This afternoon I headed to my mom’s to visit and have my brother look at my “Check Engine” light. P.S. Can someone please say a few prayers for me – everything seems to be breaking around here? 
As soon as I got there my mom left to do some shopping on the Easter Bunny’s behalf 
. Matt was on the computer and I was in the kitchen by myself. I guess all my recent stress caught up with me in the form of a carb binge. I had a whole bag of popcorn and cereal. *Note – this is nothing compared to legit binges I’ve had in the past, but it still took me to a place I haven’t visited in a while.
By some miracle (hey, those prayers are working already!) I got out of the kitchen and hung out with my brothers – Michael and Matt. 
We also hang out with Lucky who got his balls chopped off fixed today. I guess he’s having the worst day out of all of us. 
After getting dinner cookin’ my mom and I took Bailey and Roxy (aka the Roxican) for a walk.
Ahhhh. I feel so much better now 
Dinner was fish fillets, sweet potato fries and green beans. I made one of my fillets a fish taco. 
I can’t believe I have went all Lent without having a fish taco?! That’s sac-religious! At least in Mexican Catholicism. 
Speaking of Lent… When Lent first started I got rid of 99% of the sweets in my house tiny pink condo. It was a very sad day. The few things that did slip by also slipped into my mouth until I also tossed them out.
Now that Lent is over in 2 days I’ve been thinking about keeping sweets in the house. While I do believe that “you can’t eat what you don’t have”, I also believe that deprivation leads to being pre-occupied with the foods you are denying yourself.
At the same time – even though I 110% let myself eat cereal and granola I still tend to overdo it on these foods because they are so good, easy to snack on and almost made to be overeaten. Am I right?
I think I’ve decided to buy multiple gallons of mint n’ chip to eat for breakfast Sunday keep sweets in the house. I’ve realized that giving up sweets has made me dessert obsessed and I’d rather enjoy a little treat all the time than hoard chocolate chip cookies in my pajama drawer. Not that I do that…
So, the sweets are coming back on Easter, but I will keep it to ONE daily. Hey, I might even start trying higher brow desserts…
Question: Do you keep sweets in your house?
I always have in the past and Lent is really the only reason I cleared it out. Even when I am trying to lose weight I always allow myself a treat to avoid binging.
I went through a year of ED and restricting and now am trying to find balance. Gaining the weight back was actually sort of fun because I could eat whatever I wanted, but now I’m at the point where I’m actually 5-6 pounds above my ideal comfortable weight. I struggle with periods of overeating (usually when sugary carbs are left out) and am trying to eat intuitively…Hot yoga has helped me learn so much about myself and my eating patterns…it has helped my focus shift from the foods I want to avoid to the amazing, delicious, healthful foods I want to incorporate into my diet. Oh and reading your blog has helped me realize it’s not the end of the world if I mess up! In other countries, people just EAT. they don’t calculate and plan and stress over every bite, they just eat and enjoy life. I try to keep that in mind also.
You said that you binged on popcorn and cereal today, and I was just wondering how you didn’t go crazy afterwards? After a binge I usually get so caught up in restricting myself and going to the gym to go crazy, hoping I can burn it off- how are you so content afterwards? I wish I could be like that : (
This is really interesting. I’m in the “nothing is forbidden” camp. I eat dessert after lunch AND dinner. Everyday. I try to find things I really like that can be satisfying in smallish portions. I find indulging in small ways on a regular basis keeps me from indulging in HUGE, SCARY ways eventually. I have, however, worked hard at eliminating going back for seconds. That’s the only real “rule” I institute. I think knowing I can have it everyday helps in not going back for more, if that makes sense.
I keep vitatops and arctic zero in my house at all times for my snacks. But the rest of the household keeps cinnamon rolls, pizza, cookies, and cake for them. I don’t crave what they snack stock up on and they do’t crave what I do, so it’s not an issue of temptation or worrying that I havee to eat the rest of it or they will before me. Works out nicely 🙂
I tried letting myself have sweets in my dorm this year. Stuff like oreos and pb M&M’s figuring they’d last a while and I’d just snack on them now and then. But once I started, I’d eat like a quarter of the bag of either….so now I learned to just buy a bar of dove dark chocolate when I want one and eat that. Something that is small and separate I can control myself with.
