Moderation

[top_5_percent]

Does anyone find they they just don't do moderation?

Like I can not just have 1 piece of cake, I will have to devour the whole cake. I find if I don't have 1 bite I don't binge.

I know this black and white mentatality is dangerous but i just find it easier to say no than to eat little bits of junk here and there. I do have a perfectionist personality in every area of my life and I find it can work with me. Obviously the binges are not good but I am getting better.

I do however schedule in a cheat meal a week where I really make it a cheat meal and eat a big meal of toxic junk. haha

[mommalu]

Originally Posted by top_5_percent

Does anyone find they they just don't do moderation?

Like I can not just have 1 piece of cake, I will have to devour the whole cake. I find if I don't have 1 bite I don't binge.

I know this black and white mentatality is dangerous but i just find it easier to say no than to eat little bits of junk here and there. I do have a perfectionist personality in every area of my life and I find it can work with me. Obviously the binges are not good but I am getting better.

I do however schedule in a cheat meal a week where I really make it a cheat meal and eat a big meal of toxic junk. haha

I'm right there with you.
I'm a completion person...if I start it, I have to complete it.
That's why I can't have certain foods around. It's easier to just say no thank you to that first bite.
Going out to eat is the worst. I have every intention on being good, but when I sit down, I just can't do it. So I gave up going out to eat(it's just too hard for me)
I've been this way for years...and it hasn't changed.

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by top_5_percent

I know this black and white mentatality is dangerous but i just find it easier to say no than to eat little bits of junk here and there. I do have a perfectionist personality in every area of my life and I find it can work with me.

no, it won't work with you because there is no such thing as 'perfection'.

no, it doesn't work with you because you suffer from a binge eating disorder and you find it mentally disturbing.

you will never be thin/muscular/ripped/toned/beautiful enough.

better learn to accept there is gray area.

[heidismommy]

I agree with Miranda.

Finding that gray area is difficult, it's taken years for me to move away from the black-and-white thinking. I, too, have always been a perfectionist and I wasted half my life in pursuit of a goal that was never even attainable (no matter how thin/toned/fit I've gotten it has never been and never will be good enough). I spent half my life going between the restrictive and binge/purge subtypes of anorexia, I never in my life thought I'd find balance, but I believe I have. In the past I couldn't have one piece of chocolate, it was nothing at all or binge/purge. Now I can have a piece of chocolate or two and stop at that. I find that living in that elusive gray area is so much more enjoyable.

[Emma-Leigh]

As yourself what the difference between 'a can of tuna' and a 'slice of cake' REALLY is?

If you can stop yourself eating multiple cans of tuna.... why not cake?

The difference? Your OUTLOOK on the cake.

A solution? Why not try to include a small bit of the 'forbidden' food every day (eg: why not buy a cake and slice it into portions and store it away - then allow yourself one each day as written into a meal plan). This will make the food less 'taboo' and, as a result, it will lose the appeal of a 'once only opportunity' to eat it (so you don't have to eat it 'all at once').... it will also lose the 'guilt' factor associated with eating it and mean you will not feel like you have 'ruined your diet' by having it.

[witchazel]

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

As yourself what the difference between 'a can of tuna' and a 'slice of cake' REALLY is?

If you can stop yourself eating multiple cans of tuna.... why not cake?

The difference? Your OUTLOOK on the cake.

A solution? Why not try to include a small bit of the 'forbidden' food every day (eg: why not buy a cake and slice it into portions and store it away - then allow yourself one each day as written into a meal plan). This will make the food less 'taboo' and, as a result, it will lose the appeal of a 'once only opportunity' to eat it (so you don't have to eat it 'all at once').... it will also lose the 'guilt' factor associated with eating it and mean you will not feel like you have 'ruined your diet' by having it.

I think this is a great idea, trouble is if you are anything like me, if it's anywhere in the house it is not stored far enough away to stop me nibbling at it till it's all gone... If I am craving somthing sweet, I can eat multiple cans of tuna or bucets of rice, but until I get something sweet I just don 't feel satisfied, I have finally learnt to just mix up some protein powder and cottage cheese or egg whites and kill the craving that way...

[twinnett]

Well, what Emma's talking about is not simply "killing the craving". OP, I worry about you. You have a real problem and I hope that you are seeking out help and not trying to "make it work for you".

I have suffered from binge eating as well and it can be over come. You HAVE to break into scary territory and out of the safe zone and do what Emma suggests: put some "forbidden" foods into your every day menu. They really do become just as ho hum as some egg whites.

