ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a collaborative and experimental approach to the development of a well organized plan for food intake that fosters normal eating. Once a food plan, defined here as portions of specific food distributed in meals and snacks, is in place, patients report spending less time thinking about food, bingeing, or purging. If food planning is conducted in a supportive (e.g., "I am not going to let your weight get out of control") and collaborative (e.g., "What would you like to eat for breakfast?") manner, the patient's anxiety is reduced and autonomy is preserved. Institution of a food plan often coincides with an increased ability to focus on other issues in psychotherapy (Willard et al., 1983, p. 547).
