Back in the spring of 2001, I got an email from some guy named Joel Marion. At the time, I was a whopping 19 years old, and he and I had a few mutual friends who thought it would be a good idea for the two of us to get in touch.

Apparently, we were both up-and-comers in this "biz" as evidenced by the fact that we spent a lot more time lifting weights, posting on training/nutrition forums, and reading everything in sight than all our peers, who were busy boozing themselves into oblivion.

It was somewhat of an ordinary introduction email, but the signature line was what got my attention (and not for the reason you might think):

Joel Marion
2001 Body-for-Life Grand Champion, Ages 18-25

People outside of this business would've been very impressed by this accolade, as it's a pretty coveted title. Personally, I took it to mean, "Here's some lazy slob who decided to actually move and not eat crap for twelve weeks, all while practicing his Photoshop and posing skills."

Cynical, I know.

But over the months that followed, I came to realize that Joel was anything but an "ordinary guy" — and certainly not a lazy slob. He quickly became a friend and respected colleague with whom I'd exchange ideas daily.

In the years that followed, I watched as Joel developed into an expert who tirelessly researched and experimented with various theories in hopes of turning "good" into "optimal." There's no better example of this than his dedication to developing the system that's now being introduced in his book, The Cheat to Lose Diet.

Eric Cressey: First, let's give those reading a little background about the book, who you're working with, who's publishing it, etc.

Joel Marion: The book is being published in hard cover by Crown Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. My editorial team has worked with the likes of South Beach, Atkins, Body-for-Life for Women, Jillian Michaels (trainer, NBC's Biggest Loser), and Jorge Cruise (3-Hour Diet), so I've got some big names to follow.

We've also just launched the online companion (www.CheatToLoseDiet.com) to the book. So, it's a pretty exciting time!

EC: Sounds like we might be seeing you on TV sometime soon.

JM: Well, if things take off like we hope, you might end up seeing a lot more of me than you'd like! We already have a twenty-city national radio tour planned, along with plenty of print media, and the folks at Waterfront do a nice job of swarming the Web, so you'll definitely be hearing the Cheat to Lose brand making some noise out there.

EC: So with a title like The Cheat to Lose Diet and the company of books and authors you just mentioned, is it safe to say that you're really focusing on the mainstream public as your target audience?

JM: Yes and no. I mean, we're certainly marketing to the broadest possible audience, as the concept of cheating to lose fat faster appeals to just about anyone and everyone, and it'd be stupid to leave any group out. Not to mention the message of this book is my passion, and having spent the last five years of my life researching and developing the Cheat to Lose program, naturally I want to share it with as many people as possible.

But that doesn't mean that I dumbed things down and oversimplified to appeal to the lowest common denominator. In fact, my goal was just the opposite — to write a book that flies in the face of all the nonsense out there and give Americans a diet-related book that's good for something other than decoration or an oversized coaster for a change.

The book really is for everyone. And moreover, the program is one that's going to help you achieve the fastest fat loss no matter who you are. T-Nation readers will love the science (over 300 referenced studies) and all the new, cutting-edge information presented, but even more the results and just how enjoyable the program is. I've had hundreds of T-Nationers utilize the program in the few test runs that we did, and some of the most "hardcore" bodybuilders and powerlifters in the group swear by it.

At the same time, it's written and set up in a way that anyone can understand and implement, so you could do it with your wife or girlfriend or even buy a copy for your parents. I've had a lot of guys who could never get their wives into the whole fitness/healthy lifestyle use the book as a way to draw them in, and because of the concept, they bite.

EC: Before we talk more about the program, fill us in on the other T-Nation contributor involved with this project.

JM: Absolutely. If you're a John Berardi or Gourmet Nutrition fan, then you're in for a treat, because in the book are 75 all-new recipes contributed by Dr. Berardi.

Given that I'm about as far from creative as it gets in the kitchen, bringing John in on the project for the recipe design was a no-brainer. And he delivered, big-time, with an array of mouth-watering recipes. It's like getting the sequel to Gourmet Nutrition as an added bonus when you pick up the book!

