It was another typical Monday morning, filled with the hope that this week would be different. I vowed to eat healthier and finally shed the baby weight I’ve been carrying for two years. I envisioned a week packed with workouts, hydration that would keep me in the bathroom, and yes, kale. I was determined to stick with it this time.
Fast forward to the end of the week. Sure, I had shed a few pounds and felt a rush of excitement each time I stepped on the scale, but I was also a grumpy mess. My head throbbed from days of discomfort, and let’s be honest—I didn’t enjoy that miserable kale at all. I was hangry. My legs felt like they’d been run over by a truck after all the squats and running, and every trip to the bathroom felt like a leap of faith. As I stared at the upcoming week’s calendar, instead of feeling excitement, I only saw a list of social events that felt like temptations lurking behind every corner.
But I had a little something stashed away to look forward to: a pint of that trendy protein-based ice cream everyone was raving about, waiting patiently in my freezer for when I needed a reward for my hard work. After a week of discipline, I thought it would be a guilt-free treat.
Then came the moment of truth as I opened that pint. I was ready to pen a letter to my congressman demanding that no one should ever call this stuff ice cream again. It went straight into the trash, exactly where it belonged.
Frustrated and yearning for real ice cream, I reflected on the effort I had put in. Despite seeing results, I was in a foul mood and craved something enjoyable. As I thought about all the delicious foods I had avoided, the ridiculous phrase popped into my mind: “Nothing tastes as good as being thin.” What a load of nonsense! It’s a phrase tossed around to make us feel guilty for enjoying food or to imply that indulging in something we love is a sign of weakness.
You know what? Forget that. I put in the work; I was disciplined and sore, and yet I felt miserable. If this is what that outdated saying refers to, then even kale tastes as good as skinny feels—like what trees would use to wipe their behinds.
Let’s be real: many things taste just as good, if not better, than feeling thin. Bread, chocolate, cheese, bagels, milkshakes, pizza, French fries, and tacos. You name it! And let’s not forget about the joy of indulging in a slice of cheesecake or a delicious ice cream cone.
Now, I have nothing against being thin; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. What irks me is the all-or-nothing mentality surrounding diets that make us feel like failures for indulging. I don’t want to be “skinny” if it means sacrificing all my favorite foods. A life without occasional treats is no life at all. Sure, I might fit into my pre-baby jeans again, but is it worth giving up the joy of real ice cream? Not a chance!
I’m done with the nonsense surrounding phrases like “sweat is just fat crying.” No, sweat is how my body cools itself, and those tears rolling down my face while doing burpees are because they’re pure torture. Not today, devil! And if I hear “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips,” I’ll gladly explain how that cookie passes through my digestive system long before it finds a home in the toilet.
How about we start saying, “Many things taste just as good as being healthy feels”? Because when I really consider it, being skinny isn’t the ultimate goal. What I truly want is not to dread the number on the scale during my doctor’s visit or to be able to run up the stairs without huffing and puffing. I want to make sensible choices while enjoying my life, without the looming guilt of eating a few fries.
Healthy is the goal, and healthy looks different for everyone. We can enjoy our cake in moderation. So let’s power through the spinach and oats, then treat ourselves to a cookie or a glass of wine, if that’s what we want. And please, let’s stop feeling like we’ve ruined everything just because we indulged a little. Life is about the journey, not just reaching some arbitrary destination where we’re left angry and deprived.
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In summary, let’s embrace the idea that many delicious foods can coexist with our pursuit of health, and redefine what it means to be healthy for ourselves.