3.12. Theme 5: Negative Effects of Trying to Reduce Consumption
SAID
This theme was used to describe unfavourable effects associated with participants’ attempts to reduce indulgences. There were a few participants who reported experiencing negative consequences of reducing indulgences, and these mainly related to the uncomfortable emotion and distress of saying no to an indulgence:
“Yes, the word “denial” is not very nice! If I deny myself something it turns up somewhere else and worse.” Female, 58 years. Nevertheless, this participant managed to work through their belief about denial and was able to reduce their indulgences. “And towards the end, so that was the first six weeks it was quite a battle, and then, in the last two weeks, I’ve had, something’s shifted, and I’ve actually made better choices. Even after I’ve said “No” to something really bad, I’ve then immediately chosen something good.” Female, 58 years.Participants also felt guilty that they were not saying no to all indulgences, as one participant explained:
“Yeah, so I thought I should probably, “I’m doing this study, I shouldn’t be having that. Really, I should not be having that. The purpose of the study is not having the indulgences”, so then I was getting a bit, “No, I’m not going to be a good student for them.” Female, 58 years.