I was reading an interesting article in Prevention magazine last week, and it fits in with the week 6 daybook assignment of pitching the temptations (or as KD calls them, edible treasures).

Are you a closet food eater? Do you feel like you have to eat all the "forbidden stuff" when no one can see you do so? Why do you feel the need to do so, and how can you put it to an end?

no I am not a closet eatter. I have trouble adding meals. I do snack occassionally even on high fat food but I watch portions. I usually only want a taste anyway. I am still baby-stepping adding the right amount of foods so I can kick start my metab. I am finding it most difficult. I still have all the anerexia nerv. talk in my head and it is too easy to fall back into the bad habits. I started last week and only added 2 meals this whole time. I am really bumbed

I do not allow myself to be a closet eater. It isn't allowed in my life. I used to be very good at stopping at the drive in and getting hamburgers and fries for three and then going to the park and eating them myself. But when I started eating healthy and taking care of me.....that was one of my demands of myself. That if I ate, I sat at the diningroom table, no tv or mags or newspaper, I was going to taste, feel and enjoy this food. If it was something that was a trigger for me, I was going to eat it in front of God and anyone else that was watching. And I haven't yet in three years.

If I'm sneaking, it usually has to do with sharing -- either I don't want to, or I don't think DS should have what I'm eating and I know he'll ask for some if he sees me. In that second case, the question of course becomes, why are YOU eating it if DS shouldn't? Most of the time, that's enough to stop me. But there are still times when I hide from him anyway.

For the most part, we don't keep tempting foods in the house. But right now, there's a giant chocolate kiss hidden away in a rarely opened cabinet. An early Valentine's Day gift to DS from his aunt. I think the three of us will share it, each having one small pieces for dessert for many, many weeks. Or it may just get tossed. But it's not tempting me right now, so it's OK.

The sneak eating thing is hard. On one hand, I think sneaking is demoralizing. But on the other hand, I think my biggest problem is feeling that other people are watching what I eat and judging me for it, which just makes me want to eat more. I don't want to have to explain why I chose a particular snack and how it fits into my calorie budget. Feeling like I can't have what I want without explanation just makes me feel rebellious. I have asked my husband not to do this anymore, and he says he doesn't do it, but even when he doesn't say anything, I feel like he's secretly evaluating the things I eat.

quote:

Originally posted by SheriaVa:
He looked at me kinda confused...like he didn't believe me. LOL

I get that same look when I go to my favorite ice cream place and get a cone. I specifically show them how much ice cream I want at the top (since they don't pack the inside of the cone). But if I'm ordering ice cream, I want a treat, not a day's worth of meals in calories.

I used to be a closet eater - especially with chips and salty things.

That went out the window years ago with my healthy lifestyle.

Now if I feel like a bite of something I shouldn't have, I eat it publically and usually can get someone to share it with me so I don't do as much damage.

As for a clean house - the only thing right now that is a problem was a box of cookies from Cheryl and Co. for my dd for Valentine's Day. They are hers so I can't send them to work with dh and she's very generous with sharing. I worked extra hard at the gym today so I could eat 1/2 a brownie later. I'm going to enjoy it too!

I have never been huge into "secret eating" but I have definitely done it. Since I live alone, there obviously isn't anyone to hide the food from there but, at work, sometimes I'll be craving something bad SO badly and I'll go to the snack bar downstairs and get something and put it in my purse (or ask for a bag) to carry it back to my desk. I don't go hide in a corner and eat it before I get back to my desk or anything, but I may not carry it out in the open for everyone to see, either.

Last year, I was in Rehoboth visiting my friends. I had gone out to the grocery store to pick up a few things and, while there, I bought a single Krispy Kreme donut and ate it in the car before going back to their house. I crumpled up the KK bag and put it in the side pocket of my car door. Later that weekend, I drove my friend David somewhere and I remember him looking over toward my door and I felt shame at realizing the KK bag was still there. WHether he saw it or not, I don't know. But I felt the shame, regardless. The realization really hit me with that experience that I still do have a bit of that "secret eating" behavior lurking in me.

