Sneaky Eating????

Ok, I'm going to be brutally honest here about myself in hopes that someone out there can help me before this goes too far! In the past week I have found myself sneaking to eat something~what the he!! is up with that?? This is something that I did at 328lbs (b/c I was embarrassed of myself and would never overeat or eat the wrong foods in front of others). Its doesn't even have to be something "bad", but if I feel that I've had too much to eat for the day, I feel the urge to sneak something else. Who the heck am I sneaking from? Dh? No, he always tells me I need to eat! My kids? No, they could care less what I eat and really don't even pay attention most of the time. This behavior is REALLY scary to me! Like I said, it just started this week, but I want to nip this in the bud b4 it gets out of hand. Anyone have any insight into this???? I'm hoping now that I've realized it and acknowledged it here that maybe I will stop doing it asap! Tracy B 328/152 5'9

Hi Tracy, I have the same kind of thoughts sometime too, and once in a while.... I sneak and eat... it's a horrible feeling cuz I know my sneaking behavior is dangerous only to me.... I think of it this way.... it's the old fat Laurie trying to lure me back into obesity... I have noticed the desire appears when I am really tired, frustrated or some other strong/ negative emotion..... If I sneak a piece one day, then the next day I want more and well, you know the rest of the story.... Break that behavior early... sneak something else just for the thrill if you need that "high"..... go sneak a peak at you dh..... stick a ten spot in your dirty jeans, and maybe find it later in the dryer..... put little non fattening surprised around the house for yourself... hope that doesn't sound stupid.... I really need that kind of little daily excitment to keep me happy..... guess I'm easily amused..... Good luck... above all else... keep the bad food out of your environment!!!! You'll be fine.... Laurie - minus 186 lbs!!

Thanks Laurie! Its just a really weird feeling. I'm easily amused too so I'll use some of your tricks! I have no clue what has brought this on, but I'm not going to give in to it. I guess I just need to replace the behavior with something else. Strange how these little things can pop back up after being gone for 18mths though! Hugs, Tracy

Hi guys. I think sneak eating is something we have all done in the past. lets face it we didnt get so big eating in public. It will be hard to break. I havnt broken it yet , maybe by us talking about it we can figure out why we do it. I have started to think what is going on when I want to sneak? what feeling am I having at the time, so far I havnt a clue. but then again MOST OF THE TIME I DONT HAVE A CLUE. hmmmmmmmmmmmm great question hugs Terri

Thanks Terri. I guess its good to know that I'm not alone in this problem~although I'm sorry you're dealing with it too. Its kind of embarrassing and I almost didn't post about it, but I figured maybe some of you could relate. I didn't do it for the longest time, but all of the sudden its creeping back in~I gotta stop it now!!!!!!!! Hugs, Tracy

I can remember pre-WLS going to fast food drive thru, ordering a supersized meal and as I am driving and trying to scarf down the food I would look around me at other cars to make sure no one was looking, hold my burger below the widow between bites etc. Everyday people eat fast food in their cars all the time, but seeing a thin person with a mouthfull is normal, a fat chic with her mouth full is proof of why she is fat. Twisted logic, but that made me a sneak eatter. Now post-op I can be eatting a protein bar and do the same thing, twisted logic of someone seeing fat girl eatting a candy bar. First off I know somewhere in my head I do not look fat and no one cares if I eat a snickers bar or an atkins bar. Old habits are hard to break. If you are depriving yourself of something because it does not fit into you calorie/food budget, you end up making it worse. The longer I go, the worse the binge will be. Sometimes you just gotta say *uck it and own it. I have to spend alot of time telling myself "you will not spontaneously combust to 324 pounds if you eat that". I am goal weight stable and an exercise freak and still find myself "eatting in private" because my head is bad. Yesterday I had a BL/BA and my best friend is babysiting me, and when I go in MY kitchen to eat MY food, I quietly open containers cause I do not want her knowing what I am eatting....can't explain it - therapy definitely indicated. She could careless what I eat, and yelled at me for stepping on the scale post-PS to see how much the tata's weighed LOL. M

I can so relate to what you said about driving and eating fast food~I used to do that too! And you're right, now that I'm not heavy anymore, I don't think people look at me weird, judge me or think twice about what I'm eating~sad to say, but true. I love your line~"you will not spontaneously combust to 324lbs if you eat that"~I am writing that one down b/c it is so true and I may need to remind myself of that once in awhile! Congrats on your BL/BA! I'm hoping to be able to do that one day too! Tracy

Testing?

when I started therapy my therpist did an eating disorder assess ment and that was one of the questions, hiding food, sneaking food. I have done both pre and post op. part of the eating disorder. it is duifficult. there are many behaviors I have had that I did not realize were part of an eating disorder. sneaking & hiding food. over preoccupation with diet/food , over restriction leading to binging. over exercising. therapy is helpful as some books I have been reading and studying.

That is interesting. I guess to get to 328lbs I must have had/have an eating disorder although I've not done any therapy to figure it all out. It seems it could almost be compared to an alcoholic that hides or sneaks alcohol. I just thought it was strange that I hadn't done it in the past 18mths and then all of the sudden it popped back up. I'm sure I need therapy of some type to figure myself out, but I don't even know where to begin so I guess I've been putting it off. I think it would be helpful for me though. Thanks! Tracy