RESIST Temptation
Today I was in the hospital, dictating a patient note on the computer. It was around 11 AM, and I was getting a bit hungry. I usually eat my first meal most days in the early afternoon (time restricted eating, do this for metabolic health reasons).
Anyway there I was, with these delicious treats right next to me 👇🏽
A very nice patient family had brought it in as a gift for the staff!
I like sweet food as much as the next person, and it was extremely tempting, especially when I was hungry. But I knew it wasn’t good for me, and didn’t want to load my body with sugar.
So I had to tell myself a couple of times and came close to reaching for it— Suneel don’t do it! I drank a cup of tea instead.
A couple of hours later, I did have a something to eat that fueled me for the rest of the day.
The purpose of this tweet?
We make things so complicated, especially nowadays online. But at the end of the day, if you want to be as healthy and in shape as possible, then it really depends on your willpower— literally every hour of the day.
Modern mainstream culture is utterly toxic, not only will you always be surrounded by temptation— but you will be getting messages all the time (including from the medical establishment) that you are powerless, you don’t have any control, and you must succumb to your low lowest instincts— even if you know something is not good for you (funny how that works, because somebody somewhere is benefiting financially from people feeling powerless).
So always remember on your health journey, it’s not about never treating yourself – – it is about striving to make the right decision every hour of the day, especially when you know something is not good for you.
If you know that you have a sugar problem? Then you’re going to have to muster the courage to say no to the treat. If you know that you need to exercise? Then you’re going to have to muster the courage to say I am going to get up and move.
It is these small micro decisions every hour of the day that add up fast, and will hopefully move the needle in the right direction to improve your well-being!
Sounds so stunningly simple, but we forget the basic things.
It’s you versus you.
I was very proud of myself that I resisted.
I view this as a spiritual journey as well. Literally every single religious book tells you to resist temptation when you know it is not good for you. But we sadly live in a society where the narrative is that people should be able to do whatever they want, treat their body badly, and maybe there’s a drug out there that can help. This is why we are in trouble.
Bottom line: Don’t let anyone ever tell you that this is not about willpower. It is literally the NUMBER ONE important thing in anything you do.