Secret Eater

Libbyly

I can't explain it - I guess it's a shame thing but the real problem I have is secret eating. In the past I've found myself sneaking to the toilet to wolf down a bar of chocolate or staying home late from work so I can have some of that Ice-cream that's in the fridge.

Anyone got any tips to help stop this compulsion?

sexygenius

nope... wish i did though

gipperakh

dont keep that kind of stuff in the house! = )

candb

Make your food diary on here public and then post everything you put in your mouth. That way you may hide it from other people location-wise, but the MFP public will see it and know about it.

Also, think of it this way, your body knows you're eating it regardless of if other people do. All you are doing is hurting yourself by doing it.

jlc1243

Don't keep the bad stuff in the house! And just plan to have a treat as part of your daily calorie "budget."

spyro88

That's not good No real tips, other than willpower! You just have to not do it! There is no real secret to losing weight/ giving up the foods you love/ exercising more... it's just willpower, willpower and more willpower. Take some healthy snacks to work with you and don't let yourself eat anything else.

tattooedtwiin

Post pictures around your house, heavy and thin....

AkaDragonfly

bump

LivLovLrn

I am the same way, to and extent. When the house is empty I want some sort of "goodie" to relax. My mom remembers finding bread under my pillow when I was a kid. I also remember stealing boxes of girl scout cookies when my mom was coordinator for sales.
So I allow myself to have a goodie when I am on my own and can "really" enjoy it. Plan some time and some calories when you can just sit back and enjoy the food on your own. If you need to do this every day for a while, that is fine. Eventually make it further and further between times so it is more special and less of a big deal to feel like you need to hide somewhere to do it.

rockylucas

I went through the same thing for years, that is a disordered eating habit that should be discussed with a professional therapist. The support and advice you get from us here can be very helpful, but ultimately you need to work through the emotional reasons why you engage in those behaviors.

1a1a

I'm sure others will have some useful advice, one thing I'd throw into the mix is to not bring the ice cream and chocolate into the house (although never in secret, if tasty, junky things are around, I Will eat them). Another thing which would be an interesting test of your will power would be to try and make yourself substitute the things you'd normally secretly eat with fresh veg, sticks of celery and carrot and stuff, maybe even treat yourself with some dip (after all, veg and dip is still and improvement on chocolate bars).

Curious to see what others say.

Good luck, it's a real problem and I hope you find a solution.

kfitz10103

I think that temptation can be so hard. I would just not buy my weakness foods when I first started. Regular soda was so bad for me so I just wouldn't have it in my house. Any candy was also bad for me so I just stopped buying it but the vending machine called my name for the first 3 months or so at work. I would have healthy choices that I could have instead of the crap.
Why not log the food you are craving so you can see the impact on your daily goals before you eat it. Then make a decision whether you still want to eat it. I will have a 3 musketeers every once in a while because I just want a candybar. I jsut have to make up for it somewhere else in my day.

ilookthetype

I suggest a support group (a real, live, face-to-face support group) and also I'd suggest counceling. "Secret eating" as you call it generally is a sign of something else, generally, there is an emotional/psychological reason for it, and you should address that with a profession and/or a group of people in the appropriate setting.

laura2501

make sure u are eating enough and drink plenty of water,if u are hungery u crave sweet sfuff ,,its kind of like stopping smoking find something else to take ur mind of it and keep u busy i used to take a chocolate bar to bed every night and ate it wither i wanted it or not now i take a bottle of water and a book if i get to the point were i must have something sweet i have an ice pop they last for ages and are very low in calories hope this helps

Suzieqt81

I cant say im a secret eater as I really had no one to hide it from but sweets are completely my vice...I do have other compulsions like planning my day around eating a pint of ice cream and/or just plain pigging out on whatever catches my eye at the store...the thing that worked for me, was not keeping a supply at home and to this day I cant keep sweets in the house...I probably never will be able to. I treat myself once a week, but thats it, if ever I where to buy a package of OREO's per say...I will sit and eat the whole package...I have no discipline...so my only words of wisdom is dont keep anything in the house that can be overindulged....and as time goes by it gets easier and food doesn't have SUCH a strong hold...

losinit_4_good

Been there done it for most of my life. It is possible to stop, but you have to work at it.

be honest with yourself about why you do it. it's a hard comulsion to break and i';m willing otbet there is at least one outsdie factor that pushs you to that point. figure out what makes you tick and find a way to correct it. sounds simple, but for me this was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

In the meantime, while you work on that, try these tips. They helped me a lot while I learned to deal with my underlying issues.

1) get rid of all the treats. donate unopened food to a food bank, give the rest to friends that are not stugglign with weight or let it hit the garbage. Better to waste some food then to make yourself sick. don't keep them in your house/office/car and you will be less likely to cheat.
2) make it a rule that in order to have a treat that you have to walk to the store to get it. For me that is a half our roundtrip with a baby. Is it really worth it? Usually not. But that way at least youa re forcing some exercise in ven if you do decide to go get it.
3) If you do make the trek to the store, only buy a single serving. Meaning you don't buy the entire box of popsicles, you buy 1 from the cooler. More expensive in the long run? Absolutely. Consier it another incentive not to make the purchase.
4) when you get that urge to eat in secret. stop. breathe. drink a glass of water and walk around your house. tell yourself that you are worth more than what you are about to do. heck, tell yourself anything you have to to make yourself stop and think befor eyou eat. For me it was and is the phrase "nothing tastes as good as thin feels". (not that I'm even remotely thin but I'm working on it!)

Hope this helps. Feel free to pm me or add me as a friend if you ever need support. We are all in this together.

momma3sweetgirls

I used to be a 'laundry room' eater. I'd hide candy and junk in there and the kids just used to think I did a lot of laundry! I try not to keep the things that temp me me in the house. If I do get struck with urge to eat something 'bad', I try to distract myself. Drink water, eat carrot sticks, leave the house. Just know that the longer you go without giving in to the tempatations, the easier it gets.

bry_all01

Every time you go to eat in the bathroom there are poop particles floating around and possibly landing on your food. Maybe that will help curb yor desires of eating in the bathroom. Also, log every single thing you put in your mouth. Over time, you will see a pattern.

kapeluza

Like others, don't keep any "goodies" around. The less you have access to them the less likely you are to go maniac on them. Also it just boils down to self control and will power/saying NO.

PalmettoparkGuy

I used to do that all the time. I'd go the the bakery and get slices of cake. There is no magic cure. It's like an alcoholic that's trying not to drink. You have to realize how powerful your mind can be and fight it.

laura2501

who was that talking about the bathroom that is minging YUCK YUCK