Tempting Foods & Feelings of Scarcity

So let’s get real… There are going to be a lot of different social events coming up with the end of the school year, pool parties, vacation, beach trips, barbecues, potlucks… The food is going to be everywhere.

And there is a really good chance that the food that you see is going to be fresh, light and filled with veggies and fruits… Because it’s pretty damn common during the summertime. but there’s also a high likelihood that it is going to be that good good food that you can only get from this person because they only make it one time a year and it is only for the Fourth of July party. You know exactly what I’m talking about when I say this.

So that’s when we go back and we think about the things that trigger your types of hunger and your appetite/cravings.

One of thing that could influence it all or at least the intensity of this… the mental side of abundance versus scarcity. Is this something that you can possibly get anytime of year whenever you want? If the answer is a no, this is something that might be scarce to you.

If you can leave your house at any moment and go ahead and get this item or create it in your own kitchen, this is not scarce. This might not be an abundance. You have the hurdle of having to leave your home or having to create it. But it is not scarce or abundant. Which also means that you might be a little bit more empowered to just make a choice of…. does it bring you value in that moment?

If this is something that you have every single day or at least once a week or once a month, it is abundant. It is available. It is not necessary in this moment. This could also bring you to that moment of making your choice of whether or not it brings you value to have it. But this also could be a mean to anchor your self-control to. And please remember what self-control is… The acceptance of the responsibility of the choices that you make. You can make any choice that suits you in any given moment. You do have that power. You always do. It is about that acceptance of responsibility of that choice that a lot of us shy away from and then get mad at ourselves afterwards for. In this situation, we might be a little bit stronger than this because the food item is common to us. We can delay it and have it later because it’s normally there.

In any situation, if you ask yourself these 5 questions, to help you figure out whether or not something is more scarce or more abundant and is it worth it to you?

Have you had the item before? And have you been curious about it? If you have not had this item before but you have been wanting to try it, now is your chance! But if it hasn’t really been on your radar and now just looks good, I would also walk around and see if other things pique your interest more. We have a limited amount of calories that we can consume in one sitting so if we use it on an immediate spur of the moment decision, we might not be able to enjoy something. We truly wanted that we see afterwards.
Will you have a chance to have it again? This goes back to what I mentioned above. Think about it on a timeline. Have you seen it before? Do you think you’re gonna have the chance to have it again? This might change the value that something has because of its scarcity or abundance to you.
Does it align with your goals? If you’re really torn up about what you should or shouldn’t do for yourself, go back to the thoughts of what you’re aiming for. Is this a protein and you need proteins in your day? Is this more carbohydrate based and maybe your well over your carbohydrates? Is this something that you have been actively avoiding it doesn’t make you feel good later normally?
Will the food expire? This one is kind of tricky, but I think it brings value just the same. I was jokingly talking to a client who received Twinkies, and I told her that she could delay the gratification and spread these tasty little snacks throughout the course of the rest of her life if she chose to…. JOKING! But this year could be relevant depending on the situation.
What will your mindset be tomorrow if you wake up and the scale is up? I think this is a big one, but this is for more reason than just the food. When people are trying to overcome some of their attachment to the scale that brings on negative self talk, sometimes it can be a little detrimental to be in situations where there’s a good likelihood that it’s going to affect this. If you have been currently working on your relationship with the scale, and you’re willing to give it a go with the knowledge that you may need to give yourself some self compassion the next day and talk through what the scale truly shows, go for it!

If whatever clears these questions, then you have made a conscious decision about those things. That means that it aligns with where you are in that moment but also where you are heading.