The Eating Coach

Twice this week I heard what sounded like an entirely reasonable and wise statement come out of the mouths of two separate people in different contexts.

I replied "Is it?"

Listen to this tear down of what seems like a self-evident truth, and then go ask that same question to someone today. Go on, I double dare you!

Guilty pleasure - just a harmless bit of fun, surely? A treat after a hard day’s work? Nope – unless you actually want to saddle yourself with a price tag of inadequacy and misery. Let’s look at some better alternatives that allow you pleasure without the pain.

STUPID ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

...is one I found wilting beside a supermarket till, announcing ‘My food shame made me lose 5 stone’. I look at some of the backdoor toxic pressure underlying this seemingly good news.

MAIN SECTION: WHY YOU SHOULD DITCH GUILTY PLEASURES RIGHT NOW

Embedded in the very concept of guilty pleasure is the conflict between feeling guilty for pleasure, and on the other hand, legitimising the experience. This is just one of the reasons that this seemingly harmless form of fun is a breeding ground for disaster.

I talk about:

• How we have an overload of pleasure today
• What The Space Shuttle has got to do with any of this
• Why some shame is an illusion
• The underated role that rule breaking has in this behaviour, and its link to the issue of power as regards compulsive eaters
• What to replace this thinking with

RESOURCES

Find out about coaching here:

http://www.theshiftinside.com/coaching/

The ABC of Eating Psychology episode:

http://eatingcoach.libsyn.com/ec10-abc-of-eating-psychology

Ep 26 – real vs Fake Pleasure:

http://www.theshiftinside.com/audio-real-vs-fake-pleasure/

Ep 13 – The Invisibilia of Secret Eating:

http://www.theshiftinside.com/audio-the-invisibilia-of-secret-eating-ec13/

Space Shuttle article:

https://priceonomics.com/the-space-shuttle-challenger-explosion-and-the-o/

Dan Cumberland’s article on breaking rules:

https://theseattleschool.edu/blog/breaking-the-rules/

 The Eureka Alert article on breaking rules:

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-05/sp-brm051911.php

Today's Saturday Question takes as its starting point one of THE most unusual televisual experiences I have ever been through; choose your own adventure TV.

Bandersnatch is available on Netflix

This Saturday Question takes as its inspiration another hilarious extract from David Walliams, this time from The World's Worst Children II. Meet Humbeert, the veeeeeeery hungry baby. But that is not what interest me here. It is his mother I want to talk about...

`

I wish my soul,

Was given to me on a plate,

I'd eat it whole,

So it can reintegrate.

Everybody took a piece,

Leaving me to feel emptier,

And emptier until the police,

Couldn't piece me together.

I can't digest a thing though,

It's what happens,

When all that you saw,

Was tough lessons.

But I'd try anyways,

To eat it whole,

It may take me years,

To get out of this manhole."

Sandie Brunet

PRINCIPLE #1 stars Anthony Robbins, your 2019 calendar, coffee and more. Find out what a creative challenge is, and if your new year’s resolutions falls into this category.

PRINCIPLE #2 takes us into the world of sport, about which your host knows just enough to coin the term ‘sport game’ for the first time ever in podcasting history. Spoiler: this one is about goals and why they are a terrible idea – and how you should rename them. I have 2 alternatives for you, and it’s really down to personal taste as to which one you choose.

PRINCIPLE #3 is temptation bundling. Temptation what?

PRINCIPLE #4 really breaks the back of traditional motivation. Your decidedly average positive thinker and Instagram poster will NOT like this. Incidentally, it works like gangbusters. Go figure. Find out what The Effortless Tipping Point is, and how you reach it.

PRINCIPLE #5 – Do a deal. Yes, but what kind of deal? And with whom?

PRINCIPLE #6 – I asked James Dean to pop in for this one. He said he was busy, but attends in spirit.

