CREDIT: DIGITAL VISION / PHOTODISC / THINKSTOCK
Avoiding special occasion treats, like birthday cake, can be difficult, but it's important to avoid cheating while dieting.

Treat as a noun refers to anything that affords particular pleasure or enjoyment.

To cheat means to defraud, deceive and violate rules or regulations.

It usually takes a trainer some time to break a client from using these words when they’re talking about their diet; some are not successful. Rewarding yourself with a good treat or a special cheat is a way to avoid changing your bad behaviour. You are essentially telling yourself that all the hard work you are putting in sucks and that at some point you’ll get to reward yourself with a treat or cheat. Eventually, this is what leads to failure.

Sure, maybe you can stick it out for a while and you could be better off than someone who makes no effort to eat healthy, but you’ll still have all the negative side effects from your unhealthy habits.

What to do instead:

Eat healthy all the time

It’s hard at first, but when you get used to saying no, people will get used to offering healthy options. Of course, there are situations where you can’t avoid it, like when you are invited for dinner and birthday cake and there are few healthy options. Choose the healthiest and fill up on that and nibble on the other stuff. It’s not rude and could be an opportunity to inform your friends on your new lifestyle. However, don’t get defensive if someone makes fun of your choices and don’t point out unhealthy things to your them. Just politely say you really love the salad and can’t get enough of it.

Treat wisely

If you reread the definition of treat, you’ll see that even the act of being healthy is a treat. Once you see things, like your workouts, healthy cooking and eating and regular sleep as pleasurable and you begin to enjoy your lifestyle, old unhealthy treats will begin to seem icky.

Don’t cheat – ever

You can modify exercises, make a conscious choice to eat healthy or not. Ask for help, but don’t cheat. It always ends badly at some point.

Don’t set yourself up to fail. You are the only one responsible for your choices and have the power to fix them. You may need help sometimes and you can’t be afraid or ashamed to ask someone you trust. You have to be willing to do everything it takes to be successful.

Karen Nixon-Carroll is the Program Manager at Fitness 101, Fanshawe College professor, YMCA fitness course trainer and examiner, Fanshawe FHP grad and holds many fitness certifications for personal training, group fitness and wellness. Email her at karen.carroll@fanshawec.ca. She is currently on maternity leave.