Horrible eating habits

[Dannielle]

Ugh... Sometimes I just cannot control my eating.

I really need to get back on track- don''t get my wrong, i''m in a healthy weight range (i''m a US size and I regularly exercise but my eating is horrid. I eat in secret.. for instance, when FI goes to work I go and buy unhealthy foods and vege out in front of the TV and then hide the evidence.. and i''m always thinking about food.. like if we are going somewhere I''ll think to myself "I wonder what food there will be" ect..

Does anyone else do this or have any advice on how to control this?

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/19/2008 6:58:46 AM
Author:Dannielle
Ugh... Sometimes I just cannot control my eating.

I really need to get back on track- don't get my wrong, i'm in a healthy weight range (i'm a US size and I regularly exercise but my eating is horrid. I eat in secret.. for instance, when FI goes to work I go and buy unhealthy foods and vege out in front of the TV and then hide the evidence.. and i'm always thinking about food.. like if we are going somewhere I'll think to myself 'I wonder what food there will be' ect..

Does anyone else do this or have any advice on how to control this?

Oh gosh, I have been there before. What helped me (this worked for me it may not work for you) but I didn't buy the snacks that made me crave more; I stocked my house with celery sticks, broccoli, carrots, almonds. For me out of sight is out of mind!

I also write down what I eat (by keeping a daily food journal) so I am aware of all that is going into my mouth. It makes me a bit more accountable to write things down and especially if I ate nutty that day. I would also write down how I felt (full, stuffed, sick, etc) and think about wow, those 4 pieces of pizza didn't make me feel too good and I am overstuffed. I was eating and not thinking about all that I was eating and the moment I started thinking more about it I realized 1. I wasn't feeling my best (bad heartburn) 2. I was mindlessly eating w/no benefit. If I ever wanted to repeat the 4 pizza love fest I would go back to my journal and see how I felt and then would remember "Oh yeah I felt pretty stuffed/ill so I don't want to repeat that." Some foods I just don't trust myself w/so I avoid them in the house. I bet there are lots of people who face the same thing as you and I did.

Try eating at the dinner table w/out any distractions may help you be aware of what you are eating too.

Sometimes when I get weird cravings I will go for a 20 min walk and they usually disappear. Hope that helps. You should join the Healthy lifestyle thread Lorelei starts each week and anyone is welcome to join. We write about our struggles and accomplishments in the health front. Please join us if you would like.

 

[panda08]

Girl, I hear you! I have a hard time keeping myself in check. Skippy''s suggestions are great. I''m also an "out of sight, out of mind" person so I don''t buy things that will tempt me. If you simply cannot do without, try looking for healthier versions of the things you crave... baked chips over fried chips, whole-grain over refined, sorbet over ice cream, low or non fat over full fat, etc. and have them in moderation so you''re not constantly obsessing over what you "shouldn''t" be eating. Also, try different things and see if you can find healthy foods (e.g., fruits) that you love to replace the "bad" stuff (e.g., candy). Lastly, make an effort to stay away from processed food by reminding yourself that it''s loaded with mysterious things most people can''t pronounce. That tends to keep me ways from lots of stuff I shouldn''t be eating.

Good luck! I second Skippy''s invitation to join us over that the healthier lifestyles thread. There''s a lot of great ideas, encouragement and support over there!

 

[zoebartlett]

I''ve been there! I''m struggling with my weight but slowly (oh SOOOOO slowly) losing. I don''t keep cookies, cakes, chips, ice cream, etc. in the house or I WILL eat them. My husband indulges in chips, but he buys the baked kinds, so at least it''s somewhat healthier. If you have to eat snacks, try unsalted pretzels, air popped popcorn, 100 calorie packs, pre-portioned items, fruit, etc. Just be careful of the seemingly healthier treats such as Weight Watchers frozen desserts and ice cream treats. They''re packed with sugar.

My husband created a database where I enter nutrition info from food labels as a way to track what I eat. That''s been the most helpful thing because I can check to see if the numbers stay within the range they should be (according to my nutritionist). SparkPeople and other sites have nutrition trackers as well. I find that as long as I plan my meals ahead of time, I can play around with the numbers and I can still have dessert and everything balances out.

I feel almost silly giving advice because I haven''t lost that much weight so far and I have a ways to go, but these things have worked for me so far. I''d also recommend going to a registered dietician/nutritionist and he or she can set you up with how many calories, etc. you should have on a daily basis.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I might be COMPLETELY off base here so I am sorry if this offends you but I think you need to figure out WHY you eat in secret. You obviously have food issues that are deeper than just loving junk food. Do you use food to medicate yourself? Why do you feel shame and need to be secretive? Does your BF make comments about your weight/eating habits?

I agree that the weekly weight loss thread is a wonderful tool! The members are an inspiration and when I feel pity they always make me feel better. But if this isn''t about weight loss (which you seem happy with your size) maybe therapy would help you.

Good luck!

