I recognize my problem...

[lisettelovebug]

Ok. I've always had a problem with food. I wasn't overweight as a kid, but as a teenager I could have been 10 pounds smaller easily. Most of my adult life I have been at least 20 pounds overweight if not more. When I was a kid, if there was a treat in the house, I had to eat some right then and there. If I saved it for later someone else would eat it and I would lose out.

Well, now I find myself hiding food so that my family doesn't eat it all in one day - some things like cookies would be gone in a day. I stick them in the freezer or in the cupboard with every intention of bringing them out a later date for us all to eat. But I don't. I end up eating them all alone!!!!! IT's no wonder I've gained 5 pounds instead of losing it. 3 weeks after ds was born (he's 7 mos old) I was 190 pounds and I wasn't losing it after, but now I've gained. I did have my thyroid tested on Tuesday but have yet to hear from the doc).

Does anyone else do this? I have no control it feels like. Does anyone have any tips to keep me from binging? I would still like to be able to make goodies for the family (cheaper and i know what's in them) but need to work on this. Even sticking the raw cookie dough in the freezer doesn't work because I will eat them frozen. lol. What works for you?

[Libby]

I hate to say this but I grew up like that too. If we went shopping for treats - be it sweet or salty - if my bro was opening something we had to get a share then and only then or else they'd be gone in 1/2 hr. Of course in doing this, we all overate to compensate for my brothers gluttony. Now that we don't live with him - we've all slimmed down somewhat and can eat normally.

The best advice though you may not want to hear it is do not keep anything 'treat like' in the house.

Make it or buy on only when there's a reason for it. Freezies/popsicles when its hot out - buy it then. Cookies/baked goods - bake it when you're ready to eat it. This way you may decide its not worth going through all the effort between baking, making and cleaning up all while having the children around hanging off of you.

Out of sight, out of mind right? This is what has worked for me. I can buy a bag of chips and not open it for 3 wks until I crave it again. I'm a savory person so sweets never really get to me. A certain someone else I know has no control...they know its in the house, they NEED to eat it and RIGHT AWAY. Knowing nothings there to eat = no craving.

As others may/will suggest...stock your house of ready made heahtly snacks. Chop up veggies and keep them in a tupperware along with ready made dip on hand for your next munchie attack. Dips made with low fat/fat free sour cream are wonderful. You can get creative with seasonings or buy prepackaged seasonings that just need sour cream. Plenty of fruit and yoghurt on hand can be helpful too. Freeze sugar free drink mixes in popsicle moulds for an icy treat or dilute water with enough milk to make it runny and freeze them to make frozen yoghurt pops.

At least when you binge on treats they're of the healthy variety.

[Jamauk]

I have a similiar problem - I didn't grow up having to eat my food or do without, but I definately have developed the habit of hiding things from the kids. It started out because I didn't want the kids to have the "unhealthy" treats that I allowed myself. That, and because DH is gone so much, I started eating dinner late because I wanted just one meal per day when I didn't have kids crawling all over me asking for bites, where I could relax and enjoy my meal. So I started eating dinner after the kids went to bed. I've also gotten in teh habit of "rewarding" myself with sweet treats. If I've had a stressful day, well then I've earned that bowl of ice cream, right? (btw, the kids don't usually know we have ice cream in the house because, again, I've hidden it away...)

I'm more of an emotional eater and I can tell you one thing that seems to have worked - when our fridge/freezer died two weeks ago and we had to move everything out to the detached garage - I'm not giving in to my cravings as much as I used to. I don't want to walk out to the garage in the dark just for a bowl of ice cream!

[earthymom]

Take a deep breath. Go to the nearest mirror -- look at yourself and repeat out loud three times, meaning it, "I love you". Repeat several times a day. This is hard -- really hard. But it helps.

Now, I am absolutely positive that you are not the only one to do this (I have a friend who gained more weight after her 2nd was born than she did durig the pregnancy). Some part of you is HUNGRY though I doubt it's your tummy.

Being a mother means we often put our childrens' needs, our husband's needs, and eveybody else's needs before our own. We don't even know what we need half the time. We crave something because there is some empty spot. Figuring out what it is you are REALLY craving is easier said than done but you can do it.

On a practical note: I find that keeping my hands busy prevents me from nibbling or otherwise pigging out. For example, if I'm watching TV or listening to the radio I always have some knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching project in hand. I don't want to get it dirty with food on my fingers so I am less tempted to snack. With a 7 mo. old you can't just go for a walk when you feel like compulsively eating. Maybe if you made a week-long rule that you MUST write down eveything you eat and what you FELT just before and while you ate it, you would be less likely to binge. Plus, you might get some insight into what kinds of feelings trigger the urge to splurge/hide. Then you could deal with those feelings and develop strategies for when this happens.

