Face it, we eat too much. Our sizes are too big. We go back for seconds. And thirds. We clean the plates. Don\u2019t want to waste anything. Also: it\u2019s so good, how can we not eat more?<\/p>\n
We can\u2019t. I can\u2019t, at least. I know where it leads.<\/p>\n
Three meals and three snacks of set amounts helps me moderate what I eat. I can\u2019t excuse eating three or four slices of pizza anymore .The carb count would put me over. Counting the carbs, as it turns out, is an excellent method of moderation.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s not the only one. I mean, how much steak can I have? How low in carbs is that? The point here is that you have to be reasonable, make reasonable choices, eat reasonable amounts, and only rarely go back for extra. Sometimes, it\u2019s hard to do, and sometimes it\u2019s impossible. But at least be conscious of when you\u2019re doing it, write it down in that little book of all the food you stuff in your face, and you might start to notice that your \u201cjust a little bit more\u201d happens three, four, ten times a week.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not saying to not eat good and tasty and delicious things. I\u2019m saying don\u2019t eat all the good and tasty and delicious things in one go.<\/p>\n
Of course, there\u2019s another tactic I find helps. It\u2019s a psychological game you play against yourself. See, when you do decide you can\u2019t have a thing (we\u2019ll use ice cream in this example, because ice cream is a thing many people often deny themselves), you say on Monday, \u201cNo, thanks, I cannot have any ice cream today. I\u2019m not allowed.\u201d Tuesday comes and you say, \u201cThanks, but no ice cream for me today. I\u2019m not eating ice cream anymore.\u201d Wednesday, you pass the ice cream place and think about stopping but you don\u2019t. Because you\u2019re being good. Thursday, you say, \u201cI can\u2019t have any ice cream. I can\u2019t have any ice cream. I can\u2019t have any ice cream.\u201d Not only can this type of mantra lead you into crazy land and rubber rooms, it leads to Friday\u2019s conversation\u2013\u201cGive me ice cream!\u201d\u2013followed by an entire pint of Ben & Jerry\u2019s. You binge.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a better way.<\/p>\n
Instead of Denial, use Delay.<\/p>\n
Monday: \u201cI can have ice cream if I want, but I don\u2019t need it tonight. Maybe tomorrow.\u201d Tuesday: \u201cI can have ice cream if I wish, but I can wait. Maybe tomorrow.\u201d Wednesday: \u201cIce cream sounds good, but I think I can get by without. Maybe tomorrow.\u201d Thursday: \u201cIce cream would be nice, wouldn\u2019t it? But not today. I can wait. Maybe tomorrow.\u201d Then Friday comes around and you scream (we all scream) for ice cream. But since you haven\u2019t been denying yourself\u2013merely putting it off\u2013there\u2019s no need to inhale an entire pint. You get yourself an ice cream, add those carbs to your dinner, and have it as a nice, cool, ice creamy dreamy conclusion to dinner.<\/p>\n
Delay works. Delay tricks your mind. Delay prevents you from binging. It does not prevent you from indulging; indeed, it purposefully permits indulgences. Because you have to have your thing, whatever that thing is. (See the section on Chocolate.)<\/p>\n
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