 

[Dannielle]

Date: 11/19/2008 10:25:45 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
I might be COMPLETELY off base here so I am sorry if this offends you but I think you need to figure out WHY you eat in secret. You obviously have food issues that are deeper than just loving junk food. Do you use food to medicate yourself? Why do you feel shame and need to be secretive? Does your BF make comments about your weight/eating habits?

I agree that the weekly weight loss thread is a wonderful tool! The members are an inspiration and when I feel pity they always make me feel better. But if this isn''t about weight loss (which you seem happy with your size) maybe therapy would help you.

Good luck!

Your spot on. I''m worried I might have an eating disorder.

It is like I am addicted to food. I know I don''t need it.. I know I shouldn''t have it- but I still do it, and I over indulge! I order enough for two people and eat it all myself.. even if I start to feel like I am going to be sick.

I have no idea why I *think* food will make me feel better. Part of me feels like i''m doing something good- achieving something when i''m eatting

Why do I keep it secret? Because I am so, so ASHAMED.

FI is a body builder and is also diabetic.. so exercise and eating is very important to him.. he knows about my problem and tries to help, but to be honest it just p*sses me off.

................. I think I will join the weekly weight loss thread

Thank you everyone (for the replies and not passing judgement)

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I encourage you to join the WWT if your goal is to lose weight but I think you need to explore these issues. Maybe there is a support group meant for those with eating issues that you could join. I am not a therapist but I really think if you want change you need *more* help than PS can provide. You need to figure out WHY you use food. Were you abused? Do you feel like you are not in control of your life and food is the only thing you can control? (You don''t have to answer these questions to me BTW as long as you are thinking about it with yourself). I understand why you say you are ashamed but don''t understand the root of it all. I am not sure you do either.

I really wish you the BEST of luck!

 

[Lorelei]

Danielle we would love to see you over on the HLT/ WWT! I do agree that there are maybe underlying issues as to why your eating patterns have evolved this way, I do understand! But there is hope and I am sure you can get through this! Maybe therapy would be a good start and try keeping a journal of how you are feeling, binge triggers etc as this can be very helpful.

 

[SailorsSweet<3]

Danielle I think everything these girls have said so far you should take into serious consideration.

I know you said youre ashamed around of your FI regarding your eating habits, but maybe if you talked to him about it he could get you into a workout regime? I know that binge eating is more so what youre worried about and its been mentioned that you should record your triggers and I think thats definitely true. You need to pinpoint what makes you want to sit and eat in order to feel that accomplishment you mentioned. But also, working out and getting determined about it may help to provide you with a new outlet for that accomplishment. I know I try to eat better when I''m working out, when I''m not I slack on that and feeling out of shape disappoints me and I''ll eat out of disappointment.


You are in no way fat, youre a size 8 girl! But eating unhealthy amounts of food is bad in ways other than your size. If your fiance can help you with working out you''ll be hungry afterwards for the right reasons not the wrong reasons. Also, I dont know if youre on medication or not and you surely do not have to respond either way - but I''ve been on birth control since I started high school for medical reasons and the "low dose" version I was on for 3 years increased my appetite drastically. You need to consider the emotional AND chemical when youre trying to figure out why you feel this way about food. High amounts of hormones, stress, all that stuff. You may naturally be producing high amounts of estrogen without any form of medication interfering and you could look into that with your gyno.


I''ve also read that eating foods with different textures at once .. like peanut butter,celery, and raisins - can satisfy an appetite more so then just eating a lot of celery at once. I personally eat when I''m stressed and like sweet then salty to chase it down or vice versa. I''ve learned to snack often in small amounts between meals to keep my metabolism up, and when I want sweet and salty I do a little sweet then a little salty. If I have a yogurt.. and 20 minutes later I feel hungry again I''ll have a hand full of almonds and seltzer water which fills me. Then an hour or two later I''ll usually feel a little hungry again so I''ll have part of a bagel or something. By the next time I''m hungry a meal is due and because I''ve been snacking whenever I feel a twinge of hunger I dont need that much in my meal to feel satisfied again.



You may also want to consider vitamins. My doctor suggested specific supplements for me and they''ve helped in many ways including appetite reduction. Often hunger can be a result of your body asking for nourishment its not receiving. A bag of chips will fill your stomach but not satisfy your need for nourishment and thats why youre hungry again in an hour. I take Oxitrol, a green tea vitamin which you can order online and then NanoLife vitamins that I get through my doctor. They have a website but I think you need to find a doctor who sells them in order to purchase. I hope this helps! Good luck

 

[cnspotts]

Sounds like there are multiple issues here but something that might help both of you is the (and I hate that it has the word "diet" in it, should be nutritional plan instead) Rosedale diet, especially since your FI is diabetic, it covers that as well. It covers a lot of things about cravings, eating to control insulin and leptin, adding back in good fats, etc. I used to Bodybuild back in the day and I''m starting to lean back towards that but with a healthier attitude about it this time around. Its a great book, doesn''t have to be the answer but for many people they are not aware that your body is actually begging you to binge on stuff trying to satisfy hormones, even if you''re skinny. You might appear healthy due to your weight but this kind of eating will catch up with you so now is a great time to learn all you can about the reasons you do it and make changes.