Towels/Sponges pass calories?

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2

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  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Talk to your doctors about this.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    I use paper towels because sponges and dishcloths being reused to wipe foods...grosses me out. I a bit on the "neat freak" side, though.
    I only air dry dishes for that reason. I also don't use kitchen sponges, just these Skoy cloths that dry quickly. I think the Mythbusters episode on kitchen sponge germs grossed me out.

    Which I mention to make the OP feel less odd. I think most of us have quirks like these, but hers should definitely be brought up with a specialist.

    Good luck!

  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    Yes, please tell your doc about this and throw away those sponges!
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    Are you worried about a food allergy or the calories when washing dishes?

    I have a severe allergy to shellfish. I typically have a contact reaction when going to certain restaurants due to knives and surfaces not being cleaned well. Shellfish is also not cooked in my home to prevent anaphylaxis. If you have a serious allergy, then you might want to keep those allergens out of your home.

    However, if you are seriously concerned about spreading calories via sponge, then you need to speak with the therapist.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Best of success on reducing your worries over mixing your foods. I am so relieved you are out of that abusive environment. I've done some reading on OCD and gradually changing behaviors. You might enjoy this article.

    http://www.ocdla.com/mindfulness-cbt-ocd-anxiety.html
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,671 Member
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    I think I understand what you are trying to get at: yes, I imagine tiny particles of food would get transferred. Calorie-wise though, the impact would be so minuscule as to not even matter. Take for example a small particle of meat being transferred by the sponge/ cloth from your George Foreman Grill to your dinner plate, then you eat that small particle by accident along with your dinner. I don't even know how you would measure the calories in those tiny particles, but it would be maybe 1 calorie. So truly of no consequence physically. Mentally is another story. If it really does bother you (which it obviously does), perhaps you could clean the dishes with a sponge, then wipe them down with a disposable paper towel to ensure you get any residue off.

    However, I would suspect your line of thinking is a byproduct of your ED and quite possibly OCD and you should speak to your therapist about it.
  • LovelyMarie774
    LovelyMarie774 Posts: 49 Member
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    This behavior/thought process is very indicative of OCD. You should show this post to your therapist, and see what (s)he has to say. Good luck on your road to recovery!
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
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    Please talk to your therapist and nutritionist and don't take advice from people on the internet.

    Best of luck on your road to recovery!
  • jcrav77
    jcrav77 Posts: 584 Member
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    I think I know what you mean and I am going to try to give you a visual on this and show you it is not a rational thought but something perpetuated by your ED or OCD. I am not a Dr. and I think you should talk to your therapist about this.

    12.5 sprays of I cant believe its not butter = 10 calories. If calories were spread (which they are not) the residue left behind to make a difference in your calorie consumption would be obvious.

    If you spray the 12.5 sprays of butter on your sponge or object you are concerned with hiding calories and look at it you would notice it is there right?

    When you clean your dishes they do not have any residue left that you can see correct?

    so there would not be enough calories on there to make a difference. You would burn the 10 calories eating or washing your dishes in seconds if you did leave behind any residue that has calories in it.

    I hope this help. I know it is real to you and not to others and that is why there are people who do not understand. I think you are taking the steps to healing by admitting you know there is an issue and your thoughts are not rational. Praying for your freedom from the incarceration of ED and OCD.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    esjones12 wrote: »
    Please talk to your therapist and nutritionist and don't take advice from people on the internet.

    Best of luck on your road to recovery!
    Hm,

    However, you are suggesting she speak to her therapist... yet you are a person on the internet.

    Is your advice to be ignored? :D
  • wamydia
    wamydia Posts: 259 Member
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    mxmkenney wrote: »
    ??? You can't spread calories... They are not like germs. I'm not sure this is a rational question. It sounds like you have more than an eating disorder, you may have OCD as well and should seek some professional counseling because you are going to make yourself nuts if you continue to think and act like this... Sorry, I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just being real with you.

    Agree 100%. It sounds like ED thinking that may be in some way mixed up with OCD behaviors. To me, no, this is not a rational thing to be concerned about. Have you shared this with your therapist? I think it's extremely important for him/her to know about this so they can assess whether they are fully treating your issues in the right way.
  • bokaba
    bokaba Posts: 171 Member
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    I thought this was going to be about eating towels and sponges.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    esjones12 wrote: »
    Please talk to your therapist and nutritionist and don't take advice from people on the internet.

    Best of luck on your road to recovery!
    Hm,

    However, you are suggesting she speak to her therapist... yet you are a person on the internet.

    Is your advice to be ignored? :D

    touché
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    OP needs to see a therapist. This seems like an Eating Disorder paired with and OCD. OP shouldn't be getting advice from the internet.

    But no, OP, this is not normal. Go get professional help.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,995 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    esjones12 wrote: »
    Please talk to your therapist and nutritionist and don't take advice from people on the internet.

    Best of luck on your road to recovery!
    Hm,

    However, you are suggesting she speak to her therapist... yet you are a person on the internet.

    Is your advice to be ignored? :D

    except that poster didnt give any advice - just told her to speak with a therapist and wished her good luck.

    Almost everybody in this thread has suggested professional help - but relating their own experiences with OCD and/or ED's can still be helpful to OP.

  • MachiavelliNZ
    MachiavelliNZ Posts: 36 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    esjones12 wrote: »
    don't take advice from people on the internet
    you are suggesting she speak to her therapist... yet you are a person on the internet.

    Is your advice to be ignored? :D

    Divide by zero error. The internet has shut down. Please try again tomorrow.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    esjones12 wrote: »
    Please talk to your therapist and nutritionist and don't take advice from people on the internet.

    Best of luck on your road to recovery!
    Hm,

    However, you are suggesting she speak to her therapist... yet you are a person on the internet.

    Is your advice to be ignored? :D

    except that poster didnt give any advice - just told her to speak with a therapist and wished her good luck.

    Almost everybody in this thread has suggested professional help - but relating their own experiences with OCD and/or ED's can still be helpful to OP.
    Are you always so literal?

    Laugh a little...
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
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    Indeed, sorry if I came across as rude, I was just surprised. This was a new one for me and for a lot of others here, so what appeared rude really was just being startled by this bizarre (to us) idea.
  • mike_ny
    mike_ny Posts: 351 Member
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    Just use paper towels instead of sponges and towels. That should quickly solve any concerns about germs, contamination, or even irrational beliefs.

    I use sponges and towels for typical cleaning up, but whenever it involves raw meat, especially poultry, I stick to paper towels for cleanup to avoid cross contamination to other surfaces.

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