It's Cheat Day - Watch Your Language

Watch Your Language - excerpt from ProSource Nov 2013 article: Can Clients “Cheat” Their Way to Weight Loss? by Daniel J. Green 

According to Dr. Brehm, simply using the phrase “cheat day” is something fitness professionals and their clients should avoid. “If the goal is to change a client’s attitude toward food, using the word ‘cheat’ is not the best choice.” She explains that this term creates a strong negative association with the very behavior clients are trying to change. “Fitness professionals need to be very mindful of each client’s relationship with food issues,” says Dr. Brehm. Making a client feel bad about being a “cheater” is never a good thing.

Jonathan Ross concurs. “I do not believe eating is a moral activity, so calling something a ‘cheat’ day continues the destructive paradigm of food choices being either good or bad from a moral perspective. Thinking this way indicates a lack of sophistication surrounding food, and the only way to have success long-term is to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the powerful and enjoyable role that nutrition plays in health.” Remind clients that food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared.  “And that refers to healthy food,” says Ross. “It is meant to be enjoyed, and it can be by almost everyone as long as the worship of junk foods is toned down and a more mature perspective is adopted.”