How to Resist Food Temptation—For Good!
Does food temptation ruin your health and weight loss goals?
Tell me if this sounds familiar: You start the day with great intentions to eat healthy. You tell yourself you will NOT eat anything tempting throughout the day, and you’re confident in that statement.
But then… you get to work and have a stressful phone call. Or get anxious after glancing at that endless pile of work.
And suddenly those donuts someone brought into the office seem like a great way to soothe your frayed nerves. Or that free cookie you get offered with lunch doesn’t seem so harmful.
Or maybe Girl Scouts visit your door offering thin mints and you just can’t resist those eager little faces.
You might even resist the things above but then engage in closet eating that evening when no one’s around.
So you give in, telling yourself tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow you’ll be more emotionally stable.
Tomorrow you’ll start eating better and losing weight—once and for all!
But here’s the thing: tomorrow brings its own combination of food temptations and life stressors. And you know it’s time to stop the vicious cycle.
But how? We’ll get to that.
First, let’s talk about why it’s so easy to be tempted by food.
The Source of Food Temptation
We live in a time and place when food is all around us and in abundant supply. Unhealthy food temptations are present at the store, on TV, and any other places where advertisements or food could be!
And besides that, most of us are brought up to associate food with comfort and indulgence. This could include:
- Using food as a reward for “good” behavior.
- Turning to food for comfort.
- Addiction to high-sugar and processed foods.
Getting Rid of Temptation
Despite all of the factors leading to food temptation, hope is not lost! You CAN develop habits to work against your temptations—and you can get rid of them. The secret is all about using your mind, which is a powerful tool! Getting rid of certain habits requires mindset shifts that can take time and effort, but they are very possible.
Creating a Negative Association With Junk Food
It’s time to think negatively! But only in one area. Let me explain.
Thinking positively can have a powerful effect on a person’s outlook on life. Therefore, thinking negatively can have the opposite effect. While negative thoughts are normally bad for your wellbeing, they can actually be used in association with junk food to help you not want it!
If you only think about donuts, chips, and fast food as food that is your favorite and taste so good—but that you can’t have—you’re putting those foods on a pedestal in your mind. They are “bad” yet in a tempting way that makes them more desirable. You tell yourself you CAN’T have them without any context.
But try thinking about what you dislike about these foods. Why are they bad? Here are some great reasons
- They make you gain weight.
- They make your body unhealthy.
- They drain you of energy.
- They kill your confidence.
- They negatively effect your quality of life.
Make a list of your negatives for unhealthy food. And every time you are faced with one of your temptation foods, remind yourself why they don’t deserve your attention. They don’t serve you in a positive way. You deserve to be nourished by high-quality food that supports your goals and dreams, not junk that feeds insecurity and illness.
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Once you’ve done that, it’s time to add back in some positives…
Creating Positive Associations With Healthy Foods
Remember that mental pedestal? Since it’s clear now, you can fill it with some foods that deserve that position. 🙂
Think about what you love about whole, healthy foods. (Even if you don’t feel enthusiasm about these foods yet, writing down what’s good about them will help shift your mindset into liking them more.) Here are some examples:
- They fuel your body with healthy vitamins and minerals.
- They give you confidence.
- They boost your energy.
- They can enhance your love life.
- They promote weight loss and a healthy body.
Focus on these positives to build a healthy association with the foods that are best for your body. Plan ahead and bring healthy snacks to work. Carry them with you when traveling. Do whatever you can to set yourself up for a successful day. And just as importantly, don’t be hard on yourself when you have a setback. The key is to continue working at it!
Before you know it, your mindset shift will have you loving healthy foods and seeing unhealthy temptations as a thing of the past! You can do it!
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