How weird are your habits? (nothing pervy please!)

[Barb]

I have just been making egg mayo sandwiches (no spread, low cal mayo of course) and I always have chicken crisps with them. Just a fave thing. Anyway, was so hungry that started eating the crisps and immediately felt anxious that I might not have enough crisps left to go with my sandwich! How paranoid is that? Found my thoughts turning to the possibility of opening another pakcet of crisps.
Anyway, walked away from the crisps and had a word with myself and it really made me realise what a creature of habit I am.
I now seek reassurance that I am not the only nutter on the planet and that you all ahve some habits that are hard to break.

If I wasn't doing my food diary, I would have had more crisps. Thats for sure. 130 cals would have become 260 in about 5 minutes flat.

So come on, 'fess up. What old habits are you hanging onto or getting rid of?

 

[KD]

It's strange how panicky we can get over food isn't it. As if there it is the last meal ever

I know I always had to have at least 2 parts to my lunch. Couldn't just have a sandwich, or soup. Didn't matter how big the portion, I had to follow it with another part....ie crisps or a choc biscuit or something

Even now I have to remind myself that I don't always need the 2nd part immediately

 

[clairejen]

We always have had coffee and cake when we finish work. I struggle with this one, on DDs it is nearly impossible to eat cake, but it is a habit my DH (and my dog who adores cake) would be unwilling to end. So it is staying, but now it is not every day. The coffee and biscuit link I broke by giving up coffee in favour of squash or hot water, not all the time but I try to just have 2-3 cups a day.

Because my habits are mine they seem kind of normal to me, my DH has some weird ones though. He gave up butter some time ago and now has coleslaw on sandwiches instead - now that is strange (just the savoury ones, even he isn't peculiar enough to want coleslaw with jam!).

 

[Barb]

Glad to hear that Claire - I think if he was having coleslaw and jam you would have to seriously consider leaving him!

I can't help but feel that this thread would be seeing more action if I had not randomly placed it in weight loss surgery! Oh well, perhaps Pierce will move it later.

 

[Blonde Logic]

I understand and relate to the panicking about food. I find myself doing that so often. I really have never told anyone this.

If we are going out for a meal, say a chinese, with a group - I am terrified there will not be enough. I worry about who will take the first dish and start serving - will they take the best one, my fovourite, and if they do they willl surely get all the good bits, etc., etc. Its terrible, and embarassing. Even saying it now is difficult. Easier because noone is looking at me. (I love that I can be honest here.)

Not sure yet about what habits I will keep as I have not begone my program yet....but I am sure I will discover them as I go.

There is of course though, the obvious habit, and that is if I go in to the kitchen for ANY reason, I always eat SOMETHING. Even if it is just to grab one or two walnuts, or a single bite of cheese. That is a terrible habit.

 

[Barb]

Hey BL, I totally get where you are coming from - I have the same anxiety feelings about group meals even though I would die if people knew what I was thinking. I'm not sure where the feelings come from although as the youngest of 4 kids in a not very well off family I do remember thinking that when I was a grown up I would have as much as I liked of things. Like mushrooms - Mum used to buy 4ozs between 6 of us and I think I used to get half of one; I absolutely loved them and wanted more but couldn't have more, so perhaps some of the anxiety does go back to that.
I was very thin till I was about ten and then I had my tonsils out and was spoilt food wise. I think Mum was very worried about me and indulged me, again possibly because i was youngest. I was always fussy too - soup had to be home-made and strained so that it was very smooth (still my preferred option) and I can remember when I was old enough to leave at home I would raid the kitchen cupboards and eat the onions and gerkin out of the piccalli jar! Dad always wondered where they went but I didn't confess for many years. Even now when I am alone in the house my thoughts invariably turn to food. I've never told anyone that.

 

[Blonde Logic]

I don't know where my anxiety comes from either Barb. There was always enough for us growing up. That must have been hard for you as a little girl, I would bet that it certainly might have to do with the way you might think today. It would make sense to me.

I find much of the time, I am thinking abou what I can have at my next meal. ANd then when I have that meal, I might even be thinking ahead to the next one. I don't know why I am so obsessed with food. I really don't. It was never an issue growing up. We had enough. Were not meant to clean our plates. ALways had healthy snacks. No crisps or sodas were ever in our house....it was always a BIG treat to have them at a friends, etc. I think food has become an addiction for me, therefore an obsession.

I still make a raid in the kitchen when I am home alone - even though I don't have too!

I really wish I didn;t thinka bout it all the time. It's a bitter demon that I wish to expel permenantly. I've had enough. :sigh:

I just want to be "normal" - whatever that is.

 

[Barb]

I wonder if there is a 'normal', I think lots of people are very focused about food. It's reasonable really, after all food is lovely and we are programmed to view it as a necessity and a treat. I didn't mean to imply I went without in a big way as a little 'un, just that there wasn't a lot in the way of 'exciting' foods or luxury items and if they were about they were in tiny quantities and I think you are right, that has impacted on me still.

I think food thoughts are like any habit; the more you have them the more you have them. If I am really busy I think about food an awful lot less. However I definately reward myself with it. So if I have been very busy at work and not had time to eat I tend ot make up for it when I get home thinking I 'deserve' it. Not really very helpful.

You sound very normal to me BL, I think you could tweak your thought processes though and learn some new habits. Thats what i am trying to do and it is working, not all the time but more and more.