RESOURCES

The coffee and binge eating episode: http://www.theshiftinside.com/audio-does-caffeine-make-binge-eating-worse/

14 Days To Freedom From Sugar Kickstarter course: http://www.theshiftinside.com/freedom

The intermittent fasting episode http://eatingcoach.libsyn.com/ec-70-my-intermittent-fasting-experiment

The Freakonomics episode on temptation bundling: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/when-willpower-isnt-enough-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/

The willpower episode:

http://www.theshiftinside.com/audio-better-than-willpower-ec29/

Join the private Eating Coach Discussion Group at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1594950873896541/

Find out more about coaching at http://www.theshiftinside.com/coaching/

Ask a question at:

http://www.theshiftinside.com/podcast/

Get your free audiobook at:

http://www.audibletrial.com/EatingCoach

Sound effects by https://www.zapsplat.com

Get your free Hidden Sugars Checklist to print off at

http://www.theshiftinside.com/hidden/

What if a device could tell you exactly how satisfied you’d be with any decision? So goes the blurb for the inspiration for today's Saturday Question  - a short play called The Decider.

Find out what it is about, and how it led me to today's episode idea...oh yes, and go and listen to this excellent 'movie for your ears' at http://www.thetruthpodcast.com/story/2017/10/25/the-decider

Look out for the next longer form episode of The Eating Coach this coming Wednesday.

In this last installemnt of The Holiday Survival Kit, I explain the fundamental mindset error that leads to New Year's Resolutions fail - and what you can do about it.

Starring me and a certain Mr Sutherland....

RESOURCES

The Freedom From Sugar Programme is at 

http://www.theshiftinside.com/freedom/

Find out about 1 to 1 coaching here:

http://www.theshiftinside.com/coaching/

You Are Not So Smart:

https://youarenotsosmart.com/

Today's minisode is inspired by one of my favourite quotes from Maya Angelou. This in one of my most challenging Saturday Questions...be warned! If you are ready, press play...

Today I discuss  why men binge eat (as opposed to women), as well as the distinct solutions that I have seen work with my male clients.

Quote Of The Week

…comes from Marc David, founder of the whole eating psychology movement.

Main section

Men eat compulsively too. This under-reported issue affects more males than you would believe, so I thought it was time to devote an episode to the problem.

I discuss the three distinct ways that men differ from women when it comes to food compulsion, and three approaches that I have found work well with them. Please note that this episode necessarily involves a certain amount of generalising.

Male-specific Issues

#1 Isolation – although the women I coach feel that many people do not understand them, in my experience there is much less group support for men, even on the level of talking amongst friends.

#2 Career – men generally link work to their sense of self more than do women.  Find out exactly how, whether you are an ambitious over-achiever, or the opposite.

#3 Sexuality – both men and women use food to (mis) manage sexuality issues – but very differently.

In the second half, I discuss 3 approaches that I have found to be really effective. You’ll have to listen to discover exactly what they are, but you will find out:

*Why labelling junk food or any other addictive pastime or substance with the label ‘bad’ will backfire on you and make change harder

*The importance of having a role model – and the vital distinction that will lead to long-term success vs falling off the wagon a few weeks in

*The story of the New York food cart, and how imperfectionism allowed one client to overshoot his goal

*And much more!

Resources

Find out more about coaching at http://www.theshiftinside.com/coaching/

The Patton Oswalt comedy clip is at https://youtu.be/FUJLdbX_Uek

Episode 26: http://www.theshiftinside.com/audio-real-vs-fake-pleasure/

Intermittent Fasting episode: http://eatingcoach.libsyn.com/ec-70-my-intermittent-fasting-experiment

Free Hidden Sugar Checklist is at 

http://www.theshiftinside.com/hidden/

Join the private Eating Coach Discussion Group at:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1594950873896541/

Ask a question at:

http://www.theshiftinside.com/podcast/

Get your free audiobook at:

http://www.audibletrial.com/EatingCoach

Sound effects by https://www.zapsplat.com

This is a follow-on minosde from last week's Saturday Question (The Trampoline). I tell the story of starting to aken one of my old addictions - why this happened, what I did about it. The question is relevant for many of you, even if you don't have anything you are addicted to.

RESOURCES

Deviate is by Beau Lotto

Episode 1 http://eatingcoach.libsyn.com/ec0001-from-struggle-to-adventure

Episode 29 http://www.theshiftinside.com/audio-better-than-willpower-ec29/

The Anti-Binge Toolkit - with guided audio is at

http://www.theshiftinside.com/toolkit/