#56, Make a Deal with Yourself

Today I’m going to break down a tool called an “If-Then Contact” that I developed for emotional eating. I could see this helping with some other bad habits as well, but you will have to be the judge of that and how it fits into your life. In order to fully dive into this strategy, I want to review emotional eating and then I’ll give you the steps for to implement the “If-Then Contract” making a deal with yourself for those moments when  you feel like you are a hairs breath from giving in. 

An “If-Then Contract” is essentially a deal you will make with yourself whenever your brain wants to do some emotionally eating.

Let’s review Emotional Eating:

• You want to eat but you aren’t physically hungry.
• You are asking food to do something for you:
  • Give you pleasure
  • Make up for a rough day
  • Keep the good times going
  • Replace what you were hoping to get out of a relationship or activity.
• You are actually thirsty or tired 
  • Your brain is asking for food to give you a burst of energy (usually sugar)
  • Your brain is asking for hydration and it will give out hunger signals.

What an “If-Then” Contract does

• It allows you to stop the cycle of emotional eating.
• It stops the arguing and negotiating that occurs when your toddler brain wants to emotionally eat.
• It allows you to build up confidence that self-care actually works.
• It eventually will have your toddler brain asking for the self-care instead of food because a new habit has been created. 
  • Toddler brain likes habits.

How to make and use an “If-Then” Contract.

1. Identify the time of day or situation that pushes you to emotionally eat. 
2. Write that time/circumstance into the “If” side of the contract
3. On the “Then” side of the contract, list 2 or 3 activities lasting five to ten minutes each. 
4. Post the contract somewhere easy to see such as your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, pantry door, etc. 
5. Let at least one person know what you are doing that can support you even if it is just a friend via text. (Note: A supportive person that lives in your home is the best). 
6. When the time/circumstance happens, follow through with your contract. After you have done the activities you may revisit whether or not you want the food. If you do, eat it. 

Warning: Eat the food on a plate, at the table, and not while you are watching TV or on your phone. Enjoy it. Think about it. If you don’t, you will want another serving, and another, and another … 

Below is a link to a PDF of a If-Then Contract that  you can print and fill out. Enjoy!

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To download the PDF, click on the image above.