relying on out of sight, out of tummy

Sassy Scorpio posted on SA how she gets stressed with all the holiday foods around this time of year.

this was making me wonder - how much do you rely on not having certain foods around so that you don't eat them?

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with it, I do it myself. just wondering since if suddenly fudge or other goodies are everywhere I can see where it would make it harder to resist if you are used to just not seeing it.

as opposed to knowing the trigger foods are always available somewhere because your spouse or kids have some in your house on a regular basis.

ps here is the forum I meant by SA

www.obesityhelp.com/group/SA/

edited to add:  I totally get not having trigger foods around but I go back on forth on some food. ideally, I would like to be able to keep cookie, cracker, etc in the house and not feel the need to eat them all when I do.  ideally!

Good thread.  I've never really kept sweets or chips around the house as we don't have children, and I know both me and hubby will devour them.  I bought a bag of Doritos at the gift shop at Disney last week to go with a sandwich that we split at the pool.  Within two days, we had polished off the bag.  I know that I cannot really keep those things in regular sight.  BUT, I don't prevent myself from having anything in limited quanity on not-so-regular occasions. 

My family regularly eats bread with meals or maybe even dessert (my parents live next door, so we dine together most nights).  I just don't opt for those extras.  So, in some ways I exercise restraint.  But, for those completely "empty calorie" items, I just try to only buy them when we really are going to consume it all and get it out of the house.

We are going to South Carolina for Christmas, and I know we will be eating way too much Southerth yummy food along the way.  That's why I'm trying to make these two weeks before Christmas really work for me. 

I think about this issue a lot. I have Binge Eating Disorder and for the last 20 years have off & on tried to work on this, sometimes using the words of Geneen Roth. her older books say it best for me, that the compulsion to eat starts with the feeling that you are not allowed. that if you really really really (and the key is REALLY) allow yourself to have anything, the compulsion goes away.

and I can see how this would work. if I imagine a giant buffet where every food there ever was sat waiting for me I could

not eat now if I didn't really want to because it would always be there

have a peach instead of a cookie because I would really prefer a peach. maybe even just half a peach.

but in the real world, there isn't a peach unless I made that happen and folks are always bringing cookies to work to share. lovely!

The buffet example is actually quite profound, and it's sort of an "ah ha" moment for me.  Yesterday I was truly trying to focus hard on protein and keeping my calories in check. I never really totally struggle with eating "sorta" right unless we are traveling, and then I just enjoy myself.

But, I found yesterday that I was completely and totally obsessed with food.  And, I think it's exactly why you said--I told myself I couldn't/shouldn't have anything other than what I set out to have.  Crazy!??

I started today with a different mindset.  I usually sit down at work and immediately have breakfast--right around 7am.  I then find myself wanting a snack (not hungry, just think I "need" it) before lunchtime.  Today, I am having my coffee first.  I haven't had breakfast yet, but will in the next few minutes.  I think slowing down the urge to scarf food will maybe help me take the focus off eating all day.

The mind is so darn powerful--good and bad!

I try not to look at food and label it bad. I think the choices we make can be bad sometimes, but for me there is room in my week of foods consumed to include "decadent" items I might crave as long as it is not replacing my main meal at that instant and is just an "accent" to it.

This is working for me. I am still wasting food but I feel no guilt about it. Over the past few months I have thrown away tons of food, including those items I indulge in. I've bought a pack of red cream oreos, scraped out the cream, had to throw more than half the bag out cuz they got stale cuz I wasn't eating them regularly.  Same thing has happened with other sweets I've purchased. In Florida I bought a 6 pack of krispy kreme glazed donuts. Ate half of 1. Another day ate the other half. Then they were stale and I dumped them and my mom was sorta stunned cuz in the past I woulda put them in the oven and warmed them up and eaten them. Actually, they would've never gotten to the near-stale stage! And when I throw food out it is guilt free, where in the past I'd rather eat it than throw it away.

*I am still wasting food but I feel no guilt about it. *

I just wanted to say this - food that is put in a body that does not need it is JUST AS WASTED IF NOT MORE WASTED than food that is binned.

Go girlie. 

Nice analogy and very very true!

i sure agree with this one. you can throw out 25 cents worth of food or you can pack it on your a$$. Which is better? I finally have gotten so i can throw food out and not feel bad about it. And if its not meat or dairy, we compost it and our little worms make worm castings out of it. D

This is a great point!! So important to remember this!

mary

lately I have found myself creeping back into thinking I have to finish something, especially if it is "just one more bite" instead of throwing it away or putting it away for later or whatever.

those years of bad habits seems to be making a re-appearance.