What if you start to think of the term “cheat meals” as a mindset rather than an actual thing that you eat?
Think about what the word “cheat” really means.
Think about the implication of the word “cheat”.
When you start using the word “cheat”, it’s easy to also start using other terms or phrases like “on a diet”, “I can’t eat that”, or “that’s bad food”.
Can you see how they all fit together in the same Diet Culture mindset?
Diet Culture is the epitome of ALL or NOTHING. If you’re “cheating” then you’re OFF the program, if you’re not cheating, then you’re ON the program.
See? All. Nothing. No middle.
A more positive mindset would be “I feel fantastic when I eat nutrient-rich food but I also choose, on occasion, to eat food that I know doesn’t make me feel as great, but I truly enjoy it and it is something that I look forward to.”
No cheating. No right. No wrong. Just decisions and choices.