Tag: Decision-point

Decide before you get there. Standing at a buffet with a plate in your hand is the worst possible time to make food decisions. Advance if-then plans have a medium-to-large effect on follow-through across 94 studies, and they help most exactly where a party sits, when getting started is the hard part. But the wording matters as much as the plan: negation-framed intentions can backfire through ironic rebound, so “I will NOT eat the bread” can increase both the thought and the behavior, while “if I’m near the bread, I take the vegetables instead” works. Write the skip list as…

Your office celebrates everything with food — there’s cake again. Deciding in the moment, every single time, means winning the same argument over and over — and you only have to lose it once. The solution: have a policy, not a decision. “I don’t eat office cake” or “once per month” or “only for people I know.” The specific policy matters less than having one. When cake appears, execute the policy. This companion covers the repeated-decision problem, possible policies, enforcing them, and the meta-lesson for all food environments. (3 min read)

Deciding what to eat at the restaurant — hungry, surrounded by tempting descriptions — is the hardest moment for good choices. Hungry is when the richest thing on the menu reads best, menus are designed to sell, and what the table orders moves you: eating in company is associated with eating more, though the pull runs further toward a companion eating less, which is an argument for ordering first. Preview the menu online when you’re calm and fed. Identify 1-2 options, commit mentally — a plan for what you will do rather than what you won’t — then at the…

Networking events are about connections, not food — but food is everywhere. People adjust how much they eat to match their companions — a modeling effect found in 64 of 69 experimental studies. Navigate by: eating before if hungry, positioning away from food tables, holding a drink, making deliberate food choices rather than continuous grazing. Nobody successful ever networked better because they had more appetizers. This companion covers the networking challenge, pre-event strategy, at the event, the finger food trap, drinks, and the exit strategy. (4 min read)

Saying goodbye to a food you love is real loss — pleasure memory, identity connection, social associations. Research by Kahneman shows loss aversion makes giving up feel worse than gaining feels good. But you’re giving up regular, automatic access — not banning forever. In exchange: health, energy, freedom from the food’s grip. Taste preferences shift; cravings diminish. This companion covers why farewells feel hard, the reframe, making peace, and adaptation. (3 min read)

Happy hour persists as default because no one suggests alternatives, not because everyone loves bar food. Defaults persist through inertia — whatever is offered by default is what mostly gets chosen. A walk, coffee, or activity provides the same connection without derailing your goals. Be the one who suggests something different; you may find others were assuming you wanted the default as much as you were assuming it of them. This companion covers why happy hour exists, why alternatives rarely get suggested, options that work, and how to propose them. (3 min read)

Having a go-to order removes a daily decision. Kahneman’s System 1 account — from his trade book rather than from work this library holds — treats defaults as shaping choices automatically. But if your default was established in a different era, it persists through inertia rather than intention. Audit: Does it align with your current approach? How do you feel after? If answers reveal it’s serving you, keep it. If not, choose a new default in advance. This companion covers why defaults exist, when they become traps, auditing, and changing the default. (3 min read)

Drinking water before meals can modestly reduce caloric intake — about 75-90 calories less per meal. Research by Davy found that 500ml of water before meals reduced energy intake in overweight adults. Dennis showed over 12 weeks, pre-meal water drinkers lost about 2 kg more than controls. The mechanism: water adds stomach volume, contributing to earlier fullness signals. It’s not magic, but it’s a simple intervention with no downside. This companion covers the research, why it works, practical application, what it doesn’t do, building the habit, and tea as an alternative. (4 min read)

The awkwardness of ordering differently at a work lunch is almost entirely in your head — colleagues are focused on their own food, not analyzing yours. Research shows social conformity pressure is real, but people care far less about your choices than you imagine. This companion explores the social eating context, how to order simply and confidently, what to order at most restaurants, why the awkwardness is self-generated, the “I don’t” identity frame, and when genuine exceptions make sense. (4 min read)

The celebration isn’t actually about the food. Birthdays, holidays, weddings: these events are about connection, milestones, gratitude. Food became central to celebration, but it was never the point. This companion explores the real function of celebration, deciding in advance what is worth it, how to participate fully without food being the centerpiece, what to do the morning after, and the identity of someone who celebrates life without using food as the primary medium. (5 min read)