HOW I FEEL ABOUT CHEAT DAYS
Cheat - to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.
If you look at the definition of cheating, I think you can quickly realize how silly it is to say that you are going to cheat on your diet. Are you going to be dishonest and unfair to your diet in order to gain an advantage? Don’t be silly - that doesn’t make sense!
I have to be honest with you - the phrase cheat day drives me nuts! Somewhere along the way diet culture has convinced people that they need to eat restrictively all week and your reward is a cheat day. Instead of cheat days, why don’t you strive for a lifestyle that nourishes your body and soul rather than one that is restrictive and punitive? If you have to cheat to be “healthy” is that really healthy?
I see a few things wrong with cheat days. First of all, you are restricting all week. Possibly on the paleo, keto or grapefruit diet (kidding but seriously is that still a thing)? You are waiting (not so patiently) for the weekend, so you can eat all of your restricted foods. You are likely consumed with thoughts about what you will eat that day. And more often than not, a cheat day turns into a binge day because you restricted these foods for so long.
In my opinion, cheat days do not promote a healthy, balanced and sustainable lifestyle. Cheat days promote extremes and restriction. This is not a sustainable approach to life or enjoyable!
In addition, many people feel major guilt and remorse after a cheat day, both physically and mentally. If a cheat day leaves you feeling physically and emotionally sick, is it a healthy and sustainable choice?
When you restrict your food intake to a level that makes you feel like you need a cheat day for your physical and mental health, you lose control over your food choices. Cheating also puts a label on your food that it is “bad.” Please remember that food does not have morality. Food is not “good” or “bad.” It is just food. Eating kale instead of pizza does not make you a better person. You don’t deserve a reward for restricting your diet. You DO deserve to stop restricting your diet and to be kinder to yourself.
When you assign moral judgement to food and your behaviour around food, you often end up assigning these same judgements to yourself. You cheat. You are bad. You are weak. You have no willpower. This is NOT ok. The next time you are going to label your food “good” or “bad”, I want you to stop and change the narrative. If you no longer label foods as “bad”, then you are not giving power to that food or to the cheat day. Food is food. That is it.
If you stick to the routine of restricting and cheating, you are no longer listening to your body and really understanding how it needs to be fuelled. Instead, you are stuck in a pattern of restriction that does not take into account your body’s ever changing needs. Every day is different and your body has different needs each day. If you allow yourself the freedom to enjoy moments as they come, and not make such a big deal about eating foods you enjoy, you will feel more in control over your cravings and food choices. Of course, I am not telling you to eat cookies, cakes and pies all day, every day. However, it is totally normal to eat healthier one day than others. This is life. Your body will balance itself out and you will want greens again over cake!
If you have been following along on my journey for a while now, you know that my approach is all about sustainability. Can you sustain a lifestyle where you only eat certain foods on certain days? I think we all know the answer. A healthy lifestyle does not mean eating perfectly everyday. It includes a wide variety of food but also your mindset towards food and eating without guilt. Please remember that choosing less healthy food from time to time does not have a major impact on your overall health and it can be so fun! Food should not only fill a physical void, but also an emotional one.
I think you know by now how I feel about diet culture. It has ruined many lives by making people feel less than whole. You are told by diet culture that you are not worthy of the same treatment as other people who are in smaller bodies. The media continues to portray ideal bodies as slender. That is not real life. All bodies are good bodies and all bodies matter; no matter shape, size or colour. Diet culture makes people restrict foods to try and fix themselves when they are perfectly fine the way they are. Diet culture needs fixing, not you.
I would love to hear what you think about cheat days. This is a complex issue and a very popular way of eating. Just check the hashtag #cheatday with over 4 million posts!!! If you are living this way and waiting for your cheat day, I know the idea of changing can be scary. I suggest that instead of having one day where you indulge (and possibly end up feeling sick and guilty), allow yourself the freedom to enjoy foods you love any day of the week. You deserve it!
Please know that it is possible to rid yourself of these thoughts and live a life that is not only healthy but also sustainable. Restricting and cheating are not sustainable. Repeat after me!
Please join my Facebook group called Wellness on Your Terms if you are interested in more ways to heal your relationship with food and your body.
