How to Cut Down on Dessert

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Full Episode Transcript:

How to Cut Down on Dessert

Hi there, so you know how you keep telling yourself that you need to cut down on desserts to feel healthier and maybe even lose some weight? Like it should be something that you should be able to do, but then why is it so hard?

There are two main reasons for this. You’re trying to use willpower to fight urges to eat those super pleasurable desserts. And you don’t have a strategy set ahead of time.

The problem with trying to use willpower to fight urges is that willpower requires way too much energy. Our brains try hard to conserve energy. Our brains also try hard to get pleasure. Desserts or the sugar in the desserts provide pleasure.

So, trying to utilize a lot of energy to minimize pleasure is not something that your human brain really wants to do. Which is why it’s so darn difficult when you’re trying to use willpower to fight urges.

The problem with not having an actual strategy or plan, ahead of time, is that when you’re in that moment and presented with dessert, you’re using the part of the brain that is way more concerned about instant gratification, than any intentions or goals that you had.

So, in that moment, it’s very easy to forget about any sort of weight loss goal or health goal.

When you have a strategy, you don’t need to use willpower, and because you’ve developed that plan ahead of time, you’re using the part of your brain that’s focused on your intentions and goals.

In this episode, I’m giving you a 7-step strategy that helps you cut down on dessert. This will minimize the mental energy that you’re spending and maximize your likelihood for success with cutting down on desserts.

Step #1 is to determine your reasons why you want to cut down on dessert and the benefits of cutting down on dessert. I could sit here and list all the benefits for you.

But the truth is that when you are the one who’s actively thinking about the benefits to you specifically, you’re more attached to those benefits. Those benefits mean more to you.

Said differently, the benefits for some people may be different than the benefits for others. So think about your reasons why you want to cut down on dessert and how you feel that will be beneficial to you specifically.

Why it’s important to do this step is that it creates motivation to actually go through with the actions. You’re getting awareness of the long-term reward for yourself. And I want you to focus specifically on how you think cutting down on dessert will make you feel.

So, if you feel like it’s going to help you lose weight. How will losing weight help you feel? Maybe you think cutting down on dessert will make you feel healthier or more in control.

Humans are motivated into action based on feelings. This is why thinking of those benefits, especially benefits as far as how you’ll feel creates a lot of motivation.

Step #2 is setting a specific end goal. So, for some of you it may be eliminating desserts entirely, except for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings. For others, it might be having dessert twice a week.

You’re going to want to think about what you think would be ideal for you. And really this is kind of just a guess. You can always make changes later. But we need an end point.

Step #3 is just having awareness of where you are now as far as how many desserts you eat. Step #2 and step number three are just numbers. You may have dessert every night currently, or perhaps you have 2 desserts most days a week.

Try to get the exact number of desserts that you have in a typical week, if you can. Or if you can’t get the exact amount, then get as close as you possibly can with an estimate.

And just a little bit of a pro tip for this: many times, we can underestimate how many times we do something. So, I do recommend considering for a week, just writing down every time you have a dessert. You might think that you only have 5 desserts a week, but then you’ll discover that you have more like 8 desserts.

This is all just for awareness so that you now have your starting point. Don’t judge the number. You’re just collecting data. You want as much of an accurate starting point as you can get.

OK, now we have your starting point and your end point. Meaning how many desserts a week you have currently and how many desserts you would like to set as your end goal, whether that is daily, weekly, monthly, just on special occasion, etcetera.

Step #4 is going to be to make a small, doable change toward your end goal. For most people, it makes the most sense to do this for the week.

For example, if you currently eat one dessert a day, every day and your goal is to get down to one dessert a week, a small change for the upcoming week might be to pick one day where you don’t eat dessert. Maybe pick the day that you think would be easiest to not eat dessert.

Typically, earlier in the week is easier. Oftentimes, as it gets closer to the weekend, we’re thinking about rewarding ourselves and this often is with dessert.

Step #5 is to expect to have the urge to eat the dessert on the day that you chose to not eat the dessert. This is completely normal. But if you keep thinking about that dessert and try to fight that urge, you’ll keep focusing on the dessert, making it harder to follow through on not eating the dessert.

What you’ll do is just feel the urge and allow it to pass through you. No drama. Not a big deal. You can have your dessert the next day if that was part of the week plan.

My clients find it very helpful in the start to remind themselves that they can still have dessert, but just not in that moment.

A lot of times our brains freak out thinking that we’re not allowed to eat, which then just makes it harder. So, you just have to remind your brain that you’re able to have dessert, just not right now in that moment.

Step number six is every time you are successful with following through on the initial plan, especially if you had an urge and allowed it to pass without acting upon it, celebrate. Tell yourself you did a really great job.

Just having that nice positive thought about yourself and your success, makes you feel really good. And remember, humans are motivated into action by their feelings.

Now step #7 is to repeat the same plan the next week or make another small change period if you feel like you need more practice with that same plan, then go another week with it, or even two. If you feel like it was easy, then you could make another small change.

Repetition is key though. The more repetition you get, the more likely you’ll change your habits.

Also, you’ll find that your cravings for desserts and for sugar in general will naturally decrease as you’re decreasing the amount you’re consuming. You’re not getting nearly as much of a dopamine hit when you’re eating less sugar in general.

The dopamine hit is what provides so much pleasure and then creates a craving. So when you lessen that dopamine hit, you’ll get less cravings.

Now you might be thinking, well I don’t want to give up the pleasure from the dessert. But think about this. Think about the pleasure you’ll get from feeling in control, having an easier time losing weight, feeling healthier. That’s true pleasure, rather than the false pleasure from the dessert.

Also think about the pleasure you’ll get from finding pleasure in other non-food things. When you’re no longer spending your time thinking about sugar and dessert, you can spend that time doing other things that you enjoy. Doing other things that you get dopamine from.

Alright, if you haven’t gotten the free course plus workbook that helps you crush bad eating habits, specifically emotional eating, using food as a reward, and eating habits related to a busy schedule or feeling like you have a lack of time, then definitely grab that free course and workbook with the link in the episode description.

The lessons are all in audio, so If you enjoy listening to podcasts, this is like a private podcast with a workbook to go along with it. The workbook just makes it easy to implement what you learn so that you actually have a simple strategy to use going forward. So that you’re not just feeling like you’re lost in trying to rely on willpower.

Get access to the free course plus printable workbook with the link down in the episode description.

Thanks for listening and please share the Eating Habits for Life podcast with a friend, family member or colleague who could benefit from this as well.

The more people that I can help feel healthier, physically, and emotionally, the better. And it’s fun for you, knowing that you helped to pass it along to someone else in need.

Alright, take care and I’ll talk with you next week.