The idiom, “A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING” is actually of biblical origins and was the basis of one of Aesop’s fables written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. The meaning: Someone or something that seems to be good on the surface but is actually not good at all.
This entry was inspired by a one of the gifts our grandson bought me yesterday. The little guy came over with our daughter and his Mom told me that when they were doing some shopping at Walmart, he insisted on buying presents for his “Papa”. The two presents: An extendable back scratcher and a small package of M&Ms. The small package of M&Ms prominently posted a calorie count of 100 on the packaging. This appeared in large, bright red letters just under the M&M logos and not relegated to the nutritional facts in the back that are written in very small letters.
On the surface, this small, 100 calorie snack package seems quite innocuous. Hey, it’s not like eating over 1000 calories in the movie theater-sized packages, right? Well, there are several points to be taken: 1- The key for weight control is not counting calories, but rather, ensuring the intake of LOTS of protein while minimizing carbs and sugars. 100 calories of M&Ms is NOT nearly as beneficial as ingesting 100 calories of salmon or chicken. 2- For many people struggling with weight control, allowing even a small amount of the snack sources that caused the weight control problem in the first place leads to the urge to eat more. One small snack pack will lead to another and then another. This habit will continue into the ensuing days.
The issue of “wolf in sheep’s clothing” applies not only to M&Ms but also a number of other derailing food/snack/drink sources that will, cumulatively, derail your weight control efforts. As another example, the “95 calorie LITE beer” seems on the surface to be very acceptable to be ingested during a weight control effort. However, alcohol has a very negative impact on metabolism so, in fact, the “Lite beer” is still quite harmful.
During your long-term weight control journey beware of slick advertising of food/drink/snack products that make us think that they are “healthy”, when in fact, they are hurting our efforts.
Beware of the “Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing”!!!
Summary: We are often tricked into believing that certain food/drink sources are “healthy” but in fact, they will derail our weight control efforts.
