Cheat Days Are a Lie: The Truth About Food & Fitness

Fitness expert Michael Newman joins Kat to shatter one of the biggest myths in health: that you can out train a bad diet. He reveals why 80% of your results come from what you eat, tackles the toxic "cheat day" mentality and gives advice on how to navigate family resistance when changing habits. Discover why your morning routine could be the secret weapon you've been missing and learn how to make sustainable changes without turning your entire life upside down, Michael's honest approach will challenge everything you think you know about getting healthy! KEY TAKEAWAYS • You can't out-train a bad diet, food accounts for roughly 80% of your results, making nutrition far more impactful than exercise alone for health and fitness. • Ditch the "cheat day" mentality. This toxic language creates guilt and shame around food, leading to unhealthy relationships. All foods can be enjoyed in moderation! • Most people have no idea how many calories they consume daily. A 3-5 day food diary will reveal truths about eating habits. • Getting up just 30 minutes before your family gives you quiet time for exercise, meditation, or planning, setting a positive tone for the day. • Make tiny changes, not complete overhauls. Shrink the change to increase success, for example Mike suggests reducing takeaways from 3 to 2 times per week rather than eliminating them entirely. • Simple meal prep strategies work best. Make enough dinner for lunch the next day, or dedicate time on weekends to prepare a few meals ahead. • Most people find time for Netflix and phone scrolling but claim they're too busy for health. Challenge this limiting belief. • Get everyone on board gradually by involving kids in cooking and making sustainable changes that work for the whole household. Family resistance is normal but manageable. BEST MOMENTS "You could eat that donut 200, 300 calories in seconds. You've gotta train hard in the gym to sort of burn that equivalent." "You're not cheating on your diet if you have some pizza. You are not cheating on your diet if you happen to want to have a few beers." "My girlfriend would probably agree with this as well. I'm a different person if I've had a gym workout that morning." "Everything we are doing every single day is a choice. It's just whether it's an unconscious or a conscious choice." "They would never let their kids down, but they let themselves down all the time by saying they're gonna go to the gym." ABOUT THE GUEST Michael Newman , Health & Performance Coach for Executive men & business owners @michaelnewmancoaching ABOUT THE HOST Kat started her career as a teacher, before moving into Tech where she worked in different executive roles within teaching and consulting working across the globe, both in the public and private sector. Despite appearing 'successful' on the outside, she paid a heavy ‘life’ price. In 2016, her whole world collapsed. The reason? The compound effect of years of unhealthy and toxic habits that destroyed her health, relationship and career. She suffered a severe breakdown and lost everything. In the middle of this she got headhunted for her first CEO role. She rebuilt herself by changing just one small habit, and built a series of positive habits which has transformed her professional and personal performance, resulting in becoming the healthiest and happiest version of herself. She is a positive habits international keynote speaker and teacher, giving talks and delivering high impact programmes to organisations across the globe. https://www.linkedin.com/in/katthorne/