Table 1.

Thematic map summarising themes generated from participant interviews.

Th	Subthemes	Example Quotations
What is an indulgence? A description of foods and drinks that are considered indulgences.	Food groups A specific food or group of foods that is considered an indulgence.	The, and probably my other indulgence, well it’s not an indulgence it’s a, it’s an addiction, is the, the dreaded sugar. Male, 67 years.
	Excess food Too much food is considered an indulgence.	For me, I think indulgence is when I eat too much of something, like I like eating pork, and sometimes, when I get good pork, I could eat more. And so I think if you eat something in a moderate quantity, even if it is like a chocolate or sugary thing, if you eat a little bit, that’s nothing. But if you overdo it, that’s bad. Female, 46 years.
	Nutritional value Related to perceived healthiness of foods.	For me, I don’t eat indulgences, so, or I don’t indulge. So what I’ve used is anything where there is possibly a healthier option to take. Male, 44 years.
Factors affecting consumption A factor that is reported to affect consumption but is not a specific strategy that people use to reduce consumption.	Emotional eating The consumption of food/drink for reasons other than hunger.	Yeah. So sometimes it would be, it was crap for me if I stay late at work. And I had, and there’s a slight emotional tag for that. So when I realize oh, blast, I’m the last one here, and so there’s a kind of a sadness with that, because I don’t have a family to race off to any more, kind of thing. And then that slightly grumpy, resentful, oh. And then if I feel hungry, as I often will, because it’s getting late. It might be 6:30, getting on to 7 o’clock, I will just think of the vending machine upstairs that has got some chips in it. Crisps, you know. And so I would often fall for that, succumb to that. Female, 61 years.
	Interruptions to normal routine When an interruption to perceived normal routine results in consumption changing.	It’s a little bit hard to get into a routine when my routine gets interrupted with the in-laws here for six months … ah, six weeks … Yeah. So I think those type of interruptions just doesn’t help because I can’t really do my usual walk over the bridge because I need to be home straight away so we can spend time together. I could be a little bit stricter but it’s like “No, they’re on holidays. I’m going to be on holidays.” Female, 39 years.
	Accessibility How easily available indulgences are.	Yeah. To an extent, I probably found it a bit harder in the domestic situation at home, especially when not much was happening. So I was having a cup and grabbing some biscuits. Instead of two I might have three or four, kind of thing. So, yeah. Male, 50 years.
	Influence of others How others may influence the participants’ consumption of indulgences.	Yeah, and also living with someone, it’s hard …I live with a man who rewards himself with food, who makes himself feel better, makes himself feel happy with food, and so there are times when you go, “No, I’m not going to do that”. Then other times you’re going, “Looks really nice.” Female, 59 years.
		Yeah. What’s very useful to me in that regard is that I’m very, very hands on with my grandchildren. And their parents and we are very strict with them about the clarity around what is a sometimes food and what is a, indulgence. And so, of course, if you’re imposing those standards, it makes you think a bit more about your own behaviour, which is helpful. Female, 67 years.
	Habitual eating behaviour Something that you do often and regularly.	I don’t know. The habitual thing is to always say, for people like me is to always say, “Yes.” Female, 58 years.
	Relapse An occasion when after successfully reducing indulgences, they are then consumed.	Yeah, and I don’t know, like I can go really well for weeks and weeks and weeks, and I know one little chink and then that’s it. Like this week I ate that cake; every day there was something. Like after I’d had that, normally if Alex had said, “Do you want pasta for tea tonight,” I would have said, “No,” but I thought, “Oh, I’ve had a cake and I’d like some pasta.” Female, 60 years.
	Resilience Continuing to reduce consumption in the face of adversity.	But I feel I’ve got a really strong resolve now and I think that’s because I really did appreciate and see the shift in, in cravings. Female, 55 years.
	Timing Reporting that there are specific times for consumption.	So, you know, I would like to try to eat earlier during the day because I know I’m going to be up later and continuing to lose that energy but it doesn’t work that way. I’m in such a rush in the morning, I eat very little and then as I get home and are at home, that’s when I tend to eat because I’m really hungry by then. Female, 54 years.
Self-regulation of eating The act of controlling one’s behaviour compared with a goal.	Mindfulness Consciously aware of what they are consuming.	I found I was conscious of the program and saying no and would find for the most part my diet and what I chose to eat during the day would never, I wouldn’t feel I was tempted by even having an indulgence, because I was always very happy to eat. Female, 58 years.
	Recording consumption Recording or measuring their eating or drinking.	But I do enjoy my wine, so … I’m just measuring it. Female, 68 years.
	Behavioural goals Setting behavioural goals to reduce consumption.	I just thought to myself, “No, I’m not going to have that.” So it was, but I wouldn’t have always necessarily taken it anyway; I would have just resisted it because I know it’s not good for me. But because I was doing this study, I thought about what you’re really doing, my commitment with it, and I thought, “That’s interesting, I’m going to say no to that.” Female, 58 years.
	Feedback on behaviour The interpretation of feedback from others or themselves via self-monitoring.	I’ll try and just have this mental check about portion size and how much I’m eating but certainly what this program has done is made me think about the indulgences and probably more the chocolate and the sweets. Female, 55 years.
	Accountability The perceived obligation to be answerable to someone.	I’m saying “No” because I’m in this study and I’ve got to say “No, I’m not having it.” So I’m saying “No.” They thought that was hilarious. Yes. I had a bread roll one time and, “Oh, I’d really like that.” It was at a golf lunch, yeah. No. I’m saying no to this. Oh, would you like my bread roll? Perhaps I could take a photo first. Send it over to the other side of the table …” Female, 68 years.
Strategies people use to overcome consumption A strategy or technique that people use to reduce the indulgences they consume.	Substitution Swapping an indulgence for another item that is thought of as healthier.	Other times I’ll have yoghurt and strawberries or something. So I make sure I’ve got yoghurt and strawberries. And I just have that instead of the ice cream. Female, 68 years.
	Portions Reducing the size or number of things that are consumed.	And when we go for coffees and things, which we do once a week, twice a week probably, we try and, we share if we have something. Like yesterday it was one muffin four ways. Female, 68 years.
	Elimination Removal of indulgences from their diet.	Yeah well I, they’re the same most days and I would tend to think that, you know, I have me Vita Brits or me porridge or, you know me cereal of a morning which is pretty much the same and what I used to do was put a dabble of cream on it. I: Okay and you stopped that? And I just, I wouldn’t say 100% but … most of the time. Male, 67 years.
	Cost/benefit analysis Weighing up the benefits and costs of consuming the indulgence.	And I thought look there’s just no nutritional value in that. It’s just a bit of comfort food. Female, 55 years.
	Distractions Something that prevents them from focusing on consuming indulgences.	And of course, at home it’s very hard. So what I started doing is, I keep telling myself, “Okay, I’ll eat it later.” Female, 46 years.
	Avoidance Purposefully avoiding a situation that would result in consuming indulgences.	And I don’t go to that section in the supermarket anymore. Male, 33 years.
	Availability Limiting the accessibility of indulgences.	Yeah, exactly. And that’s I think just what it said there; so we sort of made a decision at home…stop buying it, because I’ll just, I just eat it all. Male, 42 years.
Negative consequences of saying no Negative affect experienced when participants say no to consuming indulgences	Denial The negative feeling of not being allowed to consume an indulgence.	But it’s a lifestyle thing as well, but I don’t necessarily like not eating. I feel like I’m denying myself. I really feel like I’m denying myself all the time. Female, 60 years.