Dealing with Food Temptation
What is Food Temptation?
By the phrase food temptation, I mean the opportunity to eat food which is not required to meet your body's needs for nutrition and energy. It is healthy to eat food which the body needs in order to function properly, but I am here talking about that tempting piece of cake or biscuit or crisps. Or even having a second helping when actually you were full after the first but you just felt you couldn't resist another helping.
Food Temptation and Decision Making
If you have problems controlling your weight and tend to give in to tempting extras or overeating, then you may be aware that when you (consciously) succumb to the temptation to eat that ice cream or that piece of chocolate or whatever it is that you are tempted to eat, you feel a sense of relief.
If you are aware that you shouldn't eat something, the effort not to do so may seem so intense that if you do then eat it, at least you don't have to grapple with that tension (for the time being), hence the sense of relief.
Deciding Not to Eat Forbidden Food
The curious thing is that you can also - believe it or not - get a sense of relief or pleasure from deciding not to eat the forbidden food. The actual conscious making of the decision is a significant element in what relieves the psychological tension.
Your craving for the food will not go on for ever. It will subside after a little while. What will help it to subside quicker is you having made the decision not to eat the food.
So if your inner voice says to you something like 'I can't resist it' or 'I must have it', try saying to yourself 'I can decide not to have it' or use your own form of words if you prefer, to remind yourself that actually you can choose to make that decision. You might reinforce that positive reminder, by a statement to yourself such as 'The cravings will not last forever'.
You might also make a gesture or practical step to reinforce your decision and/or refocus your attention, such as pushing the plate away, or taking a sip of water, or leaving the room, or focusing on something else or someone else. The craving will in due course go away.
Once you have resisted temptation once, give yourself credit and recognise that you can do it the next time too.
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