Go Ahead, Cheat!!

No, you are not dreaming. Your trainer just told you to cheat.

If you tell a child they cannot eat candy, what happens next? They hide it, they go to the neighbors, they trade at lunch, they go out of their way to get what they can't have.

If I told you that you couldn't eat your favorite foods anymore, what would you be thinking about all day? Do you think you would be successful in your program? Would you continue to pay me to fail?

Frederick C. Hatfield, nicknamed Dr. Squat, was an American world champion power lifter and PhD holder in Sports Sciences and Gaming. He wrote many books on strength and conditioning, one of which was my bible in the 90's.

Dr. Hatfield wrote "Ultimate Sports and Nutrition". In this book he explains in great detail, what a body builder should eat, how much, and how often. However, he also notes that you need to have a cheat day. He goes on to explain, in so many words, that when you constrict your calories and food options all week, you must cheat and over eat.

I have taken from his book, the information that is applicable for my clients and created my approach to lifestyle. I train for life. I find that when you train for life, you want to know that life will continue to hold moments of pleasure. For many people, that pleasure is with food. As a matter of fact, I find those moments more pleasurable, when we look forward to them.

So if you follow your food plan all week, by all means, have pizza on Sunday! or go out to dinner and eat some bread on Saturday. What ever you do, plan to cheat! Cheating is living!

The more regular you do it, the less your body will crave it. I would never tell my child not to eat something. Teaching balance early on will set a child up for success with nutrition and healthy weight as an adult.

When you tell children that certain foods are bad, you begin a life long process with food struggles.

So, my friends, go a head and eat that bowl of ice cream. Then, wake up the next morning and get back on it! Because,after we cheat, we crave the routine of healthy eating. If you haven't already, schedule your cheat!