Diets and decision trees

Him: Can I make you a bacon sandwich?

Her: No thanks. I’ve already had breakfast.

Him: Yea but it’s a bacon sandwich! I’m making. 

Her: I’ve got to be good now. I didn’t have the best week last week. 

Him: One bacon sandwich won’t hurt, surely?

Her: I want to be stricter this week. 

5 minutes later

Him: Putting this in now. Are you sure you don’t want one?

Her: No thanks. 

And that’s how it’s done. 

Sometimes the social pressure to eat, and overeat, are a lot to deal with. No one wants to be a negative nancy, but you have to find the discipline to stick to your diet plan. 

Have a plan and stick to it

Having a written plan helps eliminate unorganised thinking and decisions. Consider this. Consider every response to the above conversation to be, I’m sticking with my diet plan. For instance: 

Him: Can I make you a bacon sandwich?

Her: I’m sticking with my diet plan.

Him: Yea but it’s a bacon sandwich! I’m making. 

Her: I’m sticking with my diet plan. 

Him: One bacon sandwich won’t hurt, surely?

Her: I’m sticking with my diet plan. 

5 minutes later

Him: Putting this in now. Are you sure you don’t want one?

Her: I’m sticking with my diet plan. 

Essentially, there is no decision tree. There is no deliberation. I mean, it’s verging on rude and unnatural, but essentially that’s what you’re actually saying, only hedging for politeness. Now consider if there wasn’t a diet plan to follow. You were just, ‘healthy eating’, or ‘watching what you eat’. Now look at the possible decision tree. 

Him: Can I make you a bacon sandwich?

Her: I’ve already had breakfast but I do love a bacon sandwich. I’m trying to be good though.

Him: Yea but it’s a bacon sandwich! I’m making. 

Her: It would be nice for you to make it for me, and I do love a bacon sandwich. 

Him: One bacon sandwich won’t hurt, surely?

Her: So I don’t have to do anything, and I love bacon sandwiches, and you wouldn’t lie to me that one bacon sandwich wouldn’t hurt, and I suppose it wouldn’t. 

5 minutes later

Him: Putting this in now. Are you sure you don’t want one?

Her: Can’t hurt can it. 

Sticking to the plan requires one decision. Making numerous decisions all the time is exhausting, and you’re more likely to go for the easy decision whatever that may be. 

I love bacon sandwiches by the way, but they’ve got to be in the plan. 

Photo by Joshua Ness on Unsplash