What are your triggers and dangerous places to be in?

[yorkiegal]

I need to be honest and say that my diet is terrible right now. I'm bingeing nearly every day and making some lousy food choices. I'm pretty certain it's because I'm in limbo, waiting for my surgery date. I start each day with good intentions and fail within hours.

So I've been trying to figure out where I'm going wrong and how to avoid triggers and places which result in me eating. These are mine as far as I can make out.

1) not planning my food shop in advance. I end up buying things I don't need and forgetting things I do need.

2) trips to the corner shop for dog/cat food and milk. This always results in me buying a family sized bar of chocolate or some icecream or crisps.

3)addiction to diet coke/pepsi max. I have around 8 cans per day and if I run out it's another excuse to nip to that corner shop and then I buy the chocolate again.

4) skipping breakfast. I take the dog out in the morning for a walk and am starving by the time we come back. I just reach for anything that will fill me up.

5) time of the month. You'd think that after all these years I would have figured out that I crave carbs before my period. Yet I still fall into that trap and don't prepare for it.

6) this one is a biggie for me. I actually hate cooking food. I hate being around food. So I think I buy stuff that just needs zapping in the microwave or even has zero preparation so that I can just eat it without thinking about it.

I did some CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) last year and learnt so many skills and identified lots of triggers. Then I put my CBT folder away and forgot it all. Denial is so much easier.

Time to get back on track.

 

[POPPET]

Hi YG,
You know what's not good to do....
...you will do BRILL with your wls
Juliexxx

 

[penguina]

OMG we could be twins - My head is in the same place yours is. I live next door to a londis shop - I should be banned. I too say I hate food and if I could take a tablet and never eat again, I would be happy. (but I bet I wouldn't be...)

You are very brave admitting things, maybe it is cathartic and is what I should do too. Can we help each other?.. Trisha

 

[yorkiegal]

OMG we could be twins - My head is in the same place yours is. I live next door to a londis shop - I should be banned. I too say I hate food and if I could take a tablet and never eat again, I would be happy. (but I bet I wouldn't be...)

You are very brave admitting things, maybe it is cathartic and is what I should do too. Can we help each other?.. Trisha

I find that the only way I ever stick with it is if I post on here. Otherwise I just let one day roll into another and carry on eating.

Feel free to add your own thoughts to the thread. Glad you could see some similarities between us.

 

[penguina]

Thanks Yorki, and good luck with the giving up smoking. I don't know what that is like but I would think it is a megga big deal without having to think about weight loss. You are very brave and have done well - keep it up. xx

The only number we differ on is 3 and the diet coke. Today I did have a slimfast for breakfast as I had an early appointment for retinal screening. I had a ham sandwich for lunch, and then the problems started. I wanted something sweet so I had 'several scoops of the slimfast power [yes dry it is an awfully bad habit of eating dry powder foods :-( ]

Look you have made me admit something WOW I have never told anyone that and now I am telling the world ooo er should I hit return...

With my bad memory maybe if I continue to waffle I will forget I said that and post anyway. Well dinner was a ready pasta ready meal as hubby said he needed to go out early. But before cooking that I actually went to the shop and bought some onion ring crisps. IT is either like I am punishing myself or I am totally mad and I am not sure which. And you are right about rolling days. Over the weekend I was starting to be good on Monday, today I started to be good but failed. I have good intentions for tomorrow but...

 

[penguina]

OMG I posted it ....

 

[yorkiegal]

Yay well done!

If it makes you feel any better, I used to pinch packets of angel delight out of the cupboards when I was growing up and eat that dry.

 

[Neen]

Hi Girls xxx A lot of us have the same triggers, I am still a complusive eater and can and do still go nuts now and then. The op I had has been damage limitation to a degree but it is still a part of me that I only now am getting my head round.
I have had big problems for years..I remember bingeing on everything...even mushed up allbran when I was sharing a house in my late teens / early twenties.
Getting the one day done at a time is working for me, I write everything I have down and I have to calorie count to keep myself on track as it were.
All week I stick to a limit with the weekend to have what I fancy (yes Ice cream choc etc you name it)
That worked great at the beginning and it has now gotten to the point where I have to tweak things as there is not so much I can get away with anymore !
I think getting out the old CBT folder is an excellent idea xx
Anything I can do I will because these habits and unhelpful coping strategies we have built up need as much help to crack as possible x

 

[penguina]

Angle delight - I still do sometimes... sugar free jelly, powdered milk, hot chocolate, the list could go on. I go though stages, it is not a daily thing, just a comforter I guess.

Although I am glad I am not alone WHY HAVEN'T I GROWN UP LIKE YOU DID?

Also savory things Dry Paxo stuffing, onion slalt - although this is no more as I used it up and didn't replace it as we don't have salt at all now.

I will try tomorrow honest. Or honestly try. Trisha

 

[penguina]

Oh I forgot we are out for a belated Christmas dinner at the Chinese tomorrow :-(

 

[penguina]

Thanks Neen, yes I guess we all have problems or we wouldn't be in this mess. It has messed with my head even more that the dietitian thinks I have unrealistic expectations of the op, and didn't seem to think I would do well.

I want to try to cut the carbs so when they write to say start your milk diet I am in a good place - ready for the two weeks of milk.

