In the movie “Pulp Fiction,” the character played by Samuel L. Jackson has a rather humorous line when he is getting ready to punish Brad, who stole a briefcase from Jackson’s boss. Jackson’s character eats Brad’s cheeseburger and tells him: “I love a good cheeseburger. But I can’t usually get them because my girlfriend is a vegetarian, which pretty much makes me a vegetarian.”
The irony is transparent because he is a tough mobster guy, yet his girlfriend curbs his eating choices. In some non-religious communes — called “intentional living communities,” which are tucked away in places such as Vermont or Oregon, that type of behavioral control is called a “control pattern.”
For a person who wants to change a lifetime of eating habits, whether the doctor ordered it to lower cholesterol, or the person simply wants to prolong their life and feel better, a “control pattern” is usually a good thing to put into place, unless you have iron-will and the self-discipline of a saint.
The best way to do this so you have a better chance at success in your transition is to enlist the help of people in your life. But before you can make any positive strides toward changing your eating habits, you must first realize that they are habits, and then get into the proper mindset.