Everyday Systems

If you are interested in why we crave certain foods and what we can do about it, Stephan Guyenet goes into detail at
https://examine.com/members/deep-dives/ ... yenet-phd/

"Since cravings are driven by food-related sensory cues such as the sight and smell of tempting foods, the most straightforward way to beat them is to avoid exposing yourself to those cues. If tempting, unhealthy foods aren’t available in your personal surroundings, not only will they be harder to eat, but you’ll be less likely to crave them."

There are other ways of dealing with foods which tempt us to eat more of them than we should, but this is my main method.
If I do bring such foods home, I allow myself to eat as much as I want within the 3 meal framework - this saves a lot of mental angst which actually does nothing to limit consumption for me.

There are still a few foods I crave that I have gone without for quite awhile, but ones in shiny packages are not any of them.

If it works to limit them to your plates, mazel tov!

It also helps to make sure to have the OTHER foods at the ready. When the "right" stuff is most of what is available, it ends up being what I eat.

I loved Guyenet's book but it took me a lot longer afterwards to surrender to the limits I later imposed, but I am glad of them now.

Onwards.

No, products in shiny packages aren't really food as far as I am concerned.

Just saw this. Good point! They should have to be labeled “food-like substances.” Even that is generous.