EC: Cool. How did you come up with this diet anyway?

JM: In 2002, a week full of dietary screw-ups actually got my fat loss wheels turning after several weeks of sitting in park. It was pretty crazy. I had two big "cheat" episodes with stuff like pasta, pizza, and ice cream and ultimately ended up losing more fat and weight that week than I had in the entire three weeks prior following a ridiculously strict dietary regimen.

I knew there was something to it as I'd noticed this before. I'd always lose fat faster when allowing myself to indulge from time to time. At the time it made absolutely no sense to me, but I was curious. So I started researching what goes on in the body when we diet and what happens when we overeat. That was really how it all began.

From there it's been a ton of additional research and constant revision of the program based on working with clients and exploring what happens in the real world. (My "perfected" approach, which is the program in the book, really is nothing like what I advocated initially back in '03.) The end result is an ideal blend of research, theory, and what actually happens in real life with real people.

EC: Okay, let's get into the actual approach. You talk a lot about the hormone leptin and its role in dieting and ultimately in making cheating "work." Tell us about that.

JM: Leptin can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It's generally the latter as its position is highly dependent on what you are doing and most people aren't doing the right things when it comes to dieting.

Leptin

Leptin is the hormone that controls the body's starvation protection mechanism. When food intake is normal, leptin levels are high, metabolism is normal, and the body's fat burning potential is also high. However, go on a diet and leptin levels drop quickly and dramatically (by around 50% after only one week of energy restriction), metabolism slows, and the body begins to hold on to fat stores, again as a starvation protection mechanism.

You see, our bodies don't know we're trying to "get ripped for summer" or bring out our dormant six pack; the body just knows we're not eating enough. With that information, it's going to react unfavorably (from a dieting and fat loss standpoint, anyway).

In order for dieting to be successful, we'd need to trick the body into thinking we're not dieting by somehow keeping leptin levels elevated as we try to shed unwanted pounds.

EC: And I take it that "leptin" supplements aren't available?

JM: No, none available, not to mention that it can only be administered by injection and it's very, very expensive.

And even if you could take a leptin pill, that wouldn't be nearly as fun as the method I'm about to share with you. While the research has shown that leptin plummets by 50% or more after only one week of dieting, it only takes one day of overfeeding or "cheating" to restore leptin to baseline while dramatically boosting your fat burning potential.

So, the answer to keeping leptin high is to do the opposite of what everyone has ever told you, and that's periodically schedule "cheat" time into your dietary to-do list.

And the best part is that with this approach we solve the biggest fat loss problem of all time: the fact that dieting is just so incredibly unrealistic. Attempting to go weeks and weeks or months without your favorite foods is a recipe for failure, and that's exactly what 99% of all diets sooner or later become — failures. People will cheat, and unfortunately it leads to nothing but guilt and throwing in the towel.

Listen, I know just as well as anybody that dieting flat-out sucks. It's frustrating, boring, and anything but easy. And it takes its toll on even the most "hardcore" of us, so it's no wonder why the non-physique conscious sedentary general public isn't able to stick to a diet for more than a couple weeks at a time.

But dieting and fat loss doesn't have to be any of those things. In fact, through cheating, it's the exact opposite. You never feel guilty or burnt out; instead, dieting becomes fun and effortless. And in the end, you're losing fat faster and more consistently, week after week, than you ever could via restrictive dieting.

Essentially, you're working with your body, both physiologically and psychologically, instead of against it, and ultimately, your body and physique will thank you for it.

EC: Very interesting. So people just eat a large pizza and a bag of M&Ms and before they know it they'll be in bad-ass shape? It never quite worked that way for me...

JM: It would be nice, wouldn't it? But no, cheating itself, especially high frequency cheating (you know, when every day is a cheat day), isn't what's going to get you into bad-ass shape, but rather the strategic implementation of regular cheating into an ideal diet and exercise program that will, and that's essentially what I outline in the book.

