Starter Guide To Scaffolding

Scaffolding is all the routines and habits that support you reclaiming your life from food.

For example:

Slow eating
Macronutrient balance in the first half of the day
Menu planning
Cooking and food prep
Planning what to eat on busy days
Physical activity
Meditation

Scripting

Grounding work
Theta work

Decluttering and tidying your home

That's A Bit Much, Harriet!

I agree! Your Inner Food Rebel will stage a military coup if you try to impose all this lot on yourself.

See this page for an interesting take on resistance

When I conceptualised the idea of scaffolding, I created this page but have now realised that it is too overwhelming to start this process. You can move on to that when you get comfortable on the starter version.

Start Small

You should start with building in ONE scaffolding activity in to start.

#1 List 3 practices that help you be your best self around food../in general eg scripting, grounding, slow eating, meal planning

#2 What is THE most important one?

#3 Give yourself a mark out of 10 - how much you resist it

#4 Do you need any rewards to do this practice?

#5 what else would make it easiest to do eg time of day, just doing a tiny bit , accountability etc

This episode on temptation bundling describes a great way to get yourself to do exercise or cooking.

For Meal Planning

Check out this page on Food Rebel-Friendly Meal Planning

Some Thoughts on Resistance To Scaffolding

It's not you are lazy.

I've never met people for whom the word 'lazy' fits less than recovering compulsive eaters.

Could it be that the stress which leads to compulsive eating has put you in a state of hypervigilance, because you have not channeled and released stress or trauma?

Hypervigilance is about living in constant response to perceived threat.

If you continue in response mode, what are you saying to yourself (especially Cavebrain) about that perceived threat?

Surely you are saying that the threat is real.

Now, here's a thought....

If you start scaffolding the practices above onto your life, to make things ultimately easier and rein in your compulsion, what are you saying to yourself about those perceived threats?

That maybe they aren't real.

Also: that you are resilient and can weather discomfort without junk to manage your state.