As much as I want all my Rebels to perfectly follow the Code Red Lifestyle and never screw up, I know it happens sometimes.

It doesn’t mean I’m okay with it. I don’t let anyone off the hook, because we all have a choice, and no one’s holding us down and shoving food in our mouths.

I’m also not endorsing cheating. The Code Red Lifestyle isn’t one of those programs where you get “cheat meals.” We’re about getting the weight off you as quickly and safely as possible, and cheat meals just drag out weight loss mode.

But I will say this: Any time you do something new, like join this lifestyle, there’s an adjustment period.

Sometimes powerful old habits sneak up and catch you by surprise in a weak moment. 

How you handle that weak moment really sets the stage for whether you get back on track and reach your weight loss goals, or whether you fall off the wagon and then get dragged behind it.

If this happens to a client, here’s what I tell them:

Don’t let a cheat moment turn into a cheat week.

Stop, reset, and get back on the wagon immediately.

I expect you to take your mistake seriously, and do what it takes to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

But I don’t see the point in you beating yourself up over it, as in, “I already screwed up, I’m already a failure, so what’s the point of trying? May as well eat everything in the house.”

That toxic, self-destructive mindset is usually what turns a cheat moment into a cheat week, and you deserve better than that.

Remember that punishing yourself doesn’t fix anything, and neither does throwing all your hard work to the wind over a cheat moment.

The weight piles back on very quickly, and along with it come guilt, shame, and even denial.

Avoid that vicious cycle by sticking to the program. If a powerful old habit snags you in a weak moment, stop, and get right back on track.