Curb your enthusiasm

A study appearing in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests several factors that help people maintain self-control.

One key is setting a mental budget.   In other words, if you are trying to control calorie intake…set a specific calorie limit, and think about the negative aspects of the foods you are eating (as opposed to the positive aspects, like taste).

We suppose this research might have applicability beyond just food, and could extend to other domains in which people are trying to curb a behavior.