Skill Power vs. Will Power
The food industry invests billions of dollars to sell you their product. If you think about how much time and preparation goes into one bag of chips (or whatever it is that you can’t stop eating), you shouldn’t be surprised that you can’t stop at just one. There are scientists who create addicting flavors (hi, cheddar/sour cream!). They even create the food in such a way so that the flavor does not linger - keeping you reaching for more.
Knowing all that, do you really think that sheer will power is going to beat out a billion dollar industry? It's more likely that you might come home after a long, stressful day at work, see that bag of Doritos, think, “Okay, I’ll have just one,” only to be seduced by those mad-scientist flavors, and end up left with an empty bag of chips, feeling like a failure (which you are NOT).
The good news is that you can beat this industry, but you will need to develop the skills to do it by taking action and changing your habits. One way is to identify your danger window when it comes to eating unhealthy snacks or meals: When do you usually find yourself reaching for the Doritos? Chances are, you don't have a 24-hour-a day problem; it might just be a when-you-get-home-after-a-long-stressful-day-at-work problem. Maybe having a small snack late in the day at work could help prevent the craving from striking once you get home. Or, instead of feeling like you are depriving yourself of your favorite snack - you could ADD other nourishing foods along with it to help you feel more satisfied and less likely to finish an entire bag of this fave snack.
A lot of time and resources go into creating those processed foods, but don’t let that discourage you. Instead, think about how you, too, need to put time and resources into your daily habits and diet in order to nourish your body differently. The processed, junk food industry was created gradually, over a long period of time, and so will your new habits. Start with the "Shrink Your Danger Window" worksheet, see if you can identify when you have this “lack of will power,” and start rewriting your story!
