon-fri. I never feel hungry or cravings during the week nor sluggish and i average about a 3500-4000 cal deficit EASILY this way. Key word EASY. And the best part is that once ive hit my target weight, i can eat a little more during the week to maintain and build up even

It’s crazy how he said not everyone can be like the terminator or endure a tough diet like a machine. Just today I was walking and was thinking that I’m at that point where I’m pretty much a machine , neither moved by food or junk like I was a month ago. The discipline is enjoyable when you begin to see the results

Thanks mate, this is actually great info. Though I have a question, what do you think about a cheat day?

My metabolism responds in a similar way to what you're describing. I used to go through stages of stopping and starting the gym, I would normally start around Jan and stop around November as it always got to cold to cycle to the gym so I would stop and loose all my gains. This is where it gets strange, on a normal day I will just eat/drink whatever I want usually biscuits, cakes, pepsi, potatoes chips ect which would keep my weight stable at 135lbs even if I doubled my food intact I would gain nothing, and if I halfed it I would loose nothing but if I was to re start the gym on the diet of junk that I usually eat my weight would shoot back up to 145lbs without altering my calories which is the exact weight I was before I stopped the gym. I literally gain it all back within 10 days so I agree with what you've saying about metabolism it does work in a strange way.

Love you dawg

Thank you!!

I've never done a bodybuilding competition, but I used to be a fighter and would have to make weight for matches. I agree completely that you shouldn't alienate your family during those periods, and part of it is just mental toughness. I remember being a week or two out and being behind on my weight cut, so there was absolutely no room for cheat meals. But I still ate with my family and went out with friends. I would eat my own food, or I just wouldn't eat at all. But that was better than just falling of the face of the earth, as you said. Sure it was hard watching other people eat what they wanted, but so what? Just by deciding to compete, you're accepting that it's gonna be hard.

Really interesting video. THANKS! Just one doubt... I am a natural bodybuilder and I would like to know if you consider that the part were you talked about increasing calories and keeping burning fat applies also to natural bodybuilding. Thanks for your videos!

Hey John, great video. What about cheat meals on weak body part days or a training session that was really taxing? Should that be “method” be used only in the off-season?

Thank you.

Thanks so mutch

Another amazing video John---Super informative as always! Just have a quick question...During a fat loss cycle, would you have both a refeed and cheat meal in the same week? Or just one of the two? Thx again!

The Terminator will "Be Back" for his cheat meal

The point on waking up lighter after a refeed is due probably to the lowering of cortisol (stress hormone) due to increase in carbs abs you’re body ‘relaxing’ which can lead to water weight drop off. Body is super smart and intricate

Missed you my friend

I like the idea of adding about 150 carbs to stay healthy and one cheat meal a week. I use to make Saturdays my cheat day. Then discovered to cycle the cheat day. Thoughts

Hey John, when including cheat meals or refeeds weekly would you replace one of your prep meals or just add that meal for the day?

Basic facts as always.

I go 2 day refeed every 2 weeks and it is spot on!

Miss ya

John, Do you recommend GDAs for so called "cheats?" Or is it better to use them in general when in a surplus? thanks! Great video

You’re a good man Charlie Brown

Mann i miss Mountain dog he was like out wise father in bodybuilding and just the sweetest man ever

Hey so I just found out about refeeds and I’m pretty deep into dieting. I’m eating bout 1800 calories a day and I started cutting around 3500 so should keep cutting or is it unsafe to go lower? Thanks in advance btw

What are the odds we could get you and Jeff Cavaliere in a collab some day? I hold you two as the defacto fountains of knowledge for fitness related subjects on KZfaq.

Could you make a video about mini cuts while bulking?

I always look forward to your advices...right now I am 64kgs...in a gaining diet...just want to know that can we add sweets like chocolates while cheating on diet...and how often can we add a cheat meal on gaining diet??? Love ❤ from INDIA

John - do you ever use low volume / high intensity or always high volume ? Thoughts on that ? Thanks!

Hey John, what about a bit of carbs an hour or so before bed? Seems every night I get a carb craving like crazy bout an hour before bed. When I give him I have like a cup of cheerios.

I just had my first cheat meal in 4 months lol and it was only snow crab legs gonna see how my body reacts to it great video btw!

You're content has helped alot! Quick question! I have been working out for about 13 years. I'm 5'6 and weigh 170 lbs. Pretty decent build (been powerlifting and training heavy for the most part). Used to be 210 lbs a couple of years ago, but I've slowly gone down to 170 lbs.. Heres the problem... I've decided i wanna get leaner, so I set my calories to about 2000 a day.. im afraid i've gone too low (or not low enough)?! i never used to track my calories, and before i just ate what i wanted.. in a surplus for most of the time i'm guessing, so its hard to figure out what excactly my maintenance calories used to be. I've dropped about 5-6 lbs in about 2 months.. so its not alot, but i've got a feeling i shouldn't go lower on the calories.. what do you think? I should mention also that i am natural and have never used any performance enhancers. Thank you in advance!

I was wondering when should I cheat on my dirty eating and have a clean meal?

I eat what i want to eat key thing is to completely stay away from any kind of sodas liquidfied sugars will cause serious health issues.

We will never forget you, rip 🙏

I see you bro!!! With them GF Vans

I've been struggling to gain weight recently. Between 2800 and 3000 calories a day. Somedays, waking up lighter, just as you mentioned. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Would you say refeed is still important if one is on T3? (to satisfy the leptin sensitivity from the increase of carbs?)Because i think T3 will hold on to your metabolism while dieting, Just want your thought and opinion. A true fan of yours. Thanks for the information you provide for us.

thats true 🙏

John have you written a book on bbing coaching?

Danks