Will Enjoying a Food Eliminate Its Consequences? by Joan Kent, PhD
“Well, I ate [fill in the junky food here]. But I enjoyed it!”
Have you heard people say this about “off-limits” foods? It’s usually said with a proud, almost defiant, air and possibly a smirk. Do you embrace the thinking behind it? It’s a common School of Thought.
Here’s a bit of information some people won’t want, but I invite you to stay with me.
I’m not one of the folks who believe enjoying foods that, ideally, we’d avoid will halt the negative consequences of those foods. And I’ve heard this so-called school of “thought” too often, so I feel compelled to address it.
Naturally, it’s counterproductive to eat an off-limits food and feel guilty about it — either while eating it or afterward. What I question is the wisdom of having the food in the first place.
Everyone gets to decide what she or he will do when it comes to nutrition. Not everyone makes the wisest decisions. Some people are unaware of what junk foods do to them. And some people eat junky foods knowing what they do, but not wanting to give up the foods.
What About Eating Everything in Moderation?
Another school of thought is “Everything in moderation.” For years, I’ve maintained that not everyone can achieve moderation around all foods. Certain foods can cause big trouble. Those who don’t understand food addictions (or who may not be ready to face their own) tend to talk about moderation.
But when it comes to addictive substances like alcohol and sugar, there’s no such thing as One-And-Done.
The consequences will happen. Those might include:
- cravings later that day, or for several days
- increased appetite for several days
- changes in food preferences that lead to more junk-outs
- negative effects on mood
- inability to focus
- fog-brain, and more.
Someone who has been trying to quit sugar but is still early in the process is typically in a fragile state. The bad-food consequences are more likely, and likely to be more severe.
It’s not helpful to be surrounded by people who encourage trying everything in moderation – or who encourage you simply to enjoy a food to make it all okay.
Is There a Plan That Will Work?
With so many delicious foods around all the time, I’m not telling you never to enjoy yourself!
But setting boundaries may be a more helpful — and an absolutely acceptable — strategy, no matter what you’ve heard about this mystical Power of Enjoyment. Know in advance what you won’t eat, shouldn’t eat, can’t eat, refuse to eat. Then stick with that plan, no matter what. Savor the many, many other foods.
Believe me, if simply enjoying a food did the trick, I’d be ‘enjoying’ all kinds of sugar right now and getting into all kinds of trouble. (But that’s me….)
Maybe this enjoyment thing is another loophole that people look for in their sugar journey, but I’ll continue to insist that, truly, there’s no loophole.
No one looked for one harder than I did!
And if you’d like some great strategies to make this pre-holiday season a time of holding steady – versus starting the end-of-year backslide and having to re-start again in January! – you’re invited to visit LastResortNutrition. Grab your free Craving Crusher Consult and discover how easy it can be to enjoy eating foods you love, without damaging your health or your weight.
Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.
