As a Master of Success, you accept the reality that food is comforting, exercise hurts and, very often, there is pain before gain. When you feel stressed, delicious food can be your soothing friend. Eating makes you feel good. Snacking is one of the easiest ways you can spoil yourself. You don’t need scientific studies to tell you that chocolate, French fries and steaks are wonderful mood elevators. Saving for your children’s college has a long-term benefit. Eating a blueberry pie with ice cream has an immediate benefit. You have to be rich to buy a Porsche. Anyone can buy a bacon double cheeseburger. Eating two donuts in the morning won’t have an immediate negative impact on your profile. You can eat a bag of donuts before you reach 3,500 calories and gain a single pound.
We love food and food loves us back. Food is a constant temptation that requires strong willpower to resist. Who wants to order a side salad for lunch when the rest of the office has ordered pizza? It takes willpower. Who doesn’t want to eat the fries when we take the kids for fast food? It takes willpower. Who wants to eat no-fat foods that taste like cardboard? If it were not for the calories, very few people would choose low fat frozen yogurt over high fat ice cream.
You can eat well and sensibly. Forget the pyramids and charts. You already know what to do. You already know that broiled, light, fresh, steamed and poached are good words. You already know that fried, stuffed, buttery and au gratin are bad words. You already know that you should eat more fruits and vegetables. You already know that you should be doing healthy things like taking a multi-vitamin and drinking eight glasses of water per day. Adding a dash of lemon or lime helps. Female Masters must be sure that their calcium and iron intake are sufficient.
Managing your diet is an easy way to challenge yourself, build your self-discipline and feel good about being in control of yourself. You want a candy bar or an ice cream sundae but you fight the temptation. Not eating these things does not make you a better person. There is nothing wrong with eating an occasional candy bar or ice cream sundae. They are treats and treats are important to our psychic well being. You are not a better person just because you’re thin. When you do indulge, make sure that you aren’t mindlessly shoveling in wasted calories but rather, in the moment, savoring the treat. Are you bored, anxious or really hungry? As a Master of Success, eat mindfully, take smaller bites and savor your food.
The pain of dieting and the pain of exercising are wake up calls, challenging you and daring you to improve. Will your power and persist.