Why you should say YES to cravings and 'cheat days' on your fitness journey
"Don't see it as a cheat, see it as a reward," says a fitness expert.
Picture: Hans from Pixabay
Disclaimer: this article is related to 'dieting' and 'strict' fitness regimes for weight loss which might be triggering for some.
Africa Melane speaks to Nicholas Ingel, Power-Lifting Coach, on the psychology of cheat days and why it's important to allow yourself to indulge often enough to stay positive and motivated.
If you're on a fitness journey, you're probably familiar with 'cheat days'.
Ingel says it's okay to say yes to whatever sweet treat you're craving and see it as a reward rather than a cheat day.
"Sometimes when we commit to a diet, when we're really focused, we're denying ourselves so much. So it's nice to actually have a reward: have a slice of cheesecake, have a biscuit. Don't see it as a cheat, see it as a reward"."
- Nicholas Ingel, Power-Lifting Coach
Ingel says if you're chasing a fitness target - have a treat when you crave it because craving something without satisfying that craving might result in binge-eating and over doing it.
Little treats along the way can help you manage your goal, adds Ingel.
Finding the balance between a solid fitness routine and cheat days is "all about building a healthy relationship with food," says Ingel.
"It's about not wanting to eat the cheesecake because you want to be optimal versus can't eat the cheesecake. Not wanting to versus can't becomes more powerful in reaching our goals".
- Nicholas Ingel, Power-Lifting Coach
Ingel also warns against 'strict dieting for weight loss' which can be 'destructive' and impact mental health negatively.
"Dieting can be very destructive toward mental health because the goal is not as measurable as it is for an athlete."
- Nicholas Ingel, Power-Lifting Coach
Ingel adds that people often 'diet' for the wrong reasons.
"If you're looking to lose weight because you want to be loved and accepted then that can be very damaging - what is thin enough? If your goal is just wanting to be thin, there are other ways that are far healthier to get that acceptance and to work on yourself - the way we appear should always be a biproduct of our lifestyle, it shouldn't be our lifestyle".
- Nicholas Ingel, Power-Lifting Coach
"We should prioritise our health and well-being over our physical appearance and understand that if you're eating cheesecake everyday, you're not going to feel as great as you could be feeling".
- Nicholas Ingel, Power-Lifting Coach
Ingel says, if your goal is to get a six-pack, consider genetics which 'play a role' in weight-loss and may affect how attainable this goal can be.
"If we do want to look leaner and have that six pack, we should adopt a lifestyle around us that will give us that six pack if our genetics will allow us to have that six pack because genetics play a huge role too".
- Nicholas Ingel, Power-Lifting Coach
Ingel says that developing a passion for training and fitness or wanting to get in better shape because it's fun, enjoyable and a social experience should be the focus.
When it comes to dieting and mental health, self-esteem and self-worth should come from other things not 'reducing food intake and killing yourself at the gym'.
"Our food is not a punishment for how we look. We can't weigh our self-esteem and self-worth - that's got to come from challenging yourself from doing things that make us proud of ourselves rather than punishing ourselves by reducing our food intake and killing ourselves at the treadmill in the gym".
- Nicholas Ingel, Power-Lifting Coach
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.