Food is not a test, you can't cheat

Something which bothers me alot especially on social media is the concept of cheat meals. I have never really understood it... what is it you are cheating on? Even if you are on a diet it's not like you are cheating, because its a choice you make to eat that meal. But also calling a meal a cheat is giving it a negative connotation. You are linking certain foods with guilt, anxiety and the thought that the food is bad. But also the whole thing of 'earning your cheat meal'. You dont have to go out and run 10km just to eat some chocolate or because you are going out to eat or going to a pizzeria or something. Everything in moderation, its ok to eat a whole pizza now and again or have a few squares, or a whole bar of chocolate now and again, as long as that is not the only thing you eat.


But also the whole 'cheat day/cheat meal' on a decided day?... Why decide that on a Saturday you can eat candy, what if you dont even want candy then but you eat it anyway just because you know you 'can'. It creates a very weird relationship when there are only certain days you are allowed to eat certain things and that certain foods are deemed as cheating. Cheating is a bad thing, food is NOT a bad thing. Eating some chocolate is not cheating, it might be what your body or mind needs right then. You should eat for your soul just as much for the health benefits of food.

Intuitive eating is when you dont have decided days when you eat things, but you can allow yourself some chocolate on a Wednesday evening if that is what you want. Or maybe eat some pancakes for lunch instead of a cooked meal. You listen to your body and your cravings and you dont call food cheat. Instead see it as treats. Extra luxury. 

Let go of the thoughts that food is bad or that you are doing something wrong by eating certain foods. Food is energy which your body needs and uses.

Another thing is that those who have cheat days where they spend the whole day just eating junk food just because they can, that leads to a very weird relationship with food where for 6 days they eat restrictively, avoiding cravings and then on their cheat day they eat everything just because they can. It becomes almost like a binge where their body just wants more and more because it has been deprived.

If you instead allow yourself to eat different foods when you want it, then you are less likely to binge. When you begin thinking that you cant and arent allowed certain foods, its then that you begin craving them even more and when you eat them you cant stop yourself from eating it all because you feel you have done something bad by eating a little, so you might as well eat it all. Black and white thinking which isn't healthy either.


Also stop thinking that you have ruined your day by eating something you think is less healthy. Food is not good or bad its the AMOUNT that is good or bad. If you eat 100g chocolate everyday then it might not be so healthy but if you eat a square everyday or every second day that doesnt have to be unhealthy.

I also have a post about 'Guilt free' food and why its stupid because food shouldnt give you guilt, no matter what you eat.