Cookies are my vice. This is my confession to you.
Sugar and butter are the way to my heart – or my appetite, anyway. I especially enjoy cookies that have texture to them. Almond cookies. Chocolate chip with walnuts. Coconut cookies. If the cookies are crispy, I’m hooked.
And don’t get me started on Walker’s buttered shortbread cookies. During my pistol-shooting career, I could do damage on a 3-pound can of Walker’s. The delicious smell of butter hits me as soon as I open the can, even with the cellophane still sealed. Talk about a mouth-watering experience.
Like mother, like daughter.
My mom had a sweet tooth. She enjoyed cooking, and she was excellent at it – much better than me. My cooking relies on presentation. I know how to make food look good. Consider that the byproduct of me majoring in art in college. My mom didn’t rely strictly on presentation. She knew how to make food taste good, too.
One Chinese dessert, in particular, ranked among her specialties. It was a red bean dessert. She cooked the beans until they became a soft porridge and added a lot of sugar. I used to love eating that dessert.
Now, I love eating cookies.
Saying I have a vice might sound like I am engaging in something harmful or undesirable, but not all vices are created equal. Some vices are major. Some are more minor. Some can be managed.
I know sugar in the diet is frowned upon. Science tells us that too much sugar can make us experience mood swings, a lack of energy, restlessness, difficulty sleeping and a craving for even more sweets. Fortunately, I do not experience many of these side effects, although I do get sugar cravings.
Throughout my Bianchi Cup career, my cookie love helped me maintain a healthy weight. I needed to incorporate a high-calorie diet while I was in the heart of my training so that I could keep up my strength. Throughout training, I’d eat a couple of Egg McMuffins each day. For lunch, I might have chicken salad and fruit. For dinner, bring on the 14-ounce steak, broccoli and bread. Tate cookies would be my special, crispy treat. During a week of training, I might eat almost 30 of Tate’s coconut or chocolate chip cookies. They served as extra fuel to help me top off the tank.
Of course, I needed to keep tighter reins on my sweet tooth when I wasn’t in the heat of intense training. Calories in, calories out.
I am comfortable with my sweet tooth, because I have proven I can control it. I keep myself honest by maintaining a close watch on my weight. If my weight ticks up, I steer clear of cookies for however long is necessary and incorporate healthier fruits to satiate my sweet tooth. If my weight is within bounds, I allow myself some cookie enjoyment.
I know I can shut off my cookie intake when necessary.
Goals motivate me. I need a carrot to chase. Sometimes, a goal can be as small as seeing incremental improvement on the range. Other times, a magenta dress can serve as a powerful goal.
Last fall, I connected with someone to record a video trailer for my book. This videographer thought I should wear a red Chinese dress. I didn’t have a red one, but I owned magenta dress, made 18 years previously. It no longer fit.
When I tried it on for my husband, Carlos didn’t mince words or sugar-coat the situation. He told me there’s no way I fit into the dress and that I looked like a tamale.
Well, maybe I can lose a few pounds, I told Carlos.
This was about five weeks before I was supposed to show up in Colorado for the video shoot.
I buckled down on my diet. I ate steak and vegetables. I cut down on sweets. When I felt I needed sugar, I reached for an apple or orange. No cookies. No chocolate.
Along the way, my sweet tooth curbed. I almost lost the taste for cookies.
I lost 10 pounds in five weeks, and I fit into the dress.
After the video shoot, I decided I could return to my cookies.
Why? I had shown myself that I can dial back my sweet tooth if needed, but I figure life is too short to not allow yourself any pleasures.
The simple fact is, I enjoy cookies.
My friends know this, and cookies are their way of sharing their travels with me. As gifts, I have received cookies from Hawaii, Japan and Hong Kong. I return the favor. When I see cookies that look good while I am shopping, I might buy some for friends as a sweet gift.
I am also a stickler for following the doctor’s orders, and I am honest with my doctor about my sweet tooth. I would never advise ignoring a doctor’s recommendations. If my doctor tells me I need to eradicate cookies from my diet, I will do it. Fortunately, that doctor’s order hasn’t come for me.
Even though I allow myself this vice, I know how important it is to keep watch over my body.
My advice to those who share my sweet tooth:
1. Get to know your body and how it works. Determine the diet and exercise lifestyle that will allow your body to serve you how you want it. Figure out the types of foods that allow you to maintain a healthy weight.
2. Monitor your weight and rein in your cravings if your weight creeps up.
3. Listen to your doctor. If you are diabetic, be especially mindful of your sugar intake. If you must curb your sweet tooth to maintain your health, then find something else that brings you pleasure.
Cookies enhance my life, but I do not let my sweet tooth control me. I am in the driver’s seat, but my life is made better by having a few cookies in the passenger seat.
Vera Koo is a first-generation Chinese American woman. She’s a wife and mother, author, entrepreneur and retired competition shooter. Along with two published books -- "The Most Unlikely Champion" and "Wisdom and Things: Essays From an Unlikely Champion" -- she writes her column, Vera Koo, at "Women’s Outdoor News." View all posts by Vera Koo