Your both wonderful xx

 

[mandym1]

Wow I could have written this thread.. I too am in limbo now waiting for surgery! I wake up with good intentions but it soon goes out the window and I go to bed feeling dreadful about myself..

I'm trying not to beat myself up about it as I know this is why I am taking the major step of having surgery. I do wish I could start training myself though and get better prepared for the journey ahead.

x

 

[Katkit1]

Talking of eating dried foods - if I did`nt have anything else in the house to pick at, I used to eat dried spaggetti.....very strange I know....can see no reason why I would like it now!








Love Kat x

 

[yorkiegal]

Oh I haven't 'grown up'. I will quite happily eat a pack of 6 mars bars because I can't have one and keep the other 5 in the cupboard. I'll see things in the shop on sale and convince myself that I should get them because they are so cheap. I've just woken up now and am sat here with a coffee when I should be having some breakfast. In my head I'm already contemplating a trip to the shop for chocolate.
I'm going to try and have a slimfast shake before I go out to walk the dog instead.

 

[Neen]

I think what has helped me is writing everything I have down,.
It makes you accountable and we know how easy it is to get into the habit that thinking things nibbled in passing somehow don't count.
If I could go back in time before my op etc I would have at least done this bit.
You don't even have to count calories or amounts but just note what you have and why and how you felt afterwards.

Also , what I still do is plan a treat....what I tend to do all week is have the online tesco shop basket and add in everything I fancy...everything!!! From southern fried chicken to every flavour of ben n jerrys.
I add it in the heat of the moment when I really have the urge to eat those things and I make an agreement with myself that I can have whatever I want without guilt on the weekend.
Most of the week before I send the shop order, my online trolley is crammed with totally OTT ridiculous stuff and my inner bingemonster is kept happy at the mere thought that I am prepared to buy them and have them.

On the day that I actually do the order, I wait til I have eaten and I feel calm etc then go through the list and take all the crap out except for maybe one or two things.

When the weekend rolls around , I weigh in the morning and then I don't write anything down but I have my treats.
I have them slowly and savour each mouthful. I give myself full permission to eat as much of them as I truly want and the interesting thing is:
1} It is pretty impossible to binge slowly
2} Knowing that I am allowed these things sometimes leaves me feeling they weren't that nice, or not as wowee as I expected them to be, so I now have started chucking out some of it (yes even thorntons belgian choc cookies..had two or three and binned the rest)

Not sure if any of that is helpful.
I've been almost 26 stone and totally stuck in my ways so I understand how hard it is pre-op but if I had known what I learnt the hard way since , I think I would have made a start to try and take small steps to help break out of the rut.

 

[jaynefrances]

I have similar weaknesses that are still a problem post op. The only way i can combat these is to not have junk in the house and avoid shops lol ! I've done okay this week but i lost the battle against a Twirl bar in the petrol station last week !
Good advice earlier - before any trips to the shops or online shopping i make sure i've eaten and feel really full. If you run out of milk/pet food try just taking the exact cash you need, so there isn't any change for treats. I've had to do this a few times recently, particularly whilst i've been hormonal !
Try and address the fizzy pop issue pre-op if you can. I only drank full sugar pop before my bypass and i hated sf cordial etc. For four months post op i suffered terrible dehydration as i just didn't fancy any of the drinks, but i've got used to them over time. Although i still salivate when hubby pops open a can of ice cold coke !

 

[penguina]

I love the thought of the Tesco computer thinking WOW a great order from Neen this week and then you go and cancel half of it. Good idea but I don't shop online very often and think I would go and forget to cancel it, and have a wonderous delivery!

Well I did go out for the Chinese last night but I did have less than last time when I was stuffed. I also had two slimfasts am and lunchtime, but was really hungry by about 5pm so I had a cup a soup which took the edge off. Today so far two slimfasts again. I do the trick of taking the exact money Jayne on the times I am not overcome by badness. I took the exact money for bread this morning and have to get some milk later, so will do the same again.

How are you doing Yorkie? Did you manage your slimfasts yesterday? And what about today? How is your mood? Trisha xx

 

[yorkiegal]

Grr I started with such good intentions today. I went to my local shop and just picked up dog and cat food, some milk and some bread. Got to the till and my card was declined which was so embarrassing and I had to put my shopping back. It's the third time in a week that my card hasn't worked.
So then I had to go into town to the bank where it turned out I've been putting the wrong pin number in all week. I've had the same pin for 15 years so heaven knows why I've been doing that.
Anyway I got some cash out and ended up buying a sandwich and 3 yumyums from Greggs and ate all of it when I got home.

However I have also stocked up on milk for my slimfasts and will only have them for the rest of the day. I also have plenty of pet food in now so no real need to go to the shop for at least a week.

 

[Neen]

At least you can trace the gregs splurge to feeling embarrassed at the card incident.
Comfort eating is about changing how we feel at the base level of it.

 

[wizzbang]

Hiya everybody,

I have to admit that I am scared to death of the day that I can eat bread again because I know that it is my downfall. As soon as I can eat a sandwich I am frightened that it will all go downhill from there. I will eat anything between two pieces of bread (preferably French and crusty) thick with mayo and other naughty stuff. It is worrying me so much that I try not to think about it.
I haven't eaten yet today, just because I'm not hungry but I know I have to have something soon and I was fantasizing about having soft bread dipped into oxtail or chicken soup!!!
Please don't let me eat bread to the extent I did pre op.
Lynne xx