How does everyone do it?

I've managed to lose a large amount of weight and keep it off. However, to do that, I keep only the healthy essentials stocked at home. No variety. No treats.

When I buy a treat, say, a package of Oreos. I eat the recommended serving size. Fine. Then something snaps inside of me and I eat another, and another, and another and soon enough the package is gone (sadly, this has happened).

The same thing goes for parties. I eat before I leave so I am not hungry, but as soon as I step into the party atmosphere and see the food that is being passed around so freely, I eat enough to feed three people (I'm not kidding).

How can I control myself? I don't like binging, it makes me feel awful after and it isn't healthy. But anything I have tried has resulted in failure. I do like going to parties and I do want to occasionally treat myself, I just don't want to do any harm to myself. Any tips or ideas would be extremely useful.

Thank you,

http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/berardi_kitchen_1.htm

Berardi’s First Law:

If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, you will eventually eat it.

Corollary to Berardi’s First Law:

If you wish to be healthy and lean, you must remove all foods not conducive to those goals from said residence and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices.

Second Corollary to Berardi’s First Law:

If you know someone whose house is stocked only with optimal food choices and yet who is not healthy and lean, look under his bed.

The bottom line is that you must stock your house with all the ammo you need to fight the battle of the bulge. My body fat ranges from about 5% to about 8% throughout the year (without the use of thermogenics) and the only way I’m able to maintain that level of leanness is by removing all temptation from my home, where I spend most of my time.

Personally, I have adopted the Japanese philosophy to "treats". The Japanese tend not to buy large quantities of junk food like North Americans*. Cookies, for intsance, are often purchased individually, in a decorative box, wrapped with a ribbon. The idea is that you are having a treat in the truest sense, a rare and special dietary deviation, not just another serving of a mass produced confection or snack.

*yes, before someone pipes up, this isn't exclusively true and Japan's eating habits are becoming more Americanized

Oh my god, I never thought there was anyone else like me out there until I read your post!! I'm the exact same way...maybe it's a female thing, who knows! :confused:

I've been known to go and buy 1 bag of soy chips and 1 bag of cookies and finish 'em both in one sitting EVEN THOUGH I start with the recommended serving (like you). Once I start I can't stop. I have no self-control. I can go to a party, and like you, eat beforehand, but when I arrive, I can eat all the food that's there in one sweep! Honestly, if I didn't have a fast metabolism I'd be in big trouble!

Anyway, I don't really think I'm depriving myself and then binging or anything...I don't know what it is. If anyone has a solution (cuz I definitely don't!) please let us know!

once i have that one beer i just c ant sttoOP!! lol

I'm with you. I fell off the wagon over the weekend and I haven't gotten back on yet. Dinner tonight was a half jar of Nutella. My dog died today, so I don't really care.

As for portioning, one thing that I learned from October: small Halloween size packages of candy are great for being able to get a little sugar, then stop. If you have an entire open bag, that's bad.

I'm the same way...and like Sholezard, if I didn't have a fast metabolism, well...let's not think about that. Honestly, I just don't eat before parties now because I know I will eat...not a solution but it'll probably make you feel a <tiny> bit better about yourself, heh.

I truly believe that weight training has been my best friend for the days where I lose all self control. With the extra muscle I have built up I am more able to absorb the caloric fluxations. :db:

Exactly. I eat perfectly fine the rest of the time. Then all of a sudden I derail and crash horribly. I hate how it feels afterwards. We have to find a solution! :)

Oh my god, I never thought there was anyone else like me out there until I read your post!! I'm the exact same way...maybe it's a female thing, who knows! :confused:

I've been known to go and buy 1 bag of soy chips and 1 bag of cookies and finish 'em both in one sitting EVEN THOUGH I start with the recommended serving (like you). Once I start I can't stop. I have no self-control. I can go to a party, and like you, eat beforehand, but when I arrive, I can eat all the food that's there in one sweep! Honestly, if I didn't have a fast metabolism I'd be in big trouble!

Anyway, I don't really think I'm depriving myself and then binging or anything...I don't know what it is. If anyone has a solution (cuz I definitely don't!) please let us know!

Mine is so bad I wish I hadn't read this thread.... Now if I could only find the left over halloween candy my wife hid from me....

I promise that it's not just you ladies having this problem!!!

I always try not to buy "unauthorized" foods if I can.

