In the last week we talked about conquering yourself, and we talked about sugar. Let’s put them together.
I went out to dinner and it was an all-you-can-eat place – with a sundae bar. I went out to another dinner and the host ordered dessert for the table.
I LOVE ice cream. I mean, I really love it. Just writing this gets me excited!
But I know it’s not good for me. I weigh myself every morning and when I am over 183, I need to do something different. 181 is my target. When I eat sugar and/or load up on other carbs, it makes a difference – that day!
So this idea that the hardest thing to master over is yourself, is embodied in the moment when you decide to load up on desert or not. It’s having the craving and showing self-discipline and NOT doing it.
This can be applied to other cravings and habits that are not good for you long term. And thinking long term gives us the reason for mastering ourselves.
When you get to the end and you have diabetes, heart failure, your liver is shot, lung cancer or any number of other things, it’s too late. You can’t go back and relive the last 30 years and do better.
Obesity is more of a problem than COVID ever was. I’m not preaching. I struggle with this too. I need this message as much as anyone.
“We are ourselves the stumbling blocks in the way of our happiness.” – L.E. Landon
Master yourself.
Whatever measure of success I have achieved so far in life has been more of an expression of persistence than brilliance. Persistence takes applied energy over time towards a goal. Good health provides more energy for the body than being in poor health. It is an advantage that can be maximized over your competition. Sugar diminishes health and reduces this advantage.
Funny you mention dessert. Just got back from a tour in Italy. Every meal planned. Every meal with dessert..along with usually 3-4 other courses. While good to splurge now and then, this was food coma overload. Fortunately only gained 3 lbs in 12 days ?.
Hi Larry, everyone 🙂
I’m also an ice cream lover! And knowing that sugar is bad for our bodies I learned to make this homemade ice cream with bananas that’s quick & easy, delicious and much healthier for us. —-> RECIPE: Cut 2-3 bananas in small pieces, put them in a small ziplock bag, and freeze it for 2hrs or overnight (and when ready to use, just let them thaw for 5-10min). Put them in a blender + 1 tsp peanut butter. Blend it for less than a minute (I use the Vitamix), using the smoosher* to help. Once is all mixed together, transfer it to s bowl and top it with anything you like (I like to top mines with cranberries and shredded coconut, but you can also add almonds, cacao nibs, pistachios, etc). This is servings for 1. I hope y’all enjoy it!
Definitely the hardest thing to master is oneself. I have begun to understand the concepts you have brought up here lately. I am figuring out how to shy away from the just straight sugar before I move away from more hidden forms and keep going. A few years ago I would drink soda on a daily basis and took it out completely and replace with the occasional fruit smoothie + some other changes. I was impressed to see a clear effect when my numbers came back for my bloodwork. Several things that were borderline became more normalized A1C and some others. It made an impression that has helped me continue to focus on this. Winning however, is a daily game, and sometimes I lose, but try to have more winning days than losing days. In any case, over time, my eating is long term looks different over the last few years. Baby steps.
In my journey to get sober, I got to meet several drug addicts and other alcoholics who mostly agreed that food and sugar are one of the worst addictions to fight, and one of the least recognized as an issue.
The open availability, mass marketing, and sometimes expectations to consume are everywhere. Power and my support to anyone who wants to take on the challenge and give them up. I’m nowhere near perfect, but I find a balance that MOSTLY works for me and I try to hone my craft over time. Do I slip up and stumble now and again? Yes. Do I pick myself up by my bootstraps and get back on the horse? Yes.