I think that out of sight, out of mind is working well for me right now. I just don’t feel like I have the mental energy to worry about ‘stopping when I’m satisfied’ or whatever, so even though I totally do feel deprived, I think the end goal is worth it. And I’m even sure it’s about being ‘deprived’…I’ve just become accustomed to slathering peanut butter on anything edible, so instead of feeling deprived that I can’t do that anymore, I’m trying to look at it in a more positive way. I’m learning to taste what a banana is like without the PB coating, I portion out some nuts or trail mix that takes a little longer (albeit, not much longer) to eat than PB (although I only eat trail mix/nuts when I am OUT of the house so I can’t refill), and it’s a few hundred easy calories taken out my diet. I used to struggle with severely restricting my food and being incredibly underweight, and I eventually got used to ‘allowing’ myself food. So, I still have that mindset, even though I’d like to lose a few pounds. I’m trying to forget about allowing/denying and just focus on the facts, without emotion. I want to lose a few pounds and peanut butter is incredibly caloric for such a ridiculous portion. So, it has to go (for now). I sometimes REALLY want PB when I’m stressed and want to dip my face in the jar. But then I realize that it’s NOT healthy to be thinking that way (clearly) and until I can manage my stress better, it won’t be in my cupboards. “Allowing” myself PB isn’t going to do me any good until I don’t want to comfort myself with food. I think you can have all the right tools in place, but if you ultimately know you might end up doing more damage w/ it in the house then good, then its not deprivation to not buy it. I am ‘depriving’ myself every time I down 6 tablespoons of peanut butter in a stress induced frenzy, because I am further away from my goals. THAT is deprivation.
D, I used to slather everything in PB too – but that was when I was restricting. Now that I allow myself all the PB I want, I don’t binge on it. Don’t you think allowing it (even if you overdo it once or twice) is better than hoping one day you will just wake up and never binge again? We kinda have to retrain our relationship with food. But, retraining takes work – it’s like rebuilding a broken relationship – you rebuild it with the other person, not while they’re away.
Ultimately, you know what’s best for you. I hope you’re well 🙂 Happy Easter and thanks for reading.
<3, Monica
I really appreciate this comment <3 Unfortunately, I can't seem to get to that place. It's not a case of overdoing it once or twice, its eating multiple giant spoonfuls with fruit at breakfast, multiple spoonfuls on an apple for a snacks, a huge dollop on a sweet potato, dips in the jar, on rice cakes, etc. In one day. I don't even binge on it at all, actually, but when it's in the house it's all I want to eat because it's SO GOOD. I don't restrict at all anymore, but I still have the mindset of an anorexic. I hate to use that word, but in truth, that's what I was. I am certainly no longer at a dangerously low weight and restricting food, but I eat as if I'm recovering, which includes a ton of PB. Unfortunately, gaining a layer of fat on my stomach is not helping heal my relationship with food and my body, to put it bluntly 🙁
I try to limit (somewhat) what sweets we keep around. At any given time, we’ll have a tub of ice cream, some candy in the candy dish, and perhaps some Jo-Jo’s from TJ’s. I, too, have had trouble in the past with restricting/bingeing, but I finally came to grips with the idea that it’s OK to have a treat sometimes (or after dinner. every night.) Knowing that I’ll get a cookie or two (or three) after a healthy meal satiates my sweet tooth and my peace of mind.
Best cartoon at the end. Love it. I also have an obsession with cartoons found via the internet so my appreciation for that one is deep =)
I think that cartoon is my fave ever 🙂
I tend to keep whatever baked goods I have leftover around my house and that’s it. I’d rather treat myself to a homemade chocolate chip cookie instead of a packaged Chips Ahoy! anyways.
whenever i banish anything i binge. i learned that lesson from 4 years of keeping everything with sugar – even cereal and protein bars – outa the house. now everything is STOCKED. maybe obsesssively so.
STOCKED?! Can I please visit?
Don’t hate me, but … sweets don’t call my name. The ones that do, I don’t keep in the house – because they’re things like Oreos. 🙂 My husband and I went through a phase last year of eating giant ice cream sundaes every night with reese’s pieces on them, and I don’t keep them in the house anymore either! I find that for me, out of sight = out of mind. But I know I’m in the minority.
There are a few things I DO keep on hand, though – like popcorn, dark chocolate, and beer. I’ve had to institute rules around popcorn (which I pop in oil and top with butter – not the air-popped kind!) and beer, though, because I find the structure helpful – it prevents me from saying what the hell! and having beer with dinner every night, and keeps me out of bad habits.
Ah Amy – there are two of us in this world. I could (but don’t) stay off the sweets totally. Of course, if they’re lying around just waiting to be eaten…..
Anything with salt and fat (or even without the fat, in the case of margaritas) speaks to me. I can demolish a whole tube of Pringles without blinking.
I’m trying to minimize the alcohol intake. While I don’t drink a lot (is there anyone who actually admits that they DO drink a lot?) I’m aware that empty calories don’t serve a useful purpose.
I can’t keep sweets or certain other snacks in the house as I have No Self Control & eat whole packages of things at a time. I don’t disallow them, though – we have a little market that has single serve Ben & Jerry’s and little bags of chips & such. If I’ve got a craving, I just take a walk. This also assures I really want it.
