I had some cake and alcohol last night. I even ate a roll and something called a blondie. These were all filled with carbs, sugar, and grains, and while I enjoyed these foods for the moment I ate them, literally as soon as the food was swallowed, any joy I derived from them was gone. What remained was the calories, the sugar, and the guilt.

I know: life is full of experiences, and sometimes, those experiences are through food and drink. The event my wife and I went to was a gala for the Habitat for Humanity, and it was a fundraiser with lots of great food. Surprisingly, everything but the dessert was either Paleo or Keto friendly. Had I stopped at dessert and avoided the alcoholic beverages, I would have remained true to my diet. However, being a special event, we decided to enjoy the food and drinks.

What ensued was a night of fitful sleep and sweats and a few pounds of water retention-related weight gain. While I know the effects will not be long-lasting, I prefer to not have to go through the 2-5 days of recovery after I do something like this. It’s in those days afterward that I’m reminded of the fact that the pleasure I derived from those foods and drink were very short-lived while I have to deal with the after-effects for a much longer period of time.

Maybe it’s because I’m nearing the three-year point in my journey of eating well, but I’m beginning to realize that even the enjoyment I experience from eating foods that have lots of sugar, carbs, or grains in them isn’t nearly as great as it used to be. I’m getting more and more accustomed to the Paleo and Keto foods, and I prefer them more and more. I can’t even drink any alcoholic beverage with Coca Cola in it anymore; it’s too sweet for me to even swallow.

The next time you’re about to go off-course, think about what you’re really getting out of it. Will it taste good? Perhaps, but what are you giving up long-term for that very little bit of pleasure? Is it really worth it? Most of the time, I decide that it is not, and I end up feeling much better in the long term for having made that call.