As for my home environment, it's pretty clean. I live alone and have a philosophy that "if comes in my door, it's going in my mouth" (meaning, I can't use the excuse that it's "for the kids" or anything). As a result, generally the only high-fat food that comes through my door is single-serving stuff that I'm going to eat that day and be done with it. Like I might pick up a single cookie at Whole Foods' bakery and bring it home to have as my dessert after lunch. Right now, I think the worst thing that I have in my place are probably lowfat gingersnaps and chocolate snaps and Cool Whip Lite. Oh yea, and a couple bottles of black cherry soda that I ration out to myself one bottle every 1-2 weeks.

I bought a cookie at Whole Foods yesterday, in fact. First time in ages. And, when I was checking out, the checker handed it to me separately from my bags and I just reached over and tucked it into one of the bags he'd already put in the cart. He said "OH, I figured you wanted to eat that in the car." I didn't know whether to laugh or be offended...but I'm sure that is what a LOT of people do when they just buy one. He doesn't know, of course, that I ALWAYS only buy one...and I take it home for later. So I couldn't fault him for that. I just said "Nah, I just ate breakfast and that will be my treat for after lunch." He looked at me kinda confused...like he didn't believe me. LOL

quote:

Originally posted by Coaster Girl:
Are you a closet food eater? Do you feel like you have to eat all the "forbidden stuff" when no one can see you do so?

I used to be TERRIBLE at this. I remember at Xmas 2003, my extended family was sitting around talking and somehow the subject of those tubs of cookie dough that they sell for fundraisers came up. We had bought a tub in Nov. and Nelson said, "What ever happened to it?" and Jamie said, "Mommy ate it while I was at school."

I was just horrified. THAT year I didn't eat it while he was at school, I threw it away when he was at school. But, I was capable of such a thing in the past and he outted my closet eating in front of 15 other people.

Two things made an impression on me. One was a question in one of Dr. Phil's books. "Do you have two sets of standards for yourself? Do you behave one way when you are alone and another way around other people?" That made a huge impression on me.

The other was this “Cooking Thin” episode and KD cuts this big, restaurant sized, healthy portion piece of coconut cake (made from a Martha recipe… this wasn’t No-Pudge Brownies or a cake made with diet Coke.) The hostess says (kind of tentatively), “Shouldn’t we split that?” and KD basically say, “No way am I splitting this with you! This is MY cake! I exercised today and I’m eating a light lunch and a light dinner and I’m having my own slice of cake. Get your own piece of cake.”

That episode made such a huge impression on me. Eat your own piece of cake and enjoy it. Don’t cut some sliver deprivation slice and pretend you are eating 3 bites of cake and then go back in the kitchen and eat 3 more pieces while cleaning up.

(I still share dessert with my family at a restaurant but sometimes. I don’t eat big honking pieces of cake every time I eat cake. But I do eat two pieces of cake at Christmas… but I don’t eat it over the kitchen sink anymore.)

And I guess the third thing relates to the Daybook homework. My pantry and fridge are CLEAN. There is nothing in there that I need to sneak. If I am hungry, I get an apple and eat it and don’t care who sees me.

I don't sneak food on purpose, but looking back it does happen. I tend to eat more junk when my husband is working late and the baby is sleeping. I think it is mostly out of boredom though. I'm trying to call someone when I feel like snacking and am not hungry. I can't stand it when people talk and eat on the phone at the same time. My mom is probably wondering why I call so often now

Jennifer

No, I don't sneak food. (Unless it is something I'm eating and don't want to share!)

Dawn

I don't hide what I eat. What I eat is out there for all to see. I may have done it in the past when I weighed more but I don't remember.

quote:

Originally posted by Alli Coffin:
There is only one food I still do this with, and thankfully it's very rarely. Pop Tarts (or rather their organic cousin these days). I know I shouldn't eat them as a snack...210 calories for one, and there's 2 in each foil packet so you can't just eat one, right?, which makes for a 420 calorie "snack".

