The Truth About Cheat Meals: A Fitness Coach’s Journey
You’re only cheating yourself.
Jenna Rizzo, a women’s weight loss coach from Georgia, says the one bad habit that kept her from reaching her fitness goals was planning cheat meals.
The Journey Begins
Rizzo began her fitness journey in 2015, exercising hard and often. "I basically started going to the gym one day and just didn’t stop. You think this would lead me to have some crazy transformation, but nope," she explained in a TikTok last week.
The Reality Check
Sharing before-and-after pictures, Rizzo noted that the first photo was taken three years into her working out every single day. Still, "my butt was still the same size, my stomach was still soft. I was just really unhappy with the way I looked."
The Cycle of Restriction and Abandon
Rizzo, who has previously gone viral for her 2-2-2 weight loss program, claims that cheat meals kept her from transforming her body. "I used to try to eat as clean as possible Monday through Thursday," Rizzo said. "I’m talking egg whites and kale every day. Then Friday would roll around and I’d tell myself I just deserve a cheat meal."
The Consequences
She reports that while she was usually able to maintain her healthy eating during the workweek, her fetishized Friday cheat meal would spiral into a free-for-all. In a previous post, she shared, "I would have one cheat meal and it would turn into a full-blown cheat weekend. I’m talking eating to the point of literally being in so much physical pain — and kept going."
The Mindset Shift
Rizzo explains that she perpetuated a cycle of restriction and abandon for years. "I would lose a bunch of weight during the week," she said, "and gain it all back and maybe even then some on the weekend."
The Breakthrough
Recent research has identified this phenomenon as "hedonic compensation" — making up for the loss of pleasure by seeking extra gratification elsewhere. Rizzo has completely cut out cheat meals. Instead, she focuses on making sure 80% to 90% of the food she consumes comes from fresh, whole food sources.
The New Approach
She does leave a margin for what she calls "fun food," creating an abundance mindset that ensures nothing is off limits, and she never feels restricted to the point of craving a cheat meal or binge weekend.
Conclusion
Rizzo’s journey serves as a reminder that cheat meals are not the key to achieving our fitness goals. By focusing on clean eating and making room for "fun food," we can break free from the cycle of restriction and abandon and achieve a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is hedonic compensation?
A: Hedonic compensation is the phenomenon of making up for the loss of pleasure by seeking extra gratification elsewhere.
Q: Why did Rizzo’s cheat meals spiral out of control?
A: Rizzo’s mindset was a combination of "now or never" and "good versus bad." She believed that these foods were limited, and she needed to eat as much as she could when she could.
Q: What is Rizzo’s new approach to eating?
A: Rizzo focuses on making sure 80% to 90% of the food she consumes comes from fresh, whole food sources, and leaves a margin for what she calls "fun food."
