I recently saw a show about a couple who had each lost over 100 pounds. They were planning a party to celebrate their success and renew their marriage vows. Understandably, they wanted to go all-out with clothes to show off their newly-slender bodies, new wedding photos and a celebration dinner.
When they met with a baker to plan the wedding cake, they were offered samples of the options for the cake and frosting. These two were terrified to taste the tiny little slices -- they hadn’t had any cake since they started to lose weight. The looks of terror were almost comical. They finally decided on the flavours, but only nibbled at the cake. They weren’t sure how they would handle the cake at their party.
Can you imagine losing 100 pounds, or even five, and never having a piece of cake? I can’t.
Life is meant to be enjoyed and food – especially cake! – is about enjoyment. We don’t need a giant slab with extra icing to celebrate the moment. We can savour a slice, enjoying the taste, the texture, the delicious sweetness.
For me, weight loss, and healthy eating for life, has to include some joy food, whether it’s cake, nachos or a pina colada. Sure, our bodies need fuel food that’s packed with nutrients. But our hearts and souls seek foods that give us pleasure. Including both kinds of food will help sustain the healthier eating. A good balance is something like 90% fuel food and 10% joy.
In the long-run, we’ll be more successful giving ourselves the joy we seek from food than denying ourselves, only to go on a rampage of sweets.
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