The Beck Diet Solution by Judith S. Beck PhD

Author:Judith S. Beck, PhD
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

day 16

Prevent Unplanned Eating

Some people don’t struggle much when they’re deciding when and what to eat. They just open the cabinet or refrigerator and select what they want. If you’re like most dieters, though, you’ve struggled at times when you were tempted to eat something you shouldn’t. You probably had a dialogue in your mind that went something like this: I really want to eat this. But I know I shouldn’t. But I really want it. I’m not supposed to have it. But I feel like having it! I know it’s not on my food plan, but I don’t care. I’m going to have it anyway.

This internal argument can create tension, which is emotionally and physically uncomfortable. You’ll be tempted to relieve this tension by eating. Once you make the decision to eat, you may find that your discomfort immediately subsides—even before you reach for the food. You can do other things, though, to reduce your discomfort. Just as deciding to eat can reduce tension, so can deciding not to eat.

Your written food plan will help you make your decision ahead of time—before you’re confronted with uncomfortable cravings and tension. But it won’t eliminate indecision. There will be times when you begin to argue with yourself. Perhaps you’re at a party and want a glass of wine that’s not on your plan. Perhaps a coworker asks you to try a brownie she baked. The triggers for eating are endless, but the solution is straightforward: Tell yourself that you don’t have a choice. You made a plan, and you’ll follow that plan—no ifs, ands, or buts.

Firmly saying, NO CHOICE, decreases both the struggle and the discomfort. Think about rules you already have in your life. Do you struggle over whether or not to brush your teeth? Imagine how annoying it would be if you had to fight to get yourself to do this mundane task everyday! But you don’t struggle because you have a rule: I have to brush every day.

You also might establish other “no choice” rules. I’ve made some eating rules for myself that I rarely break. I don’t even think much about it; I just follow them. I don’t struggle, I don’t feel conflicted, I don’t feel deprived, and I don’t end up eating food I’ll be sorry about moments later.

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