Slide Week 3:
Note for the Group Leader
Please note: From this point forward, not every discussion point will have leader support notes (in White).

Instead, you’ll be asking a series of questions to allow the discussion to flow naturally. Please keep an eye on the time and keep the discussion moving by not allowing discussions to wander too far off topic.
Slide Week 3: The Myth of Will Power: Understanding Behavior Chains
Past week review (no longer than 10 - 15 minutes). First, let's talk about your experiences this past week. The lessons these first two weeks have been all about getting started. So, how did it go? Anyone have questions…? What about any problems…?

And, does anyone have any interesting experiences or new thoughts or insights to share with the group since being on the modified fast?
Once the review time discussion is over, play the audio lesson. (Next Slide ) Slide After Audio Check-In:
What did you think of the lesson you just heard?
Anyone have any thoughts they'd like to share?
Questions? "Ah Ha Moments"? Give people a bit of time to flush out initial reactions before moving on to the next discussion point.
If there are no responses, simply move forward.
 Slide Discussion Point 1:
What do you think about the idea of will power being just a myth? Pause for discussion. Was that a new idea for you? Pause for discussion. Does it change anything for you? How does this idea affect you? Discuss. Slide Discussion Point 2:
Does everyone understand the difference between true and false hunger? How would you explain the difference?
Let people give their responses. If necessary, you can read this aloud: The lesson said that true hunger grows over time. It starts out mild and, if nothing is done to fix the situation, the feeling becomes increasingly more intense. False hunger starts out intense. It screams for your attention, but if ignored, will go away after 15 - 20 minutes. Slide Discussion Point 3:
Have you ever thought about the idea of false hunger before? Pause for discussion. How do you think you can use this information to handle future food urges? Pause for discussion. Slide Discussion Point 4:
Another important topic from today's lesson is behavior chains. Who remembers what the three parts of a behavior chain are? If no correct responses, read: Stimulus, Action and Reaction.



What are some examples of a food urge stimulus? Frequent stimuli include an argument, stress, a bad day at work, being lonely, traffic, smell of food….

Call on people and ask them to give real life examples of a food urge stimulus that they have experienced.
What are some examples of an action? Remember, the action is what you do as a result of the stimulus. Usually, eating is the first answer for an action, so encourage the group to consider some non-eating activities as well. What are some examples of a reaction? The feeling you have about the action you took. Common reactions for eating as an action are guilt, regret, frustration, etc. For non-eating reactions, there could be pride, satisfaction, etc.

Again, call on people and ask them to give real life examples of reactions they’ve had, especially with regard to their eating.



 Slide Discussion Point 5:
Now, can anyone give an example of a specific behavior chain pattern they've identified in their own life that leads them to eating when they're not truly physiologically hungry? Make sure to share the stimulus, action and reaction. Pause for response. If no one volunteers a personal example, you can ask for hypothetical examples of a behavior chain pattern. We’re going to spend some time now working together to come up with a few new ways to intervene early on in behavior chains so you don't need to rely on will power anymore. Let’s start with one of the behavior chains we’ve just identified…. Who has a suggestion? Slide Wrap-Up:
Now that you know better, don't fall back on the idea of depending on will power.

And be on the lookout for behavior chains and identify any that are affecting your weight – or your peace of mind. Start planning your interventions early on and then put them into effect immediately.

Another thing to put into effect is to not only enter your food urges in your Urge Journal but also get into the habit of reviewing those entries. In fact, starting next week, be sure to review those Urge Journal entries just before every meeting. Plan to take a little time just before you sign in to your weekly online meeting to look over your entries. Then use the time while waiting for the meeting to think about your entries and see if you notice any patterns or interesting trends or repetitions. In some meetings, you’ll actually be discussing what you’ve discovered, so get started with this new habit.

Another helpful habit is to take a few minutes during that same time to look over the homework that you completed for the past week. You’ll often find it useful for the discussions. So, start instituting these new habits.

Have a great week!
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