I am trying to do his-I am in the same spot as you binge wise, working on getting over it, but I am very aware that I DO NOT want to pass along the unhealthy mentality to my future kids so I am trying to keep sweets in the house in moderation! 🙂
I not only keep sweets in the house, but I have dessert every single night. Knowing that I will end my day on a super tasty sweet note helps me turn down the less satisfying junk all day long. Plus, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve actually really craved something sweet. I indulge a little and not a lot!
Totally agree with this method 🙂
i do keep sweets in the apartment, but most of the time it’s only the stuff i really like. i’ve finally got to a point where if i want to eat it, i’ll have a few pieces then feel satisfied and stop. breaking point for me finally!
I’m currently trying to lose weight so right now I am not going near my trigger food: cereal.
When I reach my goal, I am going to try to incorporate it occasionally in my diet. But, I know it’s not something I do in moderation.
I keep sweets in the house sometimes. Usually there’s only sweets if I make something…which is like never. But there’s plenty of peanut butter 🙂
I still live at home and have sweets everywhere! I have to tell myself NO though because any “one a day” or gray boundaries gets my craving shooting through the roof and its more of a debate… (Ever read the Beck Diet Solution? No CHOICE has been easier for me. no inner debates).
Also-have you done Body for Life to get more protien and less carbs OR Southbeach to cut down on the cravings for sugar? Fruit sets me off too.
I tried Body for Life at the beginning of the year and it just made me obsessive about food. For me “all or nothing” leads me to binge. If I deny myself sweets it only makes the craving worse. Fruit sets me off so I try to cut back, but I don’t want to commit to a program like SB cause it would definitely end in a binge.
I don’t keep sweets in my apartment at school (well just dark chocolate) bc I’m kinda an all or nothing kinda person… so this works best for me. But at home my parents do keep sweets in the house (especially like 6 tubs of ice cream at all times). And at home we bake. A LOT.
6 tubs of ice cream? Can I come over?
I always keep sweets in the house. If I didn’t, I’d end up eating bowl after bowl of cereal with ovaltine powder sprinkled in it to make it taste chocolatey. True story. However, I’ve cut out ice cream because I was over doing it majorly. The problem is eating the sweets I have judiciously. I’d like to think I’m getting better at it because I’ve grown to realize that I just don’t like the way I feel after I eat a bunch of junk.
Thank you. (Almost said out loud.)
If I don’t have “real” sweets in the house I make something sweet. I have been eating cereal with extra stevia like it’s no one’s business. And it still doesn’t satisfy my craving.
Have a good day 🙂
i can relate to this post so much, minus the lent part. this is exactly why i can’t keep snack foods in the house – i will eat them way too quickly, maybe even all at once. i don’t buy granola or cereal since its too delicious. i buy oats and know i can’t binge on those. i try to buy delicious foods in single-servings so i know how much i should actually eat and keep it to that. i recently did the blue print cleanse which i’m hoping that will give me a great sense of self-control for a while.
Single servings only mean I end up making more trash around here 😉 For me, not keeping sweets in the house make me binge at some point. Lent was just driving me crazy!
Oh yea…there are certainly plenty of sweets in my house. See you next week at camp 🙂
Yah! See you next week 🙂
Yeah, I do, to a point. Ice cream no, because I have no self-control whatsoever. I have an insane sweet tooth and I’m a total stress/boredom eater, so it’s really hard. I’m trying to work on moderation and treating myself to something great on the weekends instead of random weekday sweets. In makes sense- in reality I much prefer Cold Stone or Cheesecake than stupid cookies or sugary cereal. In theory, anyway…
I prefer fro-yo to regular ice cream, but can’t have a fro-yo machine in my house. But, I prefer any ice cream to cereal if I’m looking for a dessert 🙂
I have been getting better with bringing sweets in the house. If I don’t bring it in the house. I can’t eat it. Now I just have to get my work straight 🙂
I started trying to follow this whole “eat clean” sterile diet & I found myself binging on protein bars. Seriously, who the f binges on fake-tasting chocolate? Now I eat one thing that I really want a day. The only rule is that I have to pay attention and enjoy it. I’ve learned a lot about really letting myself love food from Geneen Roth – started reading her after you wrote about her books. I’m really trying to pay attention to my internal cues instead of my internal “shoulds”.
Before I discovered Roth’s books I would binge on South Beach bars. I totally agree that having something you really want is so much better 🙂
I don’t keep a ton of sweets in the house as I know we’d munch right through them too fast, but I usually have all the ingredients to make yummy baked goods, something that comes all too easily to me- unfortunate since it means I’m always making (and eating) a ton of cookies.
I like to keep dark chocolate around. I used to have a major sweet tooth (anything with frosting was a weakness) but I managed to forget about the cravings and just focus on the dark chocolate I got to eat daily.
I agree— LOVE dark chocolate!