When our environment changes, our behaviour often follows

Hi ,

How are you doing today?

I have written before about how our environment shapes behaviour. I was reminded of it again recently.

When I am in Canada, I serve my own food. I warm my plate once, sit down, and that is it. A second helping is not impossible, but it requires a few extra steps. And since I am a rather uninspired cook, the pull to go back for more is not particularly strong.

I am in Mumbai at the moment, and the setup is very different.

I do not have to cook. Food is served at the table, and it is right in front of me. What I noticed was that I was eating more. Not because I was hungry, but because access was effortless. A second helping did not require a decision, just a small movement of the hand.

So I decided to make some changes.

I decided to eat one meal a day instead of two. This is not something I recommend to everybody. It only makes sense if you are already comfortable with some form of time-restricted eating/ intermittent fasting.

Am I perfect? Far from it!

Just yesterday, my husband finished work earlier than usual, which is rare. We decided to visit a nearby mall that had a new restaurant. The plan was simply to check whether they had gluten-free options.

The next thing I knew, we were sitting inside, ordering gluten-free dumplings at 8:30 in the evening, which is later than I usually eat.

In the past, I might have turned that into a story of “I failed again.” But I decided that instead of feeling guilty, I would appreciate the good time.

I enjoyed the meal. I had a glass of wine. We had a good evening.

Today, I extended my fasting interval. I am about 21 hours in as I write this. I am not particularly hungry, but I also know that I may or may not continue until tomorrow morning.

And that is fine.

But I have to make sure I don't get off my plan often.

I am curious to know what you have noticed in your own routines.

What changes when your environment changes? And is there something small you can adjust instead of putting in more effort?

Warm regards,

Shabnam

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Dr. Shabnam Das Kar, MD

Functional Medicine Doctor

Tiny Habits Coach

Email: [email protected]