6 Mind Tricks To Resist Food Temptations

Your mind is your most powerful tool for weight loss, don’t let it sabotage your success.  Whenever you are tempted to eat unplanned or unhealthy food, use as many of the mindset Resistance Techniques as necessary.  Stay the consistent, and results will follow.  

RESISTANCE TECHNIQUE 1 – SAY TO YOURSELF, “NO CHOICE”

This short phrase helps eliminate the struggle involved with following a plan.  Make the choice not to give yourself a choice about eating unplanned food.  Think how much easier life would be if every time you were tempted, you were able to confidently say to yourself, NO CHOICE.  That’s it. I’m absolutely not going to eat it!

Say to yourself- I’m choosing to say NO CHOICE.  If I want to lose weight, I have to do what I need to do, not what I feel like doing.

RESISTANCE TECHNIQUE 2 – SAY TO YOUR SELF ” OH, WELL……”

In the context of dieting, it means:

I don’t like the fact that I have to restrict my eating right now, but I have to if I want to lose weight and keep it off. I may as well accept this fact, stop the mental struggle, and go find something else to occupy my mind. 

You can also add the following idea, too:

Besides, although I may not like restricting my eating right now, I will definitely like all of the benefits of losing weight.

Instead of Oh, well, you can say alternate phrases like: Move on.  Let it go.  Get over it. Never mind.

RESISTANCE TECHNIQUE 3 – DISPUTE YOUR “I DON’T CARE VOICE”

The tricky part about this sabotaging thought is that it is probably true – in the moment.  Fixating on food crowds out your voice of reason.  

Say to yourself: It is true that I don’t care at this very moment.  But if I eat this unplanned food, I am going to care a lot in just a few minutes.  I know I will feel really bad if I give in, but I will feel terrific if I resist.  I need to go do something else!

RESISTANCE TECHNIQUE 4 – USE ALL YOUR RESISTANCE TECHNIQUES INCLUDING THESE FOLLOWING:

• If I’m not supposed to eat something, I will remind myself, just because I feel like eating doesn’t mean I should….There’s no emergency… I’ll be glad in a few minutes if I don’t give in.

• People who successfully lose weight and keep it off don’t eat whatever they want, whenever they want it.  They stick to their plans.

• Every time I resist eating something I’m not supposed to have, I strengthen my resistance muscle – which will make it easier and easier to resist in the future.

• Every time I eat something I’m not supposed to eat, I strengthen my giving-in muscle – which makes it more likely that I’ll give in the next time… and the next …..and the next.  

• If I eat this unplanned food, I’ll get momentary pleasure, but then I’ll definitely feel bad afterwards.  It’s not worth it!

• If I want to lose weight forever, I need to stick to my plan – no ifs, ands, or buts.

RESISTANCE TECHNIQUE 5 – DO A NEGATIVE FAST-FORWARD

Imagine, in detail, how you will feel 10 minutes after eating the unplanned food.  Visualize the situation:  Will you feel weak and out of control?  Hopeless about ever losing weight?  Discouraged that you have undermined your hard work?  Remind yourself how many times you’ve given in before and how you felt afterward.  Ask yourself, Will eating this unplanned food really be worth a few moments of moments of pleasure?

RESISTANCE TECHNIQUE 6 – DO A POSITIVE FAST-FORWARD

Imagine, in detail, how you will feel 10 minutes after resisting the unplanned food.  Visualize how you will feel: Strong and in control?  Proud of yourself?  Hopeful that you will get to your goal?  Delighted that you exercised your “resistance muscle”?  See yourself tomorrow when you get on the scale.  Think about how good you will feel that you didn’t give in. Once you see the entire picture, ask yourself, which seems better: eating or not eating unplanned food?