EC: Okay, how do you set up the rest of the days around the cheat days?

JM: That's the most important part to making things work. The research has shown carbohydrate to be the macronutrient most highly correlated with leptin levels, so we manipulate carbs quite a bit in between cheat days.

After a cheat day, when leptin levels are high, we can get away with a low-carb approach (and that will actually yield some really nice, quick fat loss), but we don't want to hang out there too long because our friend leptin gets upset and starts doing things to piss us off.

So how do we keep him happy? By adding more carbs. And we strategically keep adding them, manipulating the macro breakdowns and types of carbs every couple days leading up to the next leptin-surging cheat day. By manipulating carbs this way, we play into leptin and can keep hormone levels elevated even when not cheating.

EC: And you said strategic exercise is an important part of the recipe, too?

JM: Yeah, cardio is big, especially right after a cheat day. Appropriately timed cardio can actually triple the effectiveness of the program.

EC: When we begin to understand how the body responds to dieting, and the body's defense against starvation, this approach really starts to make sense. Why do you think that everyone else is still stuck on the same "common sense" approach to weight loss — eat less (and maybe exercise) and you'll have the body of your dreams?

JM: If it were only that simple. You hear the term "common sense nutrition" all the time, but unfortunately when it comes to fat loss, our body doesn't operate on what we think is common sense. In fact, it rejects it, both physiologically and psychologically.

People haven't a clue how to lose weight, and if they're somehow able to, it's extremely short lived at best. All these diet approaches out there, they're all essentially the same with one or two unimportant differences, all revolving around the "common sense" principle of restricting calories. Common sense isn't working, people.

Calorie restriction has consistently, time after time, year after year, yielded less than sub par results, but still people cling to it as if the result is somehow going to change with the next book. The body is much too complex for common sense, and it's about time we start thinking — and acting — a little deeper.

What people need isn't another common sense approach to nutrition and weight loss; they need uncommon sense, and cheating to lose fat faster is about as uncommon sense as it gets. What's ironic is how much sense it actually makes when you understand how the body works. It really is epiphanic when you "get it."

EC: I'm going to play devil's advocate for a minute. Surely there are people who've had success with calorie restrictive weight loss programs, so what would you say to someone who's lost a great deal of weight on Atkins or South Beach and tells you that those programs really work?

JM: Check back in with me in six months. Either one of two things will have happened. One, and the more probable of the two, they will have gained the weight back (and usually some extra).

Any time you restrict calories over a long period of time it's going to lead to some weight loss, sometimes a lot of weight loss. Problem is, much of that will be calorie-burning muscle tissue, which means a much slower metabolism when all is said and done.

Not only that, long-term calorie restriction will leave your metabolism so screwed up hormonally that it's almost impossible to keep the weight off. Unless, and this was the second option from above, you continue to diet and restrict calories for the rest of your life.

In that case, if that's what you're doing to have the body you want, I feel terribly sorry for you. If I had to do that and couldn't eat my pizza and chocolate chip cookies semi-regularly, or even just regular quantities of food, I'd be one fat dude. Sorry, but it ain't worth it.

Fortunately, none of that is necessary when you preserve your metabolism with a program like Cheat to Lose instead of destroy it with months of calorie restriction.

EC: What can people eat on a cheat day? Can they actually have pizza and ice cream? Or do they have to stick to low-fat carb sources?

JM: I prescribe cheat days, not carbohydrate refeeds, so pizza and ice cream are fair game. I know there are quite a few advocates of loading up on carbs while keeping dietary fat low, but from a fat loss perspective, based on the results of the hundreds of people I've worked with directly and feedback from thousands more, that isn't what works best.

I can't really say I know why, because I don't, but eating whatever comes to mind instead of placing limitations on what one can or can't eat is what has repeatedly been shown to yield the best results. Perhaps it has something to do with the synergistic insulin response when combining carbs and fat, and that having a greater impact on leptin and other hormones.

