When a Treat is Really a Treat: Why Eating Healthy 100% of the Time Never Works

The other day a very fit, very healthy friend and client of mine was in rare form – struggling through her workout session and having what looked to be an intense internal dialogue with herself. I finally asked her what was going on in that head of hers. She broke down and confessed: “My co-worker’s birthday was today! We went out for lunch! Afterward I had cake! And ice cream! I KNOW better!” It was obvious she was having a Come-to-Trainer moment and she was registering at about 10.4 on the Shame-O’-Meter. I told her to calm down, take a breath, forget about it, and perform a decent set of lunges for crying out loud. She was shocked I wasn’t making her run stairs or burpee into the wee hours of the morning (If you’re not familiar with a burpee, Google it and then try to do 20 of them back-to-back. Take an Aspirin and call it a day.).

Most people think that because I’m a trainer I’m above ever treating oneself by having a glass of wine (my personal favorite) or the occasional piece of cake at a birthday party. The thing is, I want you to indulge once in a while. Know why? Because the above attitude of my client is, bless her amazingly fit heart, quite unhealthy. You can still have a great relationship with food and be in great shape. My client was so mad at herself, so guilty for having slipped up that she was bringing that negativity into the gym with her and letting it affect her entire day. Hey, it’s just a freakin’ piece of cake!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting you always indulge whenever there’s a birthday party within a 5-mile radius of your desk or front yard. I’m simply throwing out the idea that perhaps you give up your little guilt complex with food. I attended my family’s first reunion over the weekend and guess what – I had 3 red vines, about 1.5 bottles of wine, a shot of some amazing almond Champagne, and perhaps I snuck a cookie or three in there (I love and curse the great cooks in my family!). But you know what? I also played a couple games of outdoor volleyball, ran around playing kickball for an hour, went kayaking with my hubby, walked to the lake instead of driving whenever possible, sweat my knees off fishing one morning, and tried my hardest to hang onto a gigantic tube while being pulled around violently in a boat by my uncle. I’m pretty sure I don’t care about those red vines, cookies, or even the fact that I might have had one too many glasses of wine. Know why? Because it was a really, REALLY amazing time and I came home feeling not even a bit out of tune with my previous weight on the scale. In fact I feel healthy as ever. I have the people in my family to thank for that because we all like to stay active.

My point? Celebrate once in a while – just make it really count. Forget the daily “I deserve this” stuff, that does not apply here (how many days in a row do you really deserve a Grande iced frappucino with a frosted biscotti just because you made it out of bed without pressing snooze?). I’m talking about life events here – the moments that make memories. You don’t have to have cake at everyone’s birthday party, but definitely you should have it if you want it at your own! And if you do indulge? Stay active by going for a long walk, play with your kids twice as long, go for a bike ride, or jump on a giant yellow tube with your closest cousins and bet your uncle that he can’t flip you into the lake no matter how fast his boat goes (Disclaimer: Arms may not move much the next day). Whatever you do, treat yourself and then forget about it. Don’t go back for more because you feel like you already ruined your diet so you might as well do grave warfare now. Have your cake, eat it, and move on already!

Meet the Trainer

Crystal is a certified personal trainer through the National Sports and Conditioning Association (NSCA). She has a passion for helping others live a healthy lifestyle and coaching them to push their limits beyond what they think they are capable of.