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First of all, don't keep cookies in the house if that's possible. Then when you want cookies, you will have to purchase them. On the way to the store, tell yourself you'll run another errand first before you go get the cookies. Then on the way to the cookies, tell yourself you'll get the cookies next time you're out and go home. Just keep doing that. The desire to eat the cookies goes away.
I got my technique from the book Beating Overeating, and I find it works. Here's how it goes:
I remind myself that I can eat anything at any time. However, I evaluate my choices in terms of my goals and sense of myself. Since my major goal is good health, I find that with this technique cookies and other junk simply lose their appeal, and I have no difficulty ignoring them.
If we don't truly believe that we can eat anything if we truly want to eat it, then we create a sense of deprivation (even unconsciously) that inevitably leads to a 'cheat.'
My downfall was my emergency food storage of beef jerky and hard candy and Diet Coke, nuts, granola, etc.
I can't throw it out because, well, throwing it out would defeat the purpose of having emergency storage.
I ended up putting the stuff in an extra closet and locking it with a cable tie. I can't get through it unless I use scissors and kill the zip tie.
It's working.
As for the OP's question, advice like "just don't eat it in the first place" is self-righteous Monday-morning quarterbacking and not productive, mmm kay?
If you see cookies, break off a half a cookie, walk away, and enjoy the heck out the half-cookie. Eat it slowly, savor the taste. Yes, you cheated, but only 1/8 as much. Pat yourself on the back for feeling satisfied with only 1/8 of a cheat. Then later go back and get rid of the cookies.
That said, I am lucky in that I am not easily triggered for carb carvings, so it's easy for me to cheat one meal and not call the day lost. I know a lot of people are not like that. I guess the only thing to do there is to eat the 1/2 cookie and then shovel in some butter or coconut oil and go for a walk. That might trigger a stop signal.
1. Eat a huge steak with butter and a big ass salad with balsamic and avocado. You'll be too stuffed to want anything else, and you'll wonder why the heck you ever thought Oreos were a good idea.
2. Don't be on a diet. Its not cheating if you're not on a diet.
Since I went Paleo, I have taught myself that there is no "cheating". It takes consciencious thought (most of the time, anyway), to go get the cookie and eat it. Instead, I choose. If I make a choice to eat something off protocol, I am not cheating, just making a bad decision.
The whole problem with me and food, is that I don't want to be responsible. Having done away with that thinking puts everything on me and how I choose to eat.
After losing 130 lbs, I hold myself accountable for whatever goes in my mouth. That way, I am not guilt ridden and tend to make better choices. For me, it makes it easier to move on if I do eat something I shouldn't.
What Rusty said is pretty close to my technique - I don't [B][I]have[/I][/B] to have a cookie - I am [I][B]choosing[/B][/I][B][/B]to have a cookie. In my case, I have strong goals that cookie interferes with -- not just slows down, but actively pulls me back away from. Not worth it. In addition, from past fails to live for my goals (and that's what they are for me - recognizing that is important for me; YMMV) I know that my tastes have changed so much that this thing won't yield the pleasure it used to - it may be the same but [B]I [/B]am definitely not the same.
Between the recognition of what the slip means for me and the knowledge this won't be what I remember ... it's not so hard any more to just smile and politely decline (in company - which usually impresses the knickers off them - "such willpower!") or simply choose well (alone).
This all did not develop overnight, and it's the distillation of several years of slow change. But I'm worth doing it right. It helps to remember that.
This threads awesome, i need to get back in track and build up the will power again. Good luck to all and keep the fight goin!
[QUOTE=goinggrok;1064168]Ok, so was doing really well till Christmas.
Trying to get back to being diligent in eating without cheats. I get about 4 days in then bam a lil stress etc and I eat 4 cookies.
How'd do you deal with your cheating and eventually becoming true to yourself and primal?[/QUOTE]
I started this program by reading "[I]The Primal Blueprint[/I]" - after that, I see no logic in eating grains, or sugar. Combine that with the sugar video telling of its horrors, and I really can't bring myself to eat those non-primal things. True, I did slip during the xmas week, but I was on vacation and when I returned home, I returned to my new eating habits.
To help me get past the "sweets" cravings, I do eat dates, and 85% dark chocolate (in small quantities).
I also agree with others that a slip only means you've gone back to your ways [I]if[/I] you give in to it. I try not to let my slips at xmas weigh on me such that I feel completely defeated. I look forward and move on, getting back to primal eating as quickly as possible. They are soon forgotten.
A couple of tactics work for me. The most important one is reaching for the good food, not the bad, first. To that end, I keep cooked veggies in the fridge. If I get hungry and find myself wandering towards the dark side, I get a plate of veg into the toaster oven, with EVOO or butter on it, and heat it fast at high heat. It fills me up and I don't want the other stuff.
I don't keep cookies and such in the house. If I come across something tempting at work or the store, I say, 'I want that, but I will wait til later to have it. Walk past it, pick it up later, have it tomorrow.' This tactic really works with me. I end up never picking it up, and the craving vanishes. The craving vanishes because i do not feed it grains and sugar.
That delay tactic works well in other ways. It has even gotten me to take hikes I normally wouldn't finish. I say, ok, I will make it to the next view. May as well see what the next peak looks like. Ah, it looks like I can see the top of the ridge through the trees now. I will hike just up to that rock and decide to turn back. That will get me many miles. Same thing with running or swimming laps.
Not having the items in your house works too. If other family members want the stuff there, tell them simply no, or have them hide it and never eat it in front of you til you can watch them eat it and say sincerely, ick! I don't want that.
The only thing that has helped me get off of junk food and stay off is to constantly remind myself of how I feel after I eat it. I guess this wouldn't apply to people with iron guts, but when I'm trying to fight off a craving, I try to channel the feeling of stomach cramps, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, nausea, gas, etc that inevitably follow when I give in. I have yet to come across some crappy treat that tastes good enough to justify all that.