Breaking the cycle...

Don't buy the *kitten* you'll end up feeling bad about eating.

Sorted!

My husband likes to eat things I don't like having around in the house. We make a compromise that I buy it for him and he keeps it at work or somewhere I can't find it.

Yeah I would do that if my partner didn't eat it... My partner isn't what I call an healthy eater. We have a junk food draw as that was my way of minimizing where I saw the crap food. My son also has snacks in the drawer.

Are you the one that does most of the grocery shopping? If so, then stop buying it and tell them "tough luck."

You should be setting a good example for your son, anyway. And if your partner really wants the junk s/he can go out and buy it themselves.

As someone who has managed to turn an "I don't eat no rabbit food" man into a true omnivore, it is entirely possible to change their habits, too. You just have to put your foot down, and be willing to work with them (by getting/making substitutes for the bad stuff).

bump

Again, getting rid of the food from the house isn't an option... I can't force the way I want to eat on other people and I wouldn't want to. It will be in the house its just finding a way to manage this... was hoping for some constructive supportive suggestions and some solutions that might help.

Well, advising you to steer clear of it if you can't moderate it is a constructive suggestion.

Replace your son's snacks with healthier ones - you can start setting a good example for him now. As far as your partner goes, ask him to keep it somewhere else, hidden from you. Maybe the garage or someplace like that? Just temporarily while you get your moderation issues under control. There's nothing wrong with a few treats here and there, but if you can't control it, you need to avoid it. He should help support you in that. You're not saying he can't have it, you're just asking him to help you learn to control it.

Again, getting rid of the food from the house isn't an option... I can't force the way I want to eat on other people and I wouldn't want to. It will be in the house its just finding a way to manage this... was hoping for some constructive supportive suggestions and some solutions that might help.

I started my first response before yours got posted, so it wasn't a matter of me ignoring your followup. It just wasn't there when I wrote what I wrote.

That said, I stand by what I've said. Additionally, talk to your partner about your struggles and try to get them to work with you. They may not even know they're currently part of the problem. You don't have to do this alone, and you'll be more likely to be successful if you have some support from the people you live with.

If they are really stubborn, tell them it's a temporary thing, until you can kick the cravings. Then you can reintroduce their favorite snacks occasionally. In the meantime, they can keep it at work, or somewhere you can't get to.

Changing your diet, especially something like this, isn't that much different from trying to quit any other addiction - you can't just "moderate" the thing you're addicted to. You have to stop it completely. Only once you've done that and conquered the cravings, can you consider reintroducing it at a moderate level. It's much easier to do this when it's not even available to you, especially at the beginning, when the habit and cravings are still embedded.

If you can't get the food out of the house, and the other people in the house won't compromise on the type of snacks you keep around, you could buy yourself some healthy snacks and go to them instead of the junk drawer. You can also force yourself to log your daily snack before you eat it -Seeing the calories that the less healthy snacks will take may make it easier to limit your intake or avoid the food altogether and eat a healthier item.

I get into "binge mode" as well, quite often. I try to immediately text/call/get in touch somehow with my fiance and get him to talk me out of it or say something positive. Have a support person. I can't get rid of the binge food, because he and his son eat it, but we can moderate the behavior. I realize that I can't treat the food as "bad". It gives the food too much power over me. I need to recognize that it's ME, not the food that has the problem, and I can't "blame" the food. Avoiding the food tends to just mean I'm avoiding the problem. I'm trying to break the cycle myself. It's hard, but if you have good support, you'll make it.

My son does have healthy treats but we keep it in the snack draw as then he feels he's getting a treat... this was our way of getting him to have healthy snacks - however this is the same place I've given my partner as her designated snack / rubbish drawer.

Has anyone got some good snack ideas that may help??

(For the sweet tooth)
Grapes
Apples
Pineapples
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Bananas
Oranges
Pears
1oz dark chocolate (the darker the better, 75-85% tends to be pretty good without being too bitter)

(For actual hunger)
Yogurt (could be both, really, just watch the sugar content)
Peanut butter or some other nut butter (watch the additives)
A slice of bacon and an egg
Bulletproof coffee
Avocado
Carrots/celery and cream cheese/hummus

I started my first response before yours got posted, so it wasn't a matter of me ignoring your followup. It just wasn't there when I wrote what I wrote.

That said, I stand by what I've said. Additionally, talk to your partner about your struggles and try to get them to work with you. They may not even know they're currently part of the problem. You don't have to do this alone, and you'll be more likely to be successful if you have some support from the people you live with.

If they are really stubborn, tell them it's a temporary thing, until you can kick the cravings. Then you can reintroduce their favorite snacks occasionally. In the meantime, they can keep it at work, or somewhere you can't get to.

Changing your diet, especially something like this, isn't that much different from trying to quit any other addiction - you can't just "moderate" the thing you're addicted to. You have to stop it completely. Only once you've done that and conquered the cravings, can you consider reintroducing it at a moderate level. It's much easier to do this when it's not even available to you, especially at the beginning, when the habit and cravings are still embedded.

Haha funny thing is I work with substance misuse addiction... not so easy when looking at yourself ... lol

Well, isn't the first step in most of the programs something along the lines of "admitting you have a problem"? It's often the hardest precisely because you have to look at yourself and admit that you need to make a change.

I call my lack of self control my inner brat, I gave her a name: Veruka after the brat in Willy Wonka. I read about this on another web site and I believe there is a whole book on the subject. Anyway, when ever Veruka begins to throw a hissy the adult me has a mental conversation in attempts to calm her down. I attempt to negotiate (if you take a walk with the dogs you can have that for dessert) or you can have three bites but you must get up and walk away (change the laundry over, feed the cat, wipe the bathroom mirror etc. ) between each bite. I know it sounds crazy, but whenI separate myself from myr cravings it seems to give me more control. Good luck

I don't know if it's at all mental for you, but I know that I tend to eat what I've been thinking about eating. If I start to think about what sweets I want to eat when I get home for school or work, it's pretty much a sure thing that I'm going to eat sweets. If I have something else I'm planning to eat and I think about that instead, it's a pretty sure thing that I'll end up eating that. It's sure sounds easier than it is though. I only managed to stop overeating about a week ago, and I really couldn't tell you what finally triggered this change. Good luck!

Thank you for your helpful suggestion... will definitely try giving this a go... do you have alternatives to eat?

Nothing in particular. I've just been trying to eat smaller meals every three hours, whether I find myself feeling particularly hungry or not. It's definitely helpful to try to plan ahead (at least somewhat) for the day. For me, it's easier to stop thinking about sweets and think about what I planned to eat than to try to come up with a meal/snack to replace my sweets craving.