Eat a good meal before you go to the grocery store so you're not hungry.

Make a list before you go to the store so you're not just wandering around picking out stuff. Make a list of EXACTLY what you need and how much of each (2 dozen large eggs, 2 gallons skim milk, etc.). Try to make the list in the order of where each item is on your trip through each isle in the store. Rush through the grocery store and only grab what you have on the list.

I'd say skip the cookie isle, but damn at my grocery store this isle also has the bread, jerks. :)

Yeah, I'm worried for when I have kids. Well, I hope to have kids some day, but the future is uncertain, yadda yadda yadda.

Anyway, I'm worried for when I have kids. I feel like I won't be able to keep ice cream for them in the house without eating it all myself late at night while watching television. All of it! Pints upon pints! Gallons, even! Frickin' problematic eating habits!

I did a trick yesterday. I went to my parents', and I saw these crepes wich chocolate in the fridge. It was time to eat, and I was hungry so you get the idea... I was going to have the crepes, and then, I thought, OK, I'll have something first, and then, afterwards, I'll eat the crepes. So I opened 2 cans of tuna, I threw it to a plate, and then a tomato, some olive oil, salt and vinegar. I had it, and then a big orange. You know what? After that, I looked at the crepes, and said, "f*ck them" :D. I was so full after eating the healthy food that I couldn't even think about eating those crepes.

So a little trick is to have something healthy first. It worked for me :tu:

I did a trick yesterday. I went to my parents', and I saw these crepes wich chocolate in the fridge. It was time to eat, and I was hungry so you get the idea... I was going to have the crepes, and then, I thought, OK, I'll have something first, and then, afterwards, I'll eat the crepes. So I opened 2 cans of tuna, I threw it to a plate, and then a tomato, some olive oil, salt and vinegar. I had it, and then a big orange. You know what? After that, I looked at the crepes, and said, "f*ck them" :D. I was so full after eating the healthy food that I couldn't even think about eating those crepes.

So a little trick is to have something healthy first. It worked for me :tu:

Hmmm, that sounds really good actually. Tuna with olive oil, salt, vinegar ... may have to try this today actually. Thanks!

I'm with you. I fell off the wagon over the weekend and I haven't gotten back on yet. Dinner tonight was a half jar of Nutella. My dog died today, so I don't really care.


Sorry to hear about your dog - but I think this reaction is exactly why we binge. Basically, for a period of time We feel a certain way that no longer makes loosing the weight more important than not eating the cookies. OK we don't all have something as bad as loosing a loved one every time, but it is one thing or another.

So question is, how important is it to you?? When you go for that next cookie ask youself what is more important and if the cookie wins, don't feel bad about it, but face reality. Perhaps you need to find a reason not to eat it, or perhaps the reason does not exist for you.

I feel very fortunate, I went for a couple of years of my wife hiding the cookies and chocolate in our house. Now it just doesn't seem like food. I will indulge occasionally, but it doesn't tase the same. My transormation came about this summer, but simply setting more agressive goals and acheiving them. Now I am wondering what I am really capable of if I stay 'clean' (within reason of course). My goals became more important than the instant gratification of sweets.

I also think some of it has to do with association. If you associate chocolate with feeling good, then every time you don't feel so great - you want to binge. If you associate exersise and veggies with looking and feeling great you might start to want to work out and eat chicken and veggies when you are down.

Anyway, I'm worried for when I have kids. I feel like I won't be able to keep ice cream for them in the house without eating it all myself late at night while watching television. All of it! Pints upon pints! Gallons, even! Frickin' problematic eating habits!

Kids don't know anything about candy, chocolate, ice cream untill we teach them. In fact it is sad because many people think that if the kids don't eat candy, then they won't be happy. They don't know how else to give the kid a 'treat'. I can assure you that kids can see avocado, fruit and other healthy things as treats, and I can also assure you that quality time spent with them will mean more than all the candy in the world.

It's incredible that when we refuse to let a stranger give our son candy, they look at us like we are the worst parents in the world.

if i know the caloric information for some junk food i will not even think twice!!!! I was gonna have a girlguide cookie the other day and i looked and it said 180calories for 3 cookes. these are 3 super small cookies. im like okay one? then im like whats the point? by the time I thought about it, i didnt even want one anymore. I had a glass of water and moved on.

heck a treat for me now feels like soem cottage cheese before bed. or a couple tblspns of peanutbutter. my oatmeal with a scoop of chocolate whey! such a treat! spicey chicken with rice! i get excited for my meals already lol. I can feel liek crap at work then have a break where i eat a can of tuna and and apple and suddenly i go back to my desk feeling charged and better. bag of chips fromt he vending machine sure didnt do that.

