Fitness coach says 'rewarding weight loss with food is like rewarding sobriety with alcohol'; shares his top cheat codes

Love cheat meals? Rewarding weight loss with food can undo progress and reinforce unhealthy habits, according to a fitness coach. Here's what to do instead.

Fitness coach Dan Go highlighted the importance of choosing healthy rewards that align with long-term fitness goals in an Instagram post he shared on April 20. He said, “Rewarding weight loss with food is like rewarding sobriety with alcohol,” and added, “It takes 60 seconds to eat 400 calories of ice cream. It takes 60 minutes to burn 400 calories through running.”

'Use food and workouts to upgrade your hardware'

According to him, rewarding weight loss with food can undo progress and reinforce unhealthy habits as associating food with rewards can lead to emotional eating and unhealthy relationships with food. Dan believes by choosing non-food rewards or healthy food options, you can celebrate your progress while maintaining a healthy relationship with food and fitness.

He said, “The worst way to lose weight is trying to exercise it off your body. Stop trying to lose weight with your workouts. Use your diet for that... Everyone thinks self-love is eating junk food, watching movies and taking bubble baths. Self-love is really about doing hard workouts, eating healthy and going to bed at a reasonable time.”

He also said, “Your body is a machine: use food, workouts and mobility to upgrade your hardware. Use books, writing and meditation to upgrade your software.”

'Stop punishing yourself with workouts'

In his caption, Dan wrote, “One of my biggest mistakes when in the gym was using my workouts as a way of punishing myself for what I ate. When I was 'bad', I’d feel shame, then try to make up for it by hitting the gym and crushing my body with intense circuit training and HIIT workouts. It started to warp the way I saw working out. This vicious cycle of shame and punishment would go on for years.”

He added, “Now I don’t punish myself or feel shame for my weak moments. I don't go to the gym and do the work for the sake of doing the work. I go because I’m celebrating what my body can do. It’s time to stop punishing yourself with workouts. It’s time to start being grateful for your body. Trust me when I say this that the energy is much different here. So my question to you today is: what was the last time you truly enjoyed your workout — and why?”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.