The Conscious and the Subconscious Join Forces

The other day I had some errands to run on my way in to the office. During one of the errands I passed a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop. I wouldn't have time to go look for a place to eat, and I started thinking about eating ice cream.

I thought about what kind of ice cream I would get, and whether I would get it in a little cup or a waffle cone. I imagined how cold and sweet it would taste. I saw myself driving through the drive-up, paying, and taking my ice cream from the hand extending from the drive-up window. My car began moving closer and closer.

Then another part of me kicked in and said, "Hold it a minute. How will you feel about yourself if you cave in and get that ice cream? Are you even hungry? Could you wait a couple more hours to eat something more nutritious? Don't you have some almonds in your desk that would hold you over? Aren't you trying to do something about that spare tire you're carrying around? Huh?"

It was then that I came to my senses. I knew that the pesky voice was absolutely right. I wasn't going to eat mindlessly this time. So I did the next best thing: I allowed myself to totally enjoy the vision of buying that ice cream, imagining how it would taste, and really getting into it for a few minutes, savoring the image and the imaginary taste of that ice cream.

It was almost as satisfying as actually eating the ice cream, with extra benefits: I didn't spend any money, I didn't feel bad about myself, and I didn't add to my weight. This time, my desire to stick to my goal overrode the voice of temptation.

Temptation can be overcome by giving it a few more minutes before acting on the thought - and in those few moments, I was able to remember my commitment to myself. It just made me more determined to continue being mindful of my eating habits.