Don’t let food be the only source of fun
“But if I take away the brownie, what’s left?”
“But if I don’t get dessert and drinks, how can I have fun?”
These are the kinds of questions I used to ask myself when I was trying to get healthier. I’ve heard it from many clients and friends as well:
“If I take away the popcorn from the movies, I’m missing out on fun.”
“If I don’t have dessert after dinner, I’m missing out on the fun.”
“What’s left if I take away my 2pm brownie?”
I get it. These are real, genuine concerns that come up during health coaching:
If I take away X, then how can I have fun? How can I enjoy life? What’s the point?
But here’s the thing: by continuing to rely on food as a source of "fun," you're STILL missing out:
You’re missing out on the weight you really want to be.
You’re missing out on the body you really want to have.
You’re missing out on the vitality and energy that can fuel your day and your dreams.
You’re already missing out – you just don’t know it. By using food as fun, you're missing out on discovering the things that give you TRUE fun – fun that’s sustainable and deeply fulfilling.
One lesson I keep coming back to is understanding where real fun comes from – and where deep satisfaction lies.
A brownie? Sure, it’s a momentary pleasure on the tongue. It’s fun for my taste buds for about 2 minutes. But that is NOT true fun, especially when I know it doesn’t align with my higher health goals.
True fun is when I’m deep in a flow state.
True fun is when I’m laughing.
True fun is when I’m connecting with others.
True fun is when I’m joyful – and that doesn’t come from tortilla chips or brownies.
When you stop using food as fun, YOU STILL HAVE FUN.
It’s just a more meaningful fun.
It’s a deeper joy.
It’s a more fulfilling, long-lasting satisfaction.
Finding that kind of fun is a journey. When you move away from food as your source of fun, you begin to experiment to see what else brings you joy. You might not find it right away, but that’s ok.
I thought roller skating would be fun, and I spent hours researching what kind to buy. Turns out, it’s not as fun for me as I thought. But I kept going.
I’ve tried many things to replace that “food fun,” such as:
Painting
Dancing
Writing
Baking + Cooking
Cleaning + Decorating
Talking to friends
Reading
Netflix
Instagram
Meditation
Gardening
Some things stick, some things don’t. But the point is to keep trying, to keep discovering what lights you up.
If you take away the brownie, your next job is to find out what else is out there in the world for you.
If you stop at the brownie, you’ll never find the true fun.
The Takeaway:
Let it be ok that your fun no longer comes from food. When you make that shift, it opens the door to a bigger, richer life.
What else could you do? Who else could you be? If there are bigger and better ways to have fun, what do you want to try next?
The fun doesn’t stop – it just evolves into something even more amazing.
Want help finding the fun? My coaches helped me discover what else I liked doing that wasn’t related to food. Now I help my clients do the same. Let’s get together for a free discovery call to see what non-food fun could be in store for you!
