Cheat Day vs Treat Day: Which is Better

Cheat Day vs Treat Days: What’s the Difference?

Living a healthy lifestyle isn’t easy. It takes a great deal of dedication and hard work. When you work hard, you want some type of reward for your labor, right? I’m pretty sure that’s why Cheat Days and Treat Days were created. But they’re not the same. Today we’ll be talking about Get Fit with Charity’s take on Cheat Days vs. Treat Days and discuss which is better,

Cheat Days

Cheat Day for an adult is the equivalent to field day for the average elementary student. Most of us have fond memories of field day. It was a magical day that typically happened in late spring right before the end of the school year. You got to wear a summer outfit and although you were at school all day, it felt like extended recess, a field trip and summer vacation rolled into one.

That’s how Cheat Day feels. After sticking to a really hard exercise program, you get to cheat by not doing anything at all. Maybe you’ve been avoiding carbs for like…ever, so you indulge in all the bread and pasta you can eat. Perhaps you took last week’s cue and cut back on sugar but now you’re ready for some sugary goodness.

A cheat day allows you to eat whatever you want (or do whatever you want) without feeling guilty. Obviously your body might not like it, but you worked hard so you deserve it, right? If I’m being honest, I have say that I disagree with the concept of cheat days.

By definition, to cheat is to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage. If we’re trying to get fit and live healthy lifestyles, why would we cheat ourselves and potentially derail our progress? What kind of advantage would we gain from that? The way I see when it comes to Cheat Days, we’re only cheating ourselves.

Treat Days

Treat Day is enjoying your favorite dessert after eating all your vegetables at dinner.  When I was a kid, I was an extremely picky eater. Most nights I spent hours at the dinner table by myself long after the meal was over because I refused to eat what was on my plate. One time my mother had a genius idea! She let me help her assembly these amazing Jell-O parfaits for dessert and told me that if I eat my dinner, I could have one of them. In fact, I got to make my own dessert!

That’s what Treat Day is. It’s a special reward, something you’ve worked really hard for. Generally speaking most treats are sweet, like maybe a cupcake or a snow cone. Although I’m really not in favor of rewarding myself with food, I do appreciate the concept of treating myself.

Cheat Day vs Treat Day: Which Is Better?

You probably know which one I think is better. I’m 100% Team Treat Day because I really don’t want to cut corners or be dishonest with myself. I’ve been unkind to my body for far too long, so I would rather treat myself. I want to be fully transparent and say that, there are times, like last week, when I treat myself to an ice cream bar, but I don’t make it a habit.

I know there are some Team Cheat Day folks out there who are thinking, “She is getting way too deep with this. There is nothing wrong with indulging every once in a while.” I am definitely not the authority on this. I’m simply sharing my opinions. I just don’t agree with Cheat Days…for me.

Don’t get mad at me, but I can’t answer my own question? Why not? I can only speak for myself and decide which one is better for me. You’ll have to do the same.

Whether you choose to celebrate with Cheat Days or Treat Days here are a few options that will help you stay on track and avoid derailing your progress.

Cheat Day Options	Treat Day Options
Opt for a Cheat Meal	Choose a fun activity
Go with an indulgent side	Spend extra time on your favorite hobby
Walk for 10 minutes instead of completely skipping the workout	Have spa day

Your Next Steps

Decide which route you wish to take: Cheat Day vs Treat Day.

Then own it…just don’t go overboard.

---

---

Follow Get Fit with Charity on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!