Dealing With Temptation – Refill Your Cup

With the holidays upon us, those of us who are looking for ways of dealing with the temptation of overindulgence are likely cringing at the largess before us.  But, take hope — some recent findings about the human capacity for dealing with temptation should give us hope.

My Experience In Dealing With Temptation

During some of my earlier attempts at weight loss, I took that “all or nothing approach.”  I had come to the conclusion that I was eating poorly and not exercising enough, so I went hard-core.  I cut out all sodas and sweets.  Zip.  Zada.  Nothing.

That approach didn’t serve me well over the long term.  I found I was good for a few weeks before I would crash and burn.  Hard.  I ended up gorging myself on some odd sweet, and then set in the cycle of remorse, followed by even more determination to be strict.  Rinse and repeat.

Eventually, I gave up, and became one of the inevitable statistics of people that gain back all the weight they’ve lost.  Fast forward a few years, and I decided to tackle this problem again.  But this time around, I learned from my past mistakes and decided to start allowing myself small indulgences.  I gave myself a few hundred calories to “spend” on junk each day, along with a “free day.”  My daily indulgence became ice cream or peanut M&M’s, which I still allow myself several times each week, in small servings.  These are good because they allow me to deal with my temptation for chocolate, sugar, and fat, while keeping the calorie count to a minimum.

Turns out, there is science to support this approach.  Researchers have discovered that we poor, unsuspecting humans have a finite capacity for dealing with temptation.  A “cup” if you will.  Once that cup has been filled, all bets are off.  You WILL cave.

Fortunately, they also showed that our “cup” can be refilled.  Our ability to deal with temptation can be replenished by allowing some indulgence.  Think of it as a pressure relief valve.  A little spigot at the bottom of the cup of temptation.  Scientists have shown that, much as it has worked for myself, if you allow yourself to indulgence in small temptations, you become better able to say resist when faced with temptation later.  It works for all types of temptation — not just food.

So, the lesson from this is that one of the best ways to handle temptation this holiday season is to cave –carefully.  Before going into a situation where you know you’ll be faced with temptation, plan ahead, and make sure your cup is nice and empty.  In this way, your gain control over your indulgences.  Rather than going to the Christmas office party having starved yourself, live a little beforehand. In this way, you will have replenished your capacity to walk away when the real temptations turn up.

Related posts:

1. Harness Your Mental Power – Tips For Resisting Temptation
2. How Often To Weigh Yourself?