It’s been about four and a half years since I became a personal trainer, and about the same four and a half years since I first started strength training. Looking back on this time, so much has happened… By “so much,” I mean the shift in my awareness around wellness and fitness, the changes in my own body, and the evolution of my mindset.
When it comes to body transformation, I honestly don’t believe there is one absolute “right answer.” Sure, if you compare a fast-food burger meal with a balanced Japanese set meal, the Japanese meal is obviously more nutritious and gentler on your body. But picture this: you’re driving, the kids are crying in the backseat because they’re hungry, and the only spot around happens to be a fast-food drive-thru. Life is full of unpredictable moments like that where you just have to do what you can. Is that “wrong”? In the grand scheme of a long life, what is the truly “correct” choice? Honestly, I don’t think anyone really knows.
Of course, eating fast food every single day is a different story. But at the end of the day, faced with choices each morning and evening, all we can do is choose what feels best for ourselves and our families at that specific moment. Balance is what truly matters.
During my first two years of fitness, I was all-in. On my “ON” days, I strictly tracked every calorie and PFC balance, never missing my 4–5 strength sessions a week alongside cardio. But ultimately, that lifestyle was way too harsh for me. I started using the term “cheat day” almost as an excuse to binge eat and drink. From there, my balance completely crumbled. I’d end up overeating for days on end, trapped in a relentless cycle of guilt.
Because of that, I could never reach a point where I felt satisfied with my body. Even when I lost weight, it was never enough. I kept thinking, “I can go further. I can get leaner.” What is that mindset, anyway? It’s so dangerous.
Looking back, I realize that constant urge to push further came from a total absence of a feeling of satisfaction. Restricting the foods I wanted to eat, forcing myself through workouts even when exhausted—there was no real fulfillment in any of that. I was empty inside. So I tried to fill that void through the “results”—my appearance and my body. That’s why I kept wanting more, and more, and more… an endless war going on inside my head. Honestly, getting stuck in that loop meant spending those first few years chasing a body I was never happy with, burning out, starting over, and repeating it all over again.
And that brings me to where I am today.
I’ve realized that working on your body is an ongoing journey with no real end point. Our goals evolve with each phase of life, and our bodies naturally change along with them. So in a way, there is no such thing as a “100% perfect score” for where I am today—and I’m completely okay with that now.
In the past, I chased 100 points every single day. I’d end each day thinking, “Maybe I could have done more,” and holding onto that pressure eventually exhausted me. My energy would drop down to a 30%, stay stuck at 30% for a while, and then I’d try to jump right back to chasing 100%. It was a continuous cycle.
Now? I aim for around 70% every day.
Because I’m aiming for 70%, at the end of the day I can actually say, “Hey, I did great today!” and feel a genuine sense of accomplishment. I leave room to enjoy foods I love, take a breath, and build in time for things that excite me. And when results show up from that place, I feel over-the-moon happy! My motivation naturally skyrockets. When you feel accomplished and fulfilled, you actually start to like who you are and appreciate your body as it is.
This is why my perspective on “cheat days” has completely changed since I wrote about them in an old blog post. Back then, I viewed a cheat day as a reward for pushing super hard. Today, I don’t feel I need them anymore.
The scariest part of a “cheat day” mindset for me was falling into the trap of thinking, “This is my only chance to eat this!” That scarcity mindset makes you eat far more than you need. Thinking, “It’s now or never, because starting tomorrow I have to restrict again,” leads to eating until you’re physically uncomfortable, which takes all the joy out of food. Worse, it flips a switch that can send you overeating into the next day, too.
Lately, I’ve been asking myself: Do we really need “cheat days” in our regular lives?
For example, if I have a lunch date with a friend on Friday, I often plan ahead roughly what I might like to order. (Though depending on my mood that day, I might just decide in the moment, too!) If lunch is at 12:00 PM, I might hit the gym for an hour beforehand, or skip the peanut butter on my morning protein pancakes.
To me, that’s not “depriving myself”—it’s simply adjusting. It doesn’t feel like a chore or a punishment. Instead, it’s my very own customized plan to help me enjoy that lunch even more! Once that process becomes fun, it’s the absolute best feeling. I can look in the mirror and think, “Wow, I’m doing great!”
So, I’m officially done with “cheat days.” Instead of chasing an unsustainable 100% every day, I focus on living a comfortable, steady 70% life—where I can truly enjoy my own Customized Days.
