Of course I use food to treat myself.
I learned it from Mom and Dad.
They would have been great at training seals: Good grades = hot fudge sundae, School's out = steakhouse and desserts, Birthday = cake and ALL the favorites... etc. etc... Food was also used for consolation, pacification and filling in boring spots. Things would have been diferent if the rewards had been raw fish. Hmmmmmmmm
Perhaps I should be glad I'm not more of a blimp.
My program says NO simple sugars or refined carbs for the first 3 weeks. (Seems like forever). Then "dessert" is OK 1x per week.
Sure there's time to feel deprived if you have the instant gratification gene... but you can learn to live with it.
I also discovered when I was a calorie counter that the damage I THOUGHT I had done with binges was usually far far worse than what I had actually done.... Which helped me keep with the program instead of throwing in the towel.
Another thing my program teaches (and re-teaches) is to slow down and SAVOR. In the time I take to have a
or whatever, I used to be able to have fries, the shake, the bread sticks, whole bag, and anything cooked but not nailed down etc. etc. etc.
Eating slow allows your stomach to (almost) keep up with your mouth.
Teeth brushing soon after helps, too... Especially if you use one of those Altoid-flavored super mentholated kinds!
I'm going to start a "treat-substitute" list... I started one on a different forum, and can't find it!!