Situation: Temptation to eat food when I don't need it (temptation to be un-self-controlled)
- How I judge what I need vs want.
- Intent to avoid eating unnecessarily
- How I think about the food: it's delicious, satisfying, appealing, vs it's organic compounds in a particular structure.
- Whether I think ahead about the situation, knowing it's a weakness. Intent to train.
- Whether my body feels craving/hunger
- The presence of food
- The timing of the craving
- Other people inviting me to eat
- How others judge my abstinance
- Feeling of hunger
- Being left out/FOMO
- Judgement that hunger is bad
- Judgement that it matters whether I get to taste this food at this time
- A feeling of hunger is naturally intended for survival. But the sight of food can trigger a craving even when the calories aren't strictly needed/useful. This impulse leads to me thinking that hunger is a bad state.
- Seeing that I won't get a chance to have a particular dish leads me to judge that missing out is a bad situation.
- Ask: WWMRD? What would Musonius Rufus Do?
- Remind myself how happy I will be if I withstand the temptation
- Prepare by fasting more
- Observe my hunger like a scientist. Perhaps study hunger in humans: it's just a biochemical signal, Leptin, Ghrelin. Accept it as indicative, not imperative.
- Use hunger as a reminder of the presence real hunger in my sibling humans in this world. Use as a reminder to contribute to effective charities. Maybe even save money by eating less and earmarking it directly for these charities.
- Be pragmatic: close the pantry, drink water, get sleep