Tempted… By No One But Me

by Maria's Last Diet

When does a temptation turn into a lapse? The answer is simple: when you don’t know how to cope well with the temptation.

So what does it take to cope well?

It would be helpful, first of all, for you to understand why you were tempted. In other words, what made it a temptation for you.

Lots of things can tempt us: the kind of food, the time of day, our level of hunger, the occasion (e.g., a party], our emotional state (e.g., angry, anxious, down, bored), the need to feel better, comforted, loved, energized, etc., etc. There are endless possibilities. 

Identifying the cause is the first order of business when it comes to coping well with temptation. But doing something about it is the second, which is a lot harder.

If the cause of your temptation is situational (e.g., a party), can you think of two quick options? One is to take total control—don’t even attend the party. Another is to go to the party, but prepare yourself in some way not to be tempted by the allure of party food.

When temptation is caused by your need for emotional regulation (e.g., quelling anxiety), you could again take total control and get rid of all the non-diet food at home. Or, you could deal more directly with your anxiety so you won’t have to eat over it.

 A temptation that you cope with well won’t turn into a lapse because it loses its power to tempt you.