Why you do what you do?

Okay this book is recommeded by my Eating Coach Kristi. I was brought up as most of us were to "clean our plates". Habits are hard to change but can be done. I try to leave 3 bites on my plate all the time. When I go out to eat, before I even start to eat I ask for a take home container when I don't share a meal with hubby. Have a great day Mindful Eaters! Hugs Debbie

Ever wonder why you do what you do? Posted: 15 Feb 2011 03:54 AM PST I just finished reading Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion.  It was a fantastic read on what researching is telling us about our autopilot decisions. From why donations are always asked for AFTER the fundraising lunch to why we move from new car browser to new car purchaser faster when there is another customer looking at the car at the same time we are, the studies provide huge insight into how our unconscious works with us and (in this land of plenty) against us. Fear of scarcity (which when you boil it down, is what hunger is) is a huge automatic driver for many people to eat.  Many of us want to eat as much as we want without gaining extra weight because we don't want to feel hunger (read experience scarcity).  We have been trained that way both in the near term (Depression parents and grandparents have imprinted on us we should clean our plates) and in the long term (when we were hunter/gatherers our ancestors NEEDED to each as much as they could when the opportunity presented itself because they couldn't predict when the opportunity would arise again -- obviously, this isn't our issue any longer!). So -- recognizing some of our automatic drivers (and how the food marketing people exploit them) goes a long way to being able to mindfully make different eating choices.  Give it some thought -- is there one particular situation that triggers you to overeat consistently?

Goo morning Debbie!!

Once I get settled in at my daughters I will check  into getting this book.  I added it to my book list.

Thanks sweetie....hugs....connie d

Hi Connie,
I have the librarian put my name on the list to get this book next. Sounds like a good read!
Take care, life will get better for you just because you are loved and appreciated. Hugs Debbie

This sounds like a good book.  I am definitely an emotional eater.  I never thought about it in terms of scarcity.  Heck, there's never been a time in my whole life when food was scarce!  I'll have to think about reading this one.

When I was younger, dad left mom and didn't pay child support (5 kids under age 12)
Food was not plentiful but we didn't starve. But if you wanted an extra piece of pizza you ate fast.
Mom did the best she could and I loved her. Looking back we had a lot of pancakes for dinner, mac and cheese, macaroni and tomatoes (no meat in it). Her best friend had a big fruit farm so we always had fresh fruit and mom canned peaches/pears/tomatoes and made her own grape juice.

When on a rare occasion we had treats you had to eat yours right away or another kid would eat it.

LOL...then my mom married my stepdad (who did not like me) he would hide candy and Little Debbie's in their bedroom. He also had 5 kids.

So now I have let the past go, I don't hide food/treats and I'm not a closet eater.
I will always be an emotional eater, that will never change. Learning how to make right food choices or eat what I really want then stop when the food stops tasting fantastic...I'm learning. Always leaving food on my plate...I had to learn that one too. I'm old but I learn new tricks all the time.

My one thing I now think about is when I eat M&M's...you have to walk the entire football field to get rid of one M&M that you just eaten. So now I'm aware of not sticking my hands in that M&M bowl and I didn't have M&M's watching the super bowl! Score! Baby steps...just keep taking baby steps.