[LoveANurse]

mo...mo..mo...:S more O.o

hun sometimes its tough, i've had an ed for 5 years and from what i've learnt is that its best to try and just slow down and sit with it. have you piece of cake but hide the rest when you've finished just sit with it, examine how you're feeling, dwell on the taste just try to enjoy that moment. i know its so much easier to say aye but give yourself a chance to try it and try to trust yourself and let yourself know that you won't tolerate bingeing, it's not who you want to be. you should be able to enjoy something enough to be satisfied with one piece. atm i have the same mentality and i havent eaten anything junky in over a year (since i was released from hospital) i just couldnt let myself do it because i know i can't trust myself. do you actually enjoy the rest of the cake when you eat it or are you just bingeing? i get really angry at myself because i feel like i've just wasted food, i didnt even enjoy it and next time when i do crave something like that i wont have any cause i just ate it all. jsut try to be in the moment and even if it means locking something away try it. though i know it shouldnt have to be that way and i envy people who can just stop and even people who wont finish one piece. you should make it a social and enjoyable occasion

[heidismommy]

Emma-Leigh has offered some great advice, as have others here. You need to work through the "good" food "bad food mentality and things become so much easier. When foods are taboo it's harder to allow yourself to indulge even a little bit. So they get restricted and the more you restrict the more you end up craving, leading ultimately to a binge. Allow yourself a small treat daily, it won't stall your progress and it really does help conquer some of the really rigid thinking surrounding food.

[queenofswords]

This is definitely a big issue when it comes to nutrition- the idea of taboo food and a black & white approach to eating.

Very recently I decided to stop caring so much about if something is a cheat/treat.. I dont plan my sweet treat allowances anymore, and if I dont get round to buying one/preparing one, it doesnt rlly matter to me. Like if i really fancy something sugary, its not going to majorly sabotage my training plan if i have it... its good to just chill out about certain things.

[eglionz]

I used to feel out of control around treats. I found that the easiest solution was to simply not keep them in the house. If I wanted a piece of cake I went out to a place with good dessert and ordered a piece of cake.

Eventually my self control improved. I have a whole case of Skittles in the kitchen and once a week I use half a pack for my post-workout carb. In the past I would probably have been unable to stop thinking about the case of Skittles until I had eventually eaten them all.

If you can't keep treats out of reach, at least keep them out of sight. Cut your slice of cake and wrap up the rest and stick it in a cupboard. Yeah, it all eventually comes down to self-control but you might as well make it easier on yourself.

[fitlover]

haha, I never thought of it that way EmmaLeigh!! The best way I found to stop myself from eating the ENTIRE cake (or anything else for that matter), is to go to another corner of the house/room/place I'm in, and eat my smaller portion with a friend over a conversation...I also eat it slowly, so by the time I'm thinking of getting another piece, there's either none left, or it's all the way at the other end, and by the time I get there I won't even want it as much anymore anyway . If I eat alone however...boy does it take 150% of my willpower to stick to one piece! But cravings usually pass pretty quickly for me, and once I resist them, it's all sunshine from there.

[healthierJ]

I just don't keep any in the house. It's easier for me that way because the nearest town to me is 35 min and I usually am not going to drive just for a treat. When I make banana bread or brownies for my kids and husband, I have my husband wrap it up and put it away after it's done and i've had one small piece. I've found it easier to control not eating it all that way. Out of sight out of mind for me. Usually by the time I remember they've eaten it all

[KlaarBody]

I used to have a huge problem with this, but a few of the things I now do to help are:

Work: When there is a treat at work I take my portion in front of someone. Walk to my area and take a bite, then before starting to chew I throw the rest away and then enjoy my piece. I am too embarrassed to get more and my craving was satisfied.

Home: I don't buy or bring home anything that I know I will go crazy on. My husband now buys his own treats and he is very good at hiding them from me. I know if I look too closely at the laundry area or in his clothing I will be sure to find a few stacks of goodies, but out of sight out of mind is working so far.

Car: I used to break down and hit fast food on the way home from work, on the way too work, heck on the way anywhere. I now keep a can of mixed nuts in the car and the first thing I do after starting the car is toss 1/4 to 1/8 c nuts in my mouth. Works great, I no longer have any cravings in the car.

Party or gathering: Generally every party that I go to with my friends or family involves all guarenteed to make you fat only items. Sadly I have no solution for this yet other than avoiding them like the plauge. Not a solution obviously, but its all I have so far . Any ideas for this portion would of course be wonderful! The family and friends are getting a little ticked about my 6 month boycott . I do bring my own healthy option, but who is going to go for a bean salad or something like that over all the other goodies steaming hot and ready.

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by KlaarBody

Party or gathering: Generally every party that I go to with my friends or family involves all guarenteed to make you fat only items. Sadly I have no solution for this yet other than avoiding them like the plauge.

no food is 'guaranteed to make you fat'.
it is the fact YOU THINK it is guaranteed to make you fat.

food is not the enemy.

[top_5_percent]

wow thankyou so much for all your replies.

I think some of this may stem from when I was growing up and I was never allowed to have cake or chocolates or any junk at all and I always felt deprived and like I was missing out.

Now, it stresses me out to even think of having a chocolate bar a day. I feel like I'm poisoning myself with this food. It's not good for my body and in reality I don't really enjoy it as much as I think I will and it brings me terrible feelings after i eat it. I notice that most other people don't think like this and I wonder why. But I do realise that my thinking is not normal or good for me.

