How To Stop Binging Away From Home

jesslsoukup

Hey guys, so I do a pretty good job of eating well at my house when I have to make my own food and am able to distract myself if I go looking for snacks... but if I go to a party or dinner I can't stop eating, just a little bit turns into a lot and I have a really hard time fighting the urge. Any tips?

estherdragonbat

Sometimes, I have a pretty good idea of what will be there. (The refreshments at my after-synagogue buffet have certain mainstays that are almost always there, with the potential for extras if somebody sponsors.) I pre-log that. And if, by some chance, what I anticipated isn't there, I've already set aside those calories and I can generally figure out a substitution. They don't have the frosted shortbread cookie I was hoping for? Okay, there's a sugar cookie that will do.

Similarly, if you 'know' that Aunt Betty always makes chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting and you really want one (or half), you can guesstimate the calories, have them marked off, and either enjoy the cupcake or find something with similar calories.

If a restaurant, see if you can get your hands on the menu in advance and plan what you're going to have. Do your best to avoid the complimentary bread basket/chow mein noodles/etc. Or plan and pre-log a reasonable portion.

(For me, personally, I do better moderating than abstaining. I no longer sample everything, but if I know I can have a couple of treats and I make room for them, I can stick to it.)

When I know I'm going to indulge, I try to eat a bit less for my other meals, to make room. I generally go with, say, a salad that includes a lot of veggies and something else for satiety, maybe some canned beans or a sliced veggie dog and a bit of corn; salsa for a dressing. And I try to get my exercise in ahead of time.

End of the day, a big meal now and then won't ruin everything. Log it, enjoy it, and move on.

DX2JX2

For restaurants plan your day to accommodate the meal and make the healthiest choices you can given the choices available. You can guesstimate the number of calories in a given dish but add 15 to 20 percent to account for cooking oil and/or sugar used in cooking. Entrees are easy enough to track at most places, it's the appetizers, desserts, and drinks that tend to stealthily boost the calorie count. Limit them if you can.

I tend to practice restraint at restaurants if we go out in the course of a normal day. I try to treat the meal just like I would at home (entree only, no drinks, etc). The fact that we're at a restaurant doesn't make a difference. If we go out for a special meal, I'll just bite the bullet, save calories for the meal during the day and give myself the ok to eat at maintenance.

For parties, eat immediately beforehand. If you go to the party when full it'll reduce the chance you'll mindlessly snack. Alternatively, find the healthiest thing on offer and stick with that.

DharmainHeels

As a former binger I think you need to dig a little deeper here.

Are you binging because you show up starving and there's nothing healthy to eat so you just let loose because you are caving out of hunger? Then you need to eat something substantial before you go somewhere where you know there will be lots of unhealthy options.

Are you not hungry at all and binging because you feel deprived or just really, really REALLY love what is out and can't get enough of it? Then you need some good mental focus. Like anything else you have to talk yourself down from that urge and get a small plate. Put a little bit of whatever it is you want on that plate, and then walk away. There is no getting around the fact that when you make a choice to change your eating habits - what and HOW you eat, that sacrifices will be made and sometimes, you will just be miserable for a better outcome in the long run.

Most of that eating is emotional and psychological (provided you aren't famished).

I am on a keto diet which means low carbs and low sugar. Right after I started I was invited to a friend's house for dinner that I was waiting for an invitation to forever because he is Indian and I love Indian food. I brought a pie I love for dessert.

I made a plan for what I was going to eat and how much. I wasn't going to deprive myself but I wasn't going to throw all of my hard work out the window either.

Life is balance and when you are around food, you need to be very mindful of what you are feeling and why, and have a plan for what you are going to do with each of those feelings.