Striving for an Optimally Healthy Life? Prepare to be a Little Bored
Narrow your choices early on and set yourself up for success
Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.
Oh, the regal crown of broccoli. It’s pretty to look at until it shows up on your plate more than a couple of times a week. And therein lies the problem: shifting out of a hedonistic eat-anything-anywhere-anytime lifestyle and into something healthier means letting go of a little spice.
Well, not spice. You can have spices. Variety. Letting go of variety.
Food is a celebration, and we’re all susceptible to indulging in foods that don’t support our goals. We create entire narratives around why — it’s a holiday, just this once, we’re celebrating — to justify poor eating decisions.
Happiness and food go hand-in-hand. It’s a hard thing to sacrifice, and since sacrifice is the keyword when embarking on a healthier lifestyle, the instant association is negative. And that’s not a good mindset for success.
We place a high social value on indulging, so adopting a healthier lifestyle can seem like a cruel punishment. People give up on their goals because losing the enjoyment factor of food and food-related events is too high a price to pay.