Mothers often feel "deprived". I think you may feel some way "deprived". But you don't have to be "deprived" while being a good mom and wife.

My prayers are with you

[PrairieRose]

I remember thinking after the birth of my 2nd that eating was the only thing I had control of in my life....although you wouldn't have known I could control it b/c I was so out of control. I can completely empathize with you. For me, I have to keep the 'undesirables' out of the house (hard to do with kids but you can give them healthy treats instead of cookies and such) and to take it one day, one hour, one minute at a time. If I go overboard.....I start over again, right then. It's not always easy..............but it is so worth it....it's so empowering to be in control, really in control. Hang in there and just start again....and again and again.

[Drgnfly423]

I just recently admitted to myself that I have a binge eating problem. If I have cookies in the house I will eat them until their gone too. In one day. It's so weird. I can not eat just two a day until their gone. To me, it's like there is a "bad" food in the house and it needs to be gone so I may as well eat it all now and be rid of it.

Anyway, I just can't have it around me at all. If DH want to have it I make him take it to work with him and keep it there. If I decide I want one he'll bring me home one, and only one for a treat.

I also started not eating after 8 in the evenings. That has helped me a lot, too. I found that if I start snacking after dinner that I can't stop, so I just don't start at all.

Good Luck on finding a way to help your eating habits, too! It's tough, and sometimes I fall back into it, but I just pick back up and start over again.

[hwmabire3]

Wow, I'm shocked to see that there are so many people who have the same problem as me! It's kinda comforting, too.

I am a sugar-a-holic. If there are donuts in the house, I have to eat them all ASAP. Even if there aren't, unfortunately I'm a great baker, so I'll make cinnamon rolls or something. Once again, they have to be eaten up. I don't know why I do this.

There's a book I've been reading called "Weigh Down Diet." Gwen Shamblin, the author, says that overeating is a greed issue. I had never thought of it that way before. Interesting, huh?

[lisettelovebug]

The worst time is when dh is working. He works overnights Fri-Sun. If he's home I don't have these problems. I stay up late because I like the time alone after the kids go to bed. Somehow I don't end up going to bed until 3 and haven't gotten any cleaning done (on computer and watching tv). Little guy gets up between 6 and 8... uuuggghhh. I also stay up quite late with dh during the week. I think this is another reason I'm not losing weight - lack of sleep. Buit then I get what should be a good night's sleep and I'm still exhausted.

earthymom.. you are probably right about feeling a little deprived. I think some of it may just be a touch of depression too. I just don't want to do anything - I really lack the motivation to clean the house or exercise. Plus with my cycle being really screwey right now (it's been 46 days since my last one) I think it has me all messed up. Oh and I crocheted last night while I watched tv that seemed to help. I don't watch much tv usually but more than make up for it on the weekend.

I think what I will start doing is if I want to make and freeze goodies I need them to be not too sweet and NOT CHOCOLATE!!! like freezing muffins, banana bread, sweet bread doughs, etc... stuff that tastes yucky if you eat them raw. If there's frozen cookie dough in there I will eat it!! lol.

If we have enough money leftover (we have $60 to last 2 weeks for food) I will go grab some yougurts and find some other fruits and good-for-me goodies that I love.

[staciah]

When my DS#2 was 1, A light switch went off in my head. I had been over weight since DH and I got married but I figured if I didn't weigh myself and never really looked at myself naked in the mirror than I guess im not that overweight. So oneday I decided thats it I'm done being over weight. I stopped the all day munching. Started eating better foods (oatmeal for breakfast, yogurt for lunch and smaller portions for dinner) I am also a sugar-o-holic so if I wanted a snack I started making low fat snacks. (fat free brownies, low fat cakes or cookies) They don't taste the same but they do help.

Once I started see the weight come off, I really got motivated, started taking the baby for walks in the evening. I never snacked after 7pm.

DH got on board also and we started motivating each other. It was really great. We both lost 45 lbs in 4 months

I weighed myself everyday and saw the evidence right there. Numbers don't lie.

I switched to splenda sugar, Skim milk, low fat cheeses, egg beaters
and low fat breads.

I agree with the food journal. You should really start one of those that way you can see everything you eat in a day but you have to write everything down. If you don't your just lying to yourself.
Start weighing yourself everyday and really look at yourself in the mirror. Your full self, naked. I know we don't like to do that, but you need to.

Don't get discouraged when you stumble and keep the treats that you like best of all out of the house. Like for Holloween I will buy candy that I don't like that way I wont munch on them.

Good luck with your goal.