I think I may also try having 3 bigger meals each day instead of 6 small ones because the small ones just have me thinking about food all day long. See if this helps

[Emma-Leigh]

Ok -->> but... I still urge you to just keep in mind the idea that eating small amounts of your craving foods, will actually decrease your cravings (and allow you to stick to you diet in general) and this will ultimately give you better results, and better peace of mind...

Physiol Behav. 2009 Jun 19. [Epub ahead of print]

Eating what you like induces a stronger decrease of 'wanting' to eat.

Lemmens SG, Schoffelen PF, Wouters L, Born JM, Martens MJ, Rutters F, Westerterp-Plantenga MS.

Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Top Institute Food and Nutrition, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Human eating behavior may be influenced non-homeostatically by the rewarding value of foods, i.e. 'liking' (pleasure/palatability) and 'wanting' (incentive motivation). The objectives of our study were to validate a computer test for assessment of rewarding value of food, and to assess how rewarding value of food is affected by eating a dessert-specific (chocolate mousse, CM) vs. dessert non-specific, neutral food item (cottage cheese, CC). Seventy-three subjects (47 f/26 m, age 27.8+/-10.0y, BMI 24.1+/-3.3 kg/m(2)), studied in a randomized cross-over design, came to the university twice, fasted. A computer test was developed to determine rewarding value, i.e. 'liking' and 'wanting', for 72 items divided in six categories (bread, filling, drinks, dessert, sweets, stationery). 'Liking' was measured by indicating relative preference of paired items (within/between categories), 'wanting' by working to earn items to choose from. Subjects completed the computer test before and after consumption of CM/CC, matched for energy content (5.6 kJ/g) and daily energy requirements (10%). 'Liking' and 'wanting' scores of all fasted subjects on the two test-days showed 62-73% reproducibility. CM was liked more than CC (p<0.001). Consumption of CM decreased 'wanting' for bread, filling, drinks and dessert (p<0.03). Consumption of CC decreased 'wanting' for bread only (p<0.05). Contrarily to CC, CM decreased relative 'liking' for the dessert category (p<0.001). In conclusion, the computer test for measurement of 'liking' and 'wanting' is sufficiently valid. Eating a highly liked food item induces a more distinct decrease in 'wanting' for food items in general and category-specific 'liking', than eating a sufficiently liked neutral food item.

[mommalu]

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

Ok -->> but... I still urge you to just keep in mind the idea that eating small amounts of your craving foods, will actually decrease your cravings (and allow you to stick to you diet in general) and this will ultimately give you better results, and better peace of mind...

Great advise!!!!!

[PremierGirl]

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

Ok -->> but... I still urge you to just keep in mind the idea that eating small amounts of your craving foods, will actually decrease your cravings (and allow you to stick to you diet in general) and this will ultimately give you better results, and better peace of mind...

I think I may have a minor issue as well and THinking about trying your idea but do you think it'd be a good idea to eat the "junk" around my workout or should I not interphere with this "phase" and have it for like breakfast instead

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by PremierGirl

do you think it'd be a good idea to eat the "junk" around my workout or should I not interphere with this "phase" and have it for like breakfast instead

good for what?

from exercise efficiency point of view it may be beneficial to eat certain things (carbs, for example) beforehand, but everyone's definition of 'junk' is different. i wouldn't eat a pizza before a WO. not because it is 'pizza' but because it'd make me sick to my stomach.

there are no 'good' or 'bad' foods to designate into certain slots. the body utilises proteins, carbohydrates and fats. it doesn't utilise 'biscuits' or 'big macs'. you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want, so long as you keep overall calories where they need to be.

[12weekhardbody]

I see a therapist and just recently told her that I thought I have binge eating disorder. She told me to write down how I am feeling when i eat. I have overeaten (not on junk food, only clean food) twice in the past month or two. Once it was because I was bored. The other time it was because I had not had enough water throughout the day. Both are easily fixed. I have been like you, though. I love cake and would think about it nonstop until I was miserably full.

For 5 or 6 weeks I have a bet going with my trainer. If I eat anything crappy, then I have to pay him $100. If he eats anything crappy he owes me a week for free. So far THIS is really what has made me not eat junk. I feel more in control than ever before. I actually crave healthy foods. My favorite sweet food is 1/2 c oats, 1 T unsweetened cocoa, 1 MINI box of raisins, and 3-4 packs of splenda. It's way better than cake and it keeps my $100 in my wallet!

[LittleDonkey]

I eat "cheat" foods that I like pretty regularly. I'd rather eat a little of something I really like than a bunch of artificial sweetener any day. I used to have problems with waaay overdoing it as well, so what I do now is to portion junk food into individual servings IMMEDIATELY when I buy it, which prevents me from mindlessly snacking straight from the package (and eating the whole thing). I also try to fit my "cheat" foods into my macros so I don't have to feel too guilty about it.

Honestly, I don't know how some of you ladies who deprive yourselves of EVERYTHING do it! You definitely have way more self control than I do!