Picking Your Poison

I will be the first person to admit that the only reason I ever became interested in fitness was because I was so interested in chocolate. 

Some people get cravings to drink or to go fishing. I get cravings to bake.

Brownies, cupcakes, layer cakes, cookies, even chocolate-covered marshmallows; I make at least one batch of something each week. I usually try to pawn off these creations at school presentations or in the back room of my office, but sometimes these treats never make it out of my kitchen before they make it into my stomach. I have eaten an entire batch of chocolate-chip cookies in one night. By myself. Recently.

I'm not necessarily proud of this, but I also don't harbor any intense feelings of guilt for these sweet, sticky nights. That is an integral part of my approach to life, love, and health: I don't regret doing things that make me happy. I just need to be dedicated enough to make up for them in other areas of my life.

This is what I mean by "Save it for Dessert." I eat healthily for most of my meals and try to stay consistently active throughout the day. However, dessert is a daily occurrence for me. Sometimes an obscene amount of dessert. This indulgence keeps me sane and happy, and makes eating my vegetables and taking the stairs worthwhile. 

My chocolate might be someone else's spaghetti and meatballs or Cuban cigar; we all have our individual vices, and with some restrictions I would argue that we should allow ourselves these vices (in moderation, of course). All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy; all veggies and no sugar makes Karina a grumpy girl! 

I don't see the point in living a healthy life if you're not happy enough to enjoy it. So I implore you to spend some time thinking about what parts of your life you really look forward to, what really makes you happy. Is it a positive behavior, like watching the sunset with your daughter? Or is it a negative behavior, like a few too many drinks after a long day? You don't need to completely deprive yourself either way; remember, moderation in all things is essential. 


That being said...of the two, you should probably focus more on positive behaviors.