On the pleasure of no pleasure

People often say, “If I can’t eat or drink what I want, or relax for hours watching TV after a hard day’s work instead of going for a walk or a run...then where’s the pleasure in life? Why torture yourself?”

But what’s hard to explain is that doing difficult things can eventually become a source of pleasure.

I’ve noticed that people who are into fitness and health often stick with it not because they enjoy the effort itself, but because they enjoy the results and the feeling of having made a good a choice.

I still hate running. But I run because I know that when I finish, I feel great. Sometimes euphoric. There’s something deeply satisfying about having done something hard. I hate eating grilled chicken salad when others are ordering burgers and chips, but I know I’ll feel fantastic on the drive home while others are groggy and sluggish. I love the feeling of having made the right choice for my body and my mind.

And of course, I look forward to the long-term results: feeling good, and hopefully looking good, in the years to come.

It’s all in the mind. At the end of the day, you have a choice to make. Do hard things now, or do hard things later. Eat healthy, avoid alcohol, and exercise now...or struggle to walk, become a burden on others, and frequent the hospital later.

Is there a happy medium? For some, maybe. But it takes an even stronger mindset to work out, eat healthy, and still allow yourself treats now and then. As I’ve mentioned before, ultra-processed foods are addictive. If I have one alcoholic drink, I’ll want another. Then out come the salty crisps, and the spiral begins. It’s even harder to undo a poor diet than to avoid it in the first place.

I just find it easier not to be tempted and to take pleasure in that.

Eating temptingly bad foods gives short-term pleasure. For me, if I workout in the morning and eat well, I feel great all day...not just for five minutes here and there. That’s dopamine control.

I’m not saying become a monk (though there’s a lot to learn from them when it comes to mastering the mind). But make better choices, and you’ll soon start to feel better for it, in your mind and body. Think long term.