Yesterday Nataliya and I finished a pretty tough hike at Fountainhead Park and while driving back we stopped at the local Giant to pick up a few items. As I was heading to a specific aisle I passed the bakery containing a display case that houses their large, freshly baked cookies and donuts. I could not help myself and wandered over to the case and my eyes fixated on a very large cookie containing multicolored M&Ms. My initial thoughts: 1- the cookie looks soooo good 2- I sort of “deserved” the cookie as I just expended probably over 600 calories during the hike.
As I was about to reach into the case I noticed a little sign next to the cookie that stated “720 calories”. This stopped my in my tracks and I immediately started thinking: “It just took me 1.2 hours to burn off 600 calories and it would take me about 3 minutes to devour this cookie containing more than those 600 calories. Nope, it is NOT worth it.” I patted myself on the back for walking away from the cookie and donut case without picking one up.
The cookie, similar to any other high caloric/high sugar snack/drink we will consume, brings with it an immediate gratification. Let’s face it: an hour after eating/drinking a weight-derailing food/drink source, do we still feel it was “worth it”? If we were to take a few second delay before proceeding with an unhealthy behavior, to ask ourselves the question: “Is it worth it?”, there is a good chance that we will not proceed with that behavior.
Life is a balance of sorts…engaging in activities/behaviors that make us feel good, yet also engaging in activities/behaviors that keep us healthy. At times, downing the alcohol drinks, and eating the carbs/sugars are “worth it” and at other times, they are not “worth” the added risks that cumulatively they bring to our health. Please take the few seconds to ask yourself this question each and every time a health-derailing behavior is contemplated.
And have you ever seen a movie about the Vietnam War era that did not have the Buffalo Springfield song “ For What It’s Worth” in it?
