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The benefits of giving up dining out and sugar
I took a break from eating out and sugar for almost two months. It was necessary. I used to be more disciplined, but as I got caught up with life, I started eating more of what I wanted whenever I wanted.
I maintain a consistent workout regimen, so you could never tell what I was eating. However, I wanted to treat my internal body well, which meant I needed to detox and get back on a more health-oriented eating schedule.
The Cost of Living In A Fast Paced Society
It’s easy to eat out every day, give in to sugar, and not meal prep. We live in a fast-paced society that encourages on-the-go eating. The fast-food industry has saved the day for us all, and we don’t need to cook anymore. Frozen meals or ready-to-go meals at the grocery store are always available.
The thing is that we don’t always know what they’re putting into these foods. When you cook and prepare your meals, you always know what you’re eating and putting inside of your body.
Consider Your Future Self
You may not feel the need to prioritize what you put in your body today, but your future self will wish you did. Every choice we make has a future consequence – positive or negative.
If we never take time to restore and detox our bodies, our bodies will give us feedback in some form that will alert us we need to make a change.
Do you need to detox all the time? No. Do you need to stop eating out for good? No. But you do need to practice discipline and find a balance between eating healthy foods and less healthy foods.
I recommend eating healthy a little more frequently than eating less healthy. I consider this the 60/40 rule: eat healthy at least 60% of the time and less healthy 40% of the time.
I was reminded throughout my discipline exercise that cravings and the desire to eat filth decrease the longer I take a break from the junk foods. After a couple of weeks into my discipline exercise, the cravings evaporated. I was highly functional on healthy foods and only desired healthy foods.
Here’s what I’ve noticed since completing the exercise:
My skin is clearer
I’m more disciplined
I’m mentally healthier
My energy levels are stable
My confidence has increased
My thinking is more clarified
I don’t give in to emotional eating
I have fewer cravings for less healthy foods
The bodily pangs I was experiencing are mitigated
The Beginning of the Exercise was Painful
My cravings were present at the start of my discipline exercise, and it seemed like the opportunities to eat whatever I wanted continually presented themselves.
Then, of course, rationalization started:
You don’t even need to do this exercise; you’re young and healthy.
You need to focus on gaining weight; you’re going to lose so much weight completing this exercise.
Why are you doing such a radical exercise? What’s the point?
But thankfully, I pushed through all of these thoughts and kept going. After the second week, I was straight coasting.
How I Stayed On Track
How did I do it? I kept my eye on the future benefit instead of the short-term pleasure I would experience by giving in to my temptation of eating what I wanted.
Internal health matters just as much as our external health. To experience holistic health, you need to ensure you’re physically fit and internally fit by monitoring what you’re consistently putting into your body.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.