How many times have you finished a fitness class only to start talking with your buddies about the awesome indulgent meal you had last night, or the few extra drinks you had over the weekend that led to a super-sized-hangover-you-hadn't-had-in-years kind of day? I'm not sure if it is the high from the sense of accomplishment after a workout or just the extra need to confess now that one has done a little something to "make-up" for going a little out of bounds, but either way, it is testament to the fact that we all have those times were certain foods just win us over and we over-indulge. I won't go in to all of the reasons we over do it with food and drink- addictions, emotional comfort, nervousness, depression to a name a few, but what I will tell you about today is the Chocolate Box Effect.
This is one method that has helped some people actually savor their food rather than mindlessly gobbling it all up in a single sitting. For me, chocolate is my most coveted dessert (besides cookies and doughnuts...but let's stick to the point here). Not many of us purchase whole boxes of candies, but since Valentines day is only a month away, this may be more pertinent soon.
When the box of chocolate enters the house, put it in the freezer. Let yourself know that if you really want the chocolate, you can have it, but in order to really savor it, you have to bring out 2 pieces at a time and wait until they are thawed to have your special treat. And if you really really want more after that, the same process has to occur. You would be surprised what giving yourself these 10 minutes or so of waiting can do to help your rational brain start to kick in and talk you into something else or not eating them at all.
One of the main reasons we love our favorite foods so much, is that they are special to us. So why not upstage the whole thing and really give yourself the sense of something special. It isn't that the chocolate is bad or forbidden, it is just something so awesome that it deserves to be savored slowly and with intention. This works with more foods than you might think, but it isn't possible to put everything you love in the freezer. This is reserved for those extra tempting treats. And if it is something like ice cream, purchase a very special small bowl that is reserved for the ice cream. The goal isn't to idolize the food, it is to give yourself permission to have it on a schedule and amount that actually serves your body as well as your heart. And you can do this with chocolate bars too...just make sure you break up the bar into bite size peices before you freeze it so you don't have to thaw the whole thing out!
There's always the choice to just keep it out of your house. And I like this idea for going out for ice cream or a special piece of dessert, but for my chocolate...no way. What's your Chocolate Box Effect Method that you use to keep tempting foods at bay?