In need of advice

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-08-2003
In need of advice
12
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 9:34pm
I just had an epiphany (I think that's the word!). DH and I were eating ice cream, which is bad to begin with. But when I was about halfway done, I felt full. I KNEW I was full, and yet I kept eating. Now, I'm pretty disciplined when I want to be. But I just couldn't make myself stop. Well, that's not true, I did put it down, for about 3 minutes. Then I picked it up and ate the rest. And I felt soooo sick! But I realized what my problem is. It's totally mental. I can't stop eating something until I'm done. I don't want to save it until another day, or throw the rest out... not when I can eat it. Even if I'm completely stuffed, or if I don't even want it, I'll eat it.

Does anybody have any ideas or advice, or some kind of mind trick I can use?? Please help me!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2003
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 9:44pm
You can always divide food into single or smaller servings when you get home from the grocery store. Throw it away as soon as you start to feel full. Or if you a desperate pour a few TBSP of pepper into it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 9:45pm
I am exactly the same way! Was it something our parents did to us, like telling us to clean our plates?

How about just throwing it out? I usually ask them to take away my plate because if I take half of the meal home I usually end up eating it within an hour of getting home. You can also order half portions. Other than that I have no other ideas. I hope these help!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2004
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 9:52pm
I struggle with overeating as well. In fact, I am known to grab the ice cream container and eat it until it's empty, regardless of whether I'm hungry or not. I understand your situation, believe me!

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but this is what goes through your mind when you're eating the container of ice cream: "If I eat it all now, it won't be there to tempt me later." Also, there's the other one: "I can't throw this out! It's perfectly good and it cost so-and-so amount of dollars! What a waste that would be!"

These things go through my head each and every time I am binging on something bad. I am sure I am not alone in that thinking.

My advice: don't buy them! I have recently discovered this secret little option myself. Although it's difficult to walk past these goodies while I'm strolling along the supermarket aisles, I know it's best for me to leave them on the store shelves.

However, I have discovered that it's not good to eliminate certain foods from the diet altogether. You can have ice cream from time to time, but why don't you buy a super-small container of fat free frozen yogurt instead? When the craving comes one night, the damage won't be so bad.

My personal weakness is the Snicker bar. Instead of buying a huge bag of candy bars and wolfing them down in one sitting, I'll buy a *single* candy bar at the checkout line once every few weeks. This way, I have some damage control.

I hope this helps. You're not alone in this struggle, believe me!

Adrienne


Edited 5/14/2004 9:53 pm ET ET by adriennedo

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-04-2003
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 11:03pm
I'm the same way.
 
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-12-2003
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 11:18pm
Hi,

I think about this one all the time. I would try the I'm not going to buy it idea and then I would say to myself but I shouldn't punish my daughter or husband. So I would continue to buy them, until my daughter came home from school and told me she wanted to go on a diet. She's 9 (almost 10). I can't believe that I would buy this junk and try to justify that I shouldn't punish my family but really I'm just pushing off my bad habits on them. Does this make sense, I was using my family as a crutch to continue my bad habits and passing them on. Now I won't buy any large amounts of junk food. If I want a bowl of ice cream or something else I drink 1 huge glass of water and then I really can't eat the whole container.

Avatar for jess9802
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Fri, 05-14-2004 - 11:26pm
"Was it something our parents did to us, like telling us to clean our plates?"

It's a pretty natural phenomenon for humans to eat beyond the point of feeling full if there's still food left. Researchers had two groups of people eat soup: one group's soup bowls were rigged so they never got empty, and the other group's bowls were unmodified. The group with the rigged soup bowls ate quite a bit more than the other group. Visual cues are very important when eating! That's why dietitians suggest using smaller plates.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Sat, 05-15-2004 - 9:39am
The good news is that you realized that this is a problem for you.

  Shawna-- Proud Cl for 100 Pounds or More to Go 

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-15-2004
Sat, 05-15-2004 - 10:02am

I think the first poster had a good idea (Sharla I think?). She mentioned putting some pepper in it. I do something similar in that I pour salt on it (LOTS AND LOTS). Especially at restaurants when you are full but the server has yet to take your plate off the table and that food is sitting there calling you! I just dump a ton of salt over it and then I know I wont take another bite. So my suggestion is, in your moment of rational though run in the kitchen douse it with salt, or even dish soap, anything that will make it unedible and then you won;t have a choice.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Sat, 05-15-2004 - 10:15am
I've been using the smaller dish idea. I use it as portion control. My plate or bowl still looks full, but with only half the amount of food. I eat my meals on a lunch plate instead of a dinner plate and use a fruit bowl instead of a cereal bowl. I have Correlle (spelling?) Ware and they have these options. Good Luck. Hugs, Brenda

Hugs, Brenda 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-08-2003
Sat, 05-15-2004 - 10:31am
Wow, thanks for all of your responses! Those are definitely some great ideas. I knew I came to these boards for a reason :) I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks again!!
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