Let me start off by saying your “donut” may be a bag of chips or popcorn on movie night. My wife prefers savory to sweet, so she would be appalled if I did not clarify my example in order for savory food lovers to indulge a little as well. I, myself am a sucker for a good donut and to keep my sanity and a healthy relationship with food I enjoy one every now and then. So should you.
Human beings have a tendency to rebel. We don’t want to be restricted or told we can’t do something. So, if we constantly tell ourselves we can’t do something, like eating a treat we crave, eventually we will rebel and eat the darn thing. And another one. And another one. Until it gets to the point that we’re eating out of spite. One “cheat” treat turns into a day or two of unapologetically divulging. Or worst-case scenario, falling off the wagon all together.
By the way, this article was not written to give you a crash course on nutrition or explain how certain foods can change your ghrelin and leptin hormones which work to regulate your appetite.
This article is written based entirely on my experience with food, and many of the clients I have trained over the years.
There are two types of people in this world, those who live to eat and those who eat to live. Well, at least that’s how the old cliche goes. The truth is we all eat to live. The body needs nutrients for energy and for life. It is, however, absolutely true that some of us enjoy eating more than others “foodies”. You ever see someone dance when they eat or watch them stare at the oven while they wait for their meal to cook? If not, you probably are that person.
Simply put, food brings people joy, it brings people together, and most importantly it gives us life in more ways than one.
The key is portion control and moderation not exclusivity. We’ve all seen the diet headlines; No CARBS! No MEAT! CARNIVORE! VEGGIES ARE BULLSHIT! Keto etc. There is no one size fits all diet. Everybody and every BODY is different. Find what works for you and your goals and just remain consistent.
Whatever your guilty pleasure is, enjoy one every now and then and stay active!
