Binge Food Lock Box

wattssal000

I recently moved in with my boyfriend and he knows that I have issues with binge eating and that it is hard for me to have things in the house that he would normally eat. Things that he can eat like a normal person and not binge on. So what we decided to try was a lock box. I got a large plastic rubbermade lock box (kind of like the took box that sits in the back of a pick up) and that is what we store all of my trigger foods in.

I am still binging because there are some things that just don't go in the box and when I want to binge I will find something or go get something but I like to think it is helping. When I walk thru the kitchen I can't see the chips or the cereal or the peanut butter so I am not snacking on it needlessly. I even bought fruit snacks on sale the other day and my boyfriend realized that I ate a whole box and didn't say anything but move the rest of the boxes to the lock box.

It can be very shameful to know that you can't handle having food around and shameful when your significant other finds out about a secret binge but right now I think this was the best option for me. He is very supportive and if I want something I just ask him for it so it isn't a big deal. Sometimes he will ask me if I really want it or not and I will get momentarily upset because it feels kind of like my freedom is being taken away from me to choose what I want to eat but then I realize that I am most likely wanting it for the wrong reason anyway.

So, some others might want to try this method. Never know until you try.

escapepod

I think the most awesome thing about this post is the non-judgmental support you're getting from your boyfriend! Awesome!

Graelwyn75

I would never want to give that power to someone else.
It would make me very angry at myself to be at such a point as needing someone to lock food away from me.
So I am glad I live alone and can simply choose to not buy trigger foods.

ObtainingBalance

Your boyfriend is a sweetheart.

That's great support. I'm glad you can tell him and he can try and help. I like the idea but I am not in a situation where I can do that and rid the triggers .

You're lucky. Some can't openly tell their significant other and just hide it. The isolation feeling is worse then!

You're doing well girl!

"Fall down seven times; Stand up eight."

jaimrlx

I'm actually pretty jealous of this. I'm not sure a lock box would work for me because I have an obsessive/compulsive B.E.D, and would just obsess until I manipulated myself/situation/whomever to get what I wanted. :grumble:

What I'm jealous of is the support. When trying to confide or explain the problem (that has been diagnosed, as opposed to what I think most people can deduce on their own), this is what I get:

"Well just be fat then."
"It's really not has hard as you make it out to be."
"Don't think about food then."
"I'll buy what I want, and put it where I want."

Then, when I binge and get 'fat', I get complaints that I'm not doing enough.

Never let that support system go.

angelaengbrecht

This is a great Idea and something I might try in the future.

Currently, I live alone, but my boyfriend and I will be moving in together in June. I'm really excited about it because he's the sweetest, most supportive man ever, but I'm also nervous.

He has some food issues as well. He won't really fess up to this, but as someone who has body image issues, it's clear to me. He's six foot tall, 145 lbs and he obsesses over thinking he's fat. I know that at his leanest, he was between 130-135lbs, and would ideally like to return to that (far too thin) weight.

Anyhow, he knows that I have 'food issues' but does not know what they are exactly. I feel a lot of shame over my BED, and have only ever told one person in true-to-life detail what it's like. I DO think that my boyfriend would be very supportive, but it's hard not to feel ashamed, because he has so much self control (even if it's coming from an unhealthy place) and I have none. We're both vegan, but I will absolutely (secretly, of course) binge on foods that I KNOW contain dairy, because I feel that I can't stop. I worry that he will perceive this to be weak if he ever finds out, because it's such an important value to both of us.

Anyhow, I'm rambling.

I guess I'm wondering, how did you initially tell your bf about your binge eating disorder? Was he initially understanding and supportive, or was it hard for him to empathize?

I also wonder about how fair it is to burden my boyfriend with these issues, when he clearly has his own problems to address?

wattssal000

I have realized from your posts how very lucky I am to have a man that supports me completely and is there for me in anything that I need.

I don't really remember how I told him but I am pretty open about my eating issues because I have had issues one way or the other with food for the past 14 years so most people know there is something going on.

Some days I still binge without him knowing. Really this is me being selfish and not letting him in when he is there and willing and wanting to help and if I don't give him the chance to help there is nothing he can do. Sometimes when I am in my binge moods I don't want to bother him with it, don't want to give him something else to worry about but if I binge I get depressed anyway so no matter what he is affected. He has told me so many times that he would do anything to help me so I just have to let go of my secrecy and let him help. I beleive that when you are in a relationship you are there to help your love carry some of the burdens in life. I still shield my boyfriend from the brunt of my real feelings about myself but if he can help out just a little I need to take advantage of that because I help him when he needs it as well.

Every situation will be different for each person but I am going with the trial and error part in life now. I want to be better for my boyfriend and for myself and it is really really hard because some days I just want to EAT and unfortunately I let into this urge more than I should. Long battle, long recovery?

woodsy0912

I wish I loved alone...I understand about the shame thing. My sister buys cookie dough squares and keeps them in the fridge. This is one of my biggest triggers and I don't want to bring it up because she supports my healthy life style so much already. She has even begun eating much healthier herself and that is really the only bad thing she buys anymore. (For her boyfriend, who does NOT eat healthy) It sits there and taunts me though. I guess I am not really ready to admit the extent of my binging problem to her, really.

My last binge, last weekend (yay!), I ate the whole pack and had to go and secretly buy a new one to replace it.

We have the entire downstairs rented and the owners of our house keep the upstairs. There is a locked gate they use when they need to get up there. A few weeks ago, after a bad binge where I ate an embarrassing amount of bars (luna, fiber one, cliff, etc...) I boxed up all the rest and threw the box as far as I could over that locked upstairs gate. (Of course later I was trying desperately to get them back with ropes and sticks and even a ladder but to no avail!). I have not really thought about them since.

So maybe the lock box is a good idea....

(I wonder what the house owners will think when they find that box of food....lol!)

dladisheff

I think that is a wonderful idea. My husband locks the refrigerator at night for me and he hides his snacks. I have been pretty successful doing these things. A couple of times the fridge hasn't been locked but I've been able to stay away.

It's great that your boyfriend is so supportive