At the same time, you don't have to consume pizza and cookies. I've worked with some people who just don't have a taste for those types of foods. What we do with them is choose "cleaner" foods, still combining carbs and fat, and substantially up the quantities.

EC: Is there a limit to how much people can eat?

JM: A very loose one — never eat to the point of discomfort. Instead, eat until you're moderately full and then wait until you're hungry again. At that point, eat, then repeat.

The cheat day is supposed to be an enjoyable day, not one you regret several times throughout because you feel like you're going to puke. Other than that, I don't require that folks count calories or anything; I've found it to be unnecessary.

EC: Let's talk about the phases of the diet.

JM: Sure, there are three phases. Phase 1, also known as the Priming Phase, is three weeks in duration and generally yields about a 7-12 pound loss, a very high percentage of which is fat as the final week of the phase is higher-carb, so excessive glycogen and water loss at the week three weigh-in isn't an issue. The function of the Priming Phase is to "prime" the body for the regular cheat days of the diet's main phase, the Core Phase.

During the Core Phase, we use regular cheating and carbohydrate manipulation to consistently lose fat at an optimal rate, week after week, without having to give up a single food. Typical results during this phase are an additional 2 pounds of fat and 2-plus inches weekly (from a variety of measurements taken across the body).

This phase continues until you reach your goal weight or appearance. At that point, we shift to the Maintenance Phase, which works to easily maintain all the progress you've made while still enjoying plenty of good food.

EC: How does the Priming Phase "prime" the body for the upcoming cheat days?

JM: The first three weeks focus on increasing leptin receptor sensitivity through a unique diet and exercise scheme. This way, receptors (and ultimately the body) will be most receptive to the leptin surge that results from a cheat day.

EC: What are the main supplements recommended for this diet?

JM: Metabolic Drive is the recommended line of meal replacements for The Cheat to Lose Diet. In the meal replacement section I really vouch for the superb quality and taste of Metabolic Drive and am more than happy to recommend it. We've got something like twenty protein smoothie recipes in the recipe section, all using Metabolic Drive.

I just believe in the product, and making it the meal placement of choice for my program was just as much of a no-brainer as having Dr. Berardi do the recipes.

EC: Gotcha. Now, what can readers expect to see in the actual book?

JM: The book includes a number of high-info chapters on the background and the science of the program along with a discussion about the regulation of human body weight and metabolism. Then comes the detailed program, everything you need to know and more, FAQs, 12 weeks of daily menus, and just over 100 total recipes.

It really is a comprehensive tool, leaving no stone unturned, answering all questions, and providing you with weeks of plans and recipes to take the brainpower out of the equation. And what's cool is that coming through a major publisher you can pick it all up for $16 and change at Amazon.com.

EC: Thanks for taking the time to elaborate on the book and the realm of dieting, Joel.

JM: My pleasure, Eric. And thank you for taking the time to conduct the interview and to all the readers for taking the time to read through it!

About Joel Marion

Joel Marion, CISSN, NSCA-CPT, and 2001 Body-for-Life Champion, is an authority on the use of dietary cheating tactics to accelerate fat loss. His ideas and theories have reached people all across the globe through his frequent contributions to popular health and fitness magazines, both in print and on the Web. Additionally, he's a highly sought after consultant to doctors, lawyers, athletes, and models as well as the average Joe and Jane looking to improve his or her appearance. While having trained clients worldwide, Joel resides in New Jersey. To learn more about Joel visit www.JoelMarion.net and www.CheatToLoseDiet.com

About Eric Cressey

Eric Cressey is a sought-after Boston-based strength and conditioning coach and president of Cressey Performance in Hudson, MA. Eric has worked with athletes of all levels, from youth sports to the professional and Olympic levels. Feel free to contact him and sign up for his free newsletter at www.EricCressey.com, and check out his daily updates at www.EricCressey.Blogspot.com.

Along with Mike Robertson, Eric co-produced Magnificent Mobility and the Buiding the Efficient Athlete 8-DVD set. He is also the author of The Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual. All three are available through the T-Nation Store.