It Ain’t Cheating, You Earned it!
I have a problem with one of the words that we who struggle in the gym lifting weights and trying to eat healthy and clean and or dieting use and that word is cheat.
We use it in sentences like I tried so hard to stay on my nutrition plan but I just had to cheat or I cheated on my diet today along with my favorite which is I have been working so bloody hard in the gym and the dieting was driving me crazy so I ended up cheating and ate a big ole slice of strawberry cheesecake.
It is not only the fact that the word congers up all sorts of quilt feelings along with the fact that I am not a cheater. I do not cheat at sports, I do not cheat my business clients and I sure do not cheat on my lovely wife. So to alleviate all of the problems I feel with that word and to put another and what I think is a more appropriate word in its place, I use the word EARN.
I say that when it comes to working out hard and eating clean and then one day having a jumbo Dairy Queen Blizzard I have earned the right to have that Blizzard and I would surly know if I hadn’t and would not even consider entering that establishment. I tell my clients that rather than feel as if they are doing something wrong, reward yourself for a job well done. You earn the right to have that treat with all of your hard work and stop this talking about cheating crap.
Of course if you are a short time out from a contest that would become a different set of circumstances and your earned meal could come after your time on stage.
Sure, if you aren’t working out very hard and not doing cardio the way you know it should be done then you are the one getting hurt, not anyone else so in that case you wouldn’t have earned anything and you would be cheating yourself. But for the majority of people who are working their proverbial buns off trying to change their shape the occasional earned meal or treat is a nice reward for days and even weeks of strict discipline, it won’t hurt anything and I know that after I have my earned treat I am more focused than ever to get right back at it.
June 25, 2007 at 8:02 am
That’s a very positive way to look at a very negative subject. I’m going to adopt that into my way of thinking…thanks!!
June 26, 2007 at 12:45 am
that is a good choice of word substitution i also will use that with my clients good work ahab for keeping real.
June 27, 2007 at 2:27 pm
I like that too - EARNED! Good idea, good word, and I’ll bet your clients love it too! I reward myself with clothes, I dont’ say I cheated and bought new clothes, so, really, you are right on.