Could you try making your own? Alton Brown did a show on Pocket Pies recently which included a faux poptart. Here is a link to his recipe and its variations.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_32305,00.html

Way down in the middle of the recipe is this notation:

To make toaster pastries:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Divide dough in half and roll out to less than 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 4 inch by 5 inch rectangles. Place 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto center of one piece of dough. Brush the edges with egg wash and top with second piece of dough. Seal edges by pressing together with tine of fork. Gently press down to flatten and evenly distribute the filling and dock the top of the pie. Repeat with second half of dough.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely and place into zip-top bags until ready to toast. The pies will not be brown until toasted.

I am sure you could use your own dough and filling recipe to make it more healthy.

I have noticed I like to eat like that if I
1. have not had it in a while
OR
2. I am bored

So what I have been trying to do is
1. drink MUCH more water
2. write down everything i eat
3. brush my teeth in between meals
4. Make better snack choices

This is still a struggle for me...baby steps for me!

My big closet food is fluff. I will eat a spoonful when I'm in the kitchen trying to think of what to eat. Do I count it? no Do I write it down? no. I've got to watch that, I let it sneak right in.

Laurie

There is only one food I still do this with, and thankfully it's very rarely. Pop Tarts (or rather their organic cousin these days). I know I shouldn't eat them as a snack...210 calories for one, and there's 2 in each foil packet so you can't just eat one, right?, which makes for a 420 calorie "snack".

I think I try to "hide" eating them because I know I just shouldn't be doing it so I'm ashamed of my lapse, and I only grab them if I'm really, really, really stressed out. Of course, they make me feel guilty, not relieved, so they don't actually help with the stress. Last week was a stressful time (helping my sister get ready to leave for China), and though I did have a tart, I managed to cut myself off at one (amde DH eat the other), and even subbed it for my planned dessert, so there was less guilt.

I'd rather they weren't in the house, but DH likes them for a grab and go breakfast. At least we've switched to a whole wheat, low icing type now, but they're still here in the house with me. My goal next time I turn to them will be to hold off at one again, or even turn to something lighter and better. Like a slice of whole wheat toast with strawberry jelly---that would give me the bready texture and tart fruity pow that drives me to the tarts--and some nice herbal tea.

alli

I know one reason why I eat things like this when I'm all alone....no one is there to remind me that the choices I'm making aren't the best. I know they're not, and I know how I'm going to feel afterward but I don't want someone else telling me "that's not good for you". I remember my dd saying something to me about eating ice cream one time because I was really over doing it, she was very nice about it and when I look back I realize that this poor child hears me complain all the time about the way I look and hears me after I've eaten every morsel of junk I can find ranting and raving at myself and was just giving me a reality check. I remember feeling so angry and hurt inside, I didn't respond to her because I was so mad, but hey she was right.
I know there are other reasons for me to do this or else I wouldn't be doing it. I can totally relate to the leftover thing Coaster Girl, if someone eats something that I was looking forward to I get very angry. It is strange how we allow food to control our moods. I am currently reading Body Clutter, a book that addresses why we make the food choices we do, why we way overeat, etc. I am early into the book and have already been crying over some of the realizations.
I don't think I'll ever completely stop with the "edible treasures" because I want to still enjoy the foods I love, but want to learn that it is ok to eat ONE SERVING and that's it.
Jill

I'm not a closet eater any more, but occasionally I do feel like I'm being watched by family over how much I eat when we get together for family meals.

I found that the only person I was hurting by eating on the sly was myself, and that even if no one else could see that I what I was doing, I knew I was. And I finally realized that I deserve better than slinking around in secret gorging on food.

I do have to admit that I am very protective of certain leftovers, and very nearly "killed" hubby over some special leftovers from one of my favorite restaurants recently. But that stems from not wanting to be a closet eater, because I'm still fighting the urge to go eat a huge order of this food because I didn't get the leftovers.

I guess I've still got some babysteps to work on if I'm "protecting" certain foods...