[TransformerRobot]

So far I've tried eating smaller portions than normal, but it's still really hard for me to not have stuff with a lot of sugar (like soda or cookies).

This might come off as a crazy idea, but would I be able to reduce my normal appetite by looking up as many disgusting pictures or videos as possible? Or would it just make me queasy all the time?

[md65536]

TransformerRobot, on 17 January 2012 - 02:56 PM, said:

So far I've tried eating smaller portions than normal, but it's still really hard for me to not have stuff with a lot of sugar (like soda or cookies).

This might come off as a crazy idea, but would I be able to reduce my normal appetite by looking up as many disgusting pictures or videos as possible? Or would it just make me queasy all the time?

Trying to create negative associations involving all food sounds like a bad idea.
You might also unintentionally create some specific negative associations, like if there's music in the videos you might start feeling sick when you hear some of the old Ludwig van.

[Realitycheck]

You could try using sugar substitutes which are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, but have no calories. One of the best ones is sucralose or Splenda because it is made from sugar, but chemically altered to have no calories, plus you can cook with it and make your own sweets without the calories.

[Appolinaria]

md65536, on 17 January 2012 - 05:46 PM, said:

Trying to create negative associations involving all food sounds like a bad idea.
You might also unintentionally create some specific negative associations, like if there's music in the videos you might start feeling sick when you hear some of the old Ludwig van.

I wish I could give you +500 for that

[TransformerRobot]

md65536, on 17 January 2012 - 05:46 PM, said:

Trying to create negative associations involving all food sounds like a bad idea.
You might also unintentionally create some specific negative associations, like if there's music in the videos you might start feeling sick when you hear some of the old Ludwig van.

Well I didn't mean all food, I should've mentioned negative associations with just things like cookies and cream soda.

[Phi for All]

TransformerRobot, on 17 January 2012 - 07:02 PM, said:

Well I didn't mean all food, I should've mentioned negative associations with just things like cookies and cream soda.

If you're going to engineer your emotions to facilitate good eating habits, why not use positive rather than negative reinforcement? Associate your toothpaste with a tasty desert, squirt some lemon in water and associate that with the best cream soda. Every bite of vegetables gets you one mental snapshot from your future GQ photo shoot where women are salivating, yes, I mean literally drooling over YOU.

[md65536]

TransformerRobot, on 17 January 2012 - 07:02 PM, said:

Well I didn't mean all food, I should've mentioned negative associations with just things like cookies and cream soda.

Is your plan to replace your appetite with nausea, by viewing gross images when you're hungry? (This is what I thought you meant.)
Or to view gross imagery when you have a craving specifically for sweet things?
Or to associate sweet things with gross imagery by eating sugar while viewing nauseating imagery?


I'm not sure which (if any) would work. I wonder if the second option could make things worse, so that when you overeat sugar you not only appease your appetite, but you get rid of the feeling you've associated with the imagery.

If the point is to eat less sugar, and not so much to experiment with it, why not look up other people's solutions instead of inventing one? Google "psychology of overeating" or "sugar addiction" and there should be lots of links with info and advice. A lot of work must have been done in this area because the issue applies to most of us.

[TransformerRobot]

I was thinking of looking at gross images and videos whenever I crave sweets.