Quote:
Originally Posted by almostheaven
You just have to remember cookies aren't a snack, they're a treat. It should be something we reach for to reward ourselves not just because we're hungry.
We must be VERY careful about thinking of food as a reward. Non-food rewards work much better. Using food as a reward can have a lot of negative side effects. You begin to think of food as a reward, then every time you do something well, you grab cookies or ice cream or cake...not good. You should never deprive yourself of something you love--even if it's cookies. This will most likely cause binges for the feelings of deprivation piling up. If you must have cookies, have 1 cookie instead of the handful (or entire package) you used to eat. Have some fruit and a glass of water first to be sure you really need that cookie. If you're satisfied after the fruit, then you won't even need to reach for the cookie after all. Using food as a reward, though, has always been a problem, and is still a big problem, especially in schools today. Teaching kids that doing well on a test or in a class earns them pizza, ice cream, or candy is a horrible way to begin their relationships with food. I'll get off my now