Hey there. For years I followed the typical weight loss narrative that so many of us are used to. You know the one. You stay on track all week and then reward yourself with a cheat meal or a cheat day. And you go all in. Pizza, burgers, tacos, ice cream... nothing was off limits because it was your “cheat.”
But here’s the thing. Over time I started to realize that the word cheat itself was a problem. It suggested I was doing something wrong. Like I was stepping outside of the “good” path and dipping into “bad” territory. And let’s be real. That mindset comes with a lot of guilt and shame. Even when the food itself hasn’t changed.
So I made a shift. I stopped calling them cheat meals and started calling them food choices. That’s it. Same food, different label. But the mental impact was huge. Instead of saying “I’m cheating,” I just say, “I’m making a choice.” I look at what I want to eat, decide if I actually want it, and then move on.
Sometimes that means I go all in on a big meal. Sometimes I track it ahead of time. Sometimes I see the numbers in my food tracker and decide to scale it back. Either way, it’s my decision. And I own it.
This change in vocabulary might seem small, but it’s helped me and others in the YLF community take real ownership of our journeys. We’re no longer treating food like it’s part of some rigid reward system. We’re not acting like we’re breaking the rules. We’re choosing how we eat, and we’re building self-trust in the process.
If cheat meals have worked for you, awesome. But I invite you to try reframing it as a food choice. Pay attention to how it feels. It might help you let go of the guilt and bring more peace to your journey.
So let me ask… are you team cheat meal or team food choice?
Let me know by connecting with me over at YourLevelFitness.com or DM me on social. And if you're ready to take that next step in your weight loss journey with support, structure, and mindset-focused coaching, I want you in The YLF Experience. Let's build the lifestyle you’ve been working toward.