Sinful Indulgence

Anyone here know what Lindt truffles are?  I’ll give you a hint, they’re like a small package of sin, dipped in temptation and then wrapped up in a bit of hedonistic pleasure.  Yes, they’re that good.  A single bite into one of their milk chocolate truffles and I close my eyes in sweet surrender to the chocolate gods.  There’s that moment when I bite deep into the truffle and the creamy filling spills out in all its chocolaty glory that’s like…. well, you can guess what it’s like. 

Yes, I love Lindt truffles.  They are to me the epitome of candy.  You may or may not agree and that’s your right.  Certainly different people have different tastes.  However, what you all can probably agree on is “why the heck is he talking like this about chocolate on a fitness website?”  And the answer is, this is EXACTLY the way I should be talking about chocolate on a fitness website.  In fact, if I didn’t talk like this about chocolate then I should be worried.

Let me explain.

Deprivation Sucks!

What comes to mind when I say healthy eating?  Is it tasty vegetarian meals?  Is it wonderful salads filled with zest and flavor?  Nope, of course not.  Most people, including myself sometimes, think of bland lettuce, horrible rice cakes, endless baby carrots, no more steaks, no more chocolate and no more ice cream FOREVER!  You think I’m kidding and maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but not by much.  Really, healthy eating has quite a few negative connotations in peoples’ minds and very few positive ones.  People are not willing to look at healthy eating with an open mind and consider the possibility that we may enjoy it.  We choose instead to focus on the bad side of healthy eating and convince ourselves that we’re going to hate it.

So first of all, let’s get rid of that myth.  Healthy eating can be very tasty.  There are hundreds of recipes out there for healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks that you will enjoy just as much as those steaks and ice cream.  In fact, once you open yourself up to the idea, I’m guessing that you’ll find a healthy diet to be far more enjoyable than your previous unhealthy one.  Because, not only will you be healthy, but you’ll also gain a greater appreciation for those sinful indulgences like chocolate.  You’ll start talking about Lindt truffles as a religious experience and not as a guilty mid morning snack.

A Moment To Savor

Think back to that description I gave of the chocolate eating experience.  To me, that’s a little slice of heaven, a moment to savor and enjoy.  Now guess what happened when I walked into the Lindt outlet in New York a few days ago?  I bought a bag full of these truffles and took them back to my hotel room.  I eagerly spilled them all out of their bag, sorted them by flavor (yes, I’m a little CDO which is just like OCD only the letters are in the right order!!!) and started eating.

The first truffle was chocolate nirvana.  White chocolate outside with a creamy white chocolate filling.  Flavor everywhere.  Senses overwhelmed by the richness and sweetness of the chcolate.  Taste buds overloading on sensation and brain succumbing to pure pleasure.  The second truffle was almost as good.  My taste buds were a little overwhelmed by the first chocolate but still aware enough to note the difference in flavors since this one was a milk chocolate truffle.  My head was still buzzing and my eyes closed as I focused on the unadulterated joy of consuming chocolate.

The third truffle was a little plain.  Sure it was sweet and yes it was very creamy but where was the richness?  Where was the chorus of angels singing in my head as I nibbled on chocolate and drank in the dark and sensual flavor of the filling?  Well, maybe it was just the dark chocolate, let’s try another white chocolate one to be sure!  I bite into this fourth truffle and… well, it’s nice, but there’s nothing else.  No heavenly choir, no blind lust, no emotional catharsis, nothing

What’s my point?  Well, the point is that even with things as exceptional as Lindt truffles, too much of a good thing becomes something quite ordinary.  Having too many of these chocolates at once made them less tasty.  Having them too often would do the same.  Instead of a rare sinful indulgence, they would become common place.  Their special quality would be cheapened and I would be left with nothing but empty wrappers and guilt.

The same applies to many other things by the way.  Take your morning coffee as an example.  How many of you feel like something a monkey flung out of a cage until you get that early morning latte?  Are you really enjoying it or are you barely existing until you drink it?  Is it your caffeinated nirvana which puts a smile on your face or is it a daily caffeine pill without which you are miserable?  Personally, I don’t drink much caffeine.  Whole weeks can pass without me touching a diet coke.  Which means that when I do consume caffeine, I really feel it.  Rather than reducing caffeine to a daily (or hourly!) addiction without which I am lost and grouchy, I savor the rare occasions during which I consume it and enjoy the side effects.

Again, what’s my point?

Rare Pleasure Vs. Every Day Habit

My diet is relatively healthy.  I am mostly, although not completely, vegetarian.  I don’t eat much candy or junk food.  I don’t consume much caffeine or any liquid other than water.  The foods I eat are wonderfully tasty and very filling.  At the same time, I do sometimes indulge in things like Lindt truffles, a caffeinated soda or something like sushi.  By eating this way I get the best of both worlds.  I have a healthy diet filled with great food AND I get those amazing eating experiences that only come by once in a rare while.  In other words, I get to enjoy my virtuous lifestyle and I derive far more enjoyment from the occasional sinful pleasure.

That’s the reality of a healthy lifestyle.  It’s not a lifestyle of deprivation, it’s not a lifestyle of scarcity and constant hunger.  It’s a lifestyle full of pleasure made even better by not being commonplace.  It’s a lifestyle where every day feels good and some days feel incredible, because that’s what you get when you make an everyday occasion into a once in a while pleasure.  So you can take your steak every day and your cereal every morning and your dessert with every meal.  These things have become common place to you, they have gone from incredible pleasure to every day necessity.  I’ll gladly trade them for the happiness of health and the pleasure of the occasional indulgence.  I’d rather derive true enjoyment from these things on the rare occasions I consume them.  On other days I’ll be finding pleasure in things like not being out of breath when I climb the stairs, not being unable to see my toes, not being afraid of a heart attack and other such simple pleasures that are a daily part of a healthy lifestyle.

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Thank you to Me-Ander for posting a 60 in 3 article in their latest carnival and to Weight Master blog for doing the same in their latest weight loss carnival.

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