Eat That Cookie, It’s Okay!

Six months ago I made a decision to change my lifestyle. Joined a gym, cut off all forms of added sugar in my diet, and started eating more proteins and vegetables and less carbs.

So how has it been, you ask?

The results are amazing, I can tell you that. Dropped 4kgs within a month, my face began to form that jawline I lost in the last four years and now I can fit into the smaller clothes from my late 20s. Six months in, my HbA1c is now normal (it was at the pre-diabetic stage before), my endurance is way higher and I have shed more pounds.

While these are accomplishments that I’m sincerely proud of, there’s this lingering sentiment that still accompanies me — the longing for indulgent comforts. My whole adult life has had a great deal of delicious food. I absolutely loved baking. I can’t remember a week where I didn’t have a tray full of steaming hot brownies, cookies or buns coming out of the oven. I was a professional food critic for almost six years, which allowed me to gorge on exquisite dishes from around the world. Hell, I studied diplomacy and still managed to blend it with food as a part of my research. I was (still am) that passionate about food. So, as much as I extol the virtues of a healthy diet, I still crave sweets and other things that are unhealthy.

But hey, it’s okay. It just makes you human. It doesn’t necessarily ignore the importance of nourishing your body and soul with wholesome meals. There’s no shame or guilt involved with it, only the need to savour the moments, and embrace the pleasure of food in a mindful manner that contributes to your overall well-being. Anything in life must have a balanced character about it. A little too much of something is indeed too much. Therefore, it’s all about striking a harmonious chord between nurturing your body and allowing occasional indulgence.

I’m all for the healthier alternatives for desserts, like brownies made with bananas/ sweet potatoes, or egg crust pizzas, but let’s be real. Do they really have the original character, the actual decadence or simply, the thing that makes them what they are? Sure, they have unique twists to them and are certainly tasty, but I’m still unsure whether they can replace the original flavours and textures. So unless you have a medical condition, or do not have a sweet tooth, it’s perfectly okay to have a sustainable equilibrium in your fitness journey, without feeling burdened by remorse.

At the end of the day, it’s not about cheat days where you try to gain all the calories that you burn throughout the week. It’s about moderation, self-discipline, self-compassion, and the intrinsic pleasure of enjoying food that nourishes both body and soul. There’s a long, transformative journey ahead of me, and I intend to embrace it with cravings, imperfections and occasional indulgence. It just makes me human.

So go on and enjoy that cookie, you. It’s okay!