I cant say i dont hit the beer or have some pizza or anything like tha tthough. I have my days too but I say no worries tomorrow Im eating great. !!!

I'm with the guy who said he buys things in small packages like Japanese people. I've been doing this for years, and I think its the only reason I am not huge (as in extremely obese). If I have a bunch of junk foods in the house, I *WILL* snack on them. Hungry or stuffed to the brim.

If I buy a couple of small chocolates from an expensive chocolate shop, I really enjoy it without overeating - because there is nothing to overeat :)

Same goes for bakery treats, etc.

I do associate sweets and treats with feeling good. It's ingrained since childhood and why fight it? I just limit my indulgence and enjoy with very little guilt.

Hmmm, that sounds really good actually. Tuna with olive oil, salt, vinegar ... may have to try this today actually. Thanks!
Soooo tasty :D. You can add as well a tomato, some corn, and some asparagus... :drool:

if i can recognize my emotional dependance on the binge...where it's coming from, i can usually head it off.

at a party, if it's because i'm bored or busy talking (mindlessly munching)...

after a sad/bad day, if it's because i feel the need to reward myself or console myself...etc. you get the point. if i point out 'why' i'm doing it to myself, i feel dumb and stop immediately.

but i still don't buy doritos for that exact reason. dear lord...:eek:

I'm exactly the same.

The key is definitely not to buy the bad things in the first place.
I know if I have unhealthy food at home I'll use the excuse 'Well I'm going to eat them at some point anyway, so what does it matter when I eat them' and end up binging.

Okay, so I was trying to brainstorm ways to combat binging. Let's ignore the not buying it answer, because this is sort of like saying that you can't beat the binging, if you can't even trust yourself to have it in the house. This is not a good answer because anytime you find yourself with access to the food, you will binge.

So I came up with this suggestion. Keep the food in the house, but change the way you store it. Any change will do. Consciously either change the place you store it or the container it is in, and tell yourself, I am storing it in this manner as a symbol that I will not binge on it. This way you are linking a physical action with an intent to not binge. If this change in some way makes it a pain in the ass to get at the food, than this is better.

For example with the nutella, store it in the fridge on it's lid. Then when you want some, open it up and have one spoonful and then put it back in the fridge upside down on it's lid. There is a critical point between having a suitable serving and then going all out. If you can perfrom a physical action at that point (that is quite different than the way you used to eat nutella), and that physical action reminds you, or even challenges you to not binge, then perhaps that is a way to beat it. Also I think opening a lid of a jar that's been stored upside down is a bit of a pain in the ass, because it is a little messy.

For oreos, empty all the oreos into a ziploc bag or another container and store them in a place you don't usually. Anything that is different than the normal way you used to eat oreos. When you do this tell yourself you are doing it as a symbol of your ability to not binge. Then when you put it back after having a few, you will be immediately reminded of your pledge not to binge, because you will be storing them in an unusual way that you've never done before. Also if the container is hard to open that would help. And ziploc bags are a pain in the ass to seal so that helps too.

So let me know if you think these suggestions would help. As far as going to a party, I can't think of anything yet. But I'll keep trying.

Okay, so I was trying to brainstorm ways to combat binging. Let's ignore the not buying it answer, because this is sort of like saying that you can't beat the binging, if you can't even trust yourself to have it in the house. This is not a good answer because anytime you find yourself with access to the food, you will binge.

Not necessarily. Removing bad foods from your house means you'll eat less of them and possibly have less desire to eat them when you realize that life is just fine without them. It's a way to ween yourself off of bad food choices, not a foolproof solution.

Ultimately, cultivating a strong will is the only surefire way to resist temptation. However you do this is up to you. For me, I just think about the quote in my sig any time temptation threatens to overwhelm me.

Mine is so bad I wish I hadn't read this thread.... Now if I could only find the left over halloween candy my wife hid from me....
I once found a box of cookies behind the clean sheets and plankets and candy behind the fine china. I'd go crazy if I knew there were candy hidden in the house...but I'd find it!


I'm glad I'm not alone.
And that it's not a female problem.