No brake food
sofchak
Posts: 862 Member
Hi all,
I have a few items on my "foods with no brakes" list - peanut butter is probably the biggest one I miss. With that said, for now I just don't buy peanut butter and that's the end of it. However, I am now a year into maintenance ... and well, eventually, I would LIKE to be able to buy peanut butter again. I can't imagine going the rest of my life without buying it. How do I go about this process of reintroducing "no brake" food into my life in a way that creates a sustainable path forward? I've tried buying the single serve peanut butter packets to set mental limits on the quantity I am eating at any given time... didn't work well. Open to any other suggestions. TIA.
I have a few items on my "foods with no brakes" list - peanut butter is probably the biggest one I miss. With that said, for now I just don't buy peanut butter and that's the end of it. However, I am now a year into maintenance ... and well, eventually, I would LIKE to be able to buy peanut butter again. I can't imagine going the rest of my life without buying it. How do I go about this process of reintroducing "no brake" food into my life in a way that creates a sustainable path forward? I've tried buying the single serve peanut butter packets to set mental limits on the quantity I am eating at any given time... didn't work well. Open to any other suggestions. TIA.
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Replies
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What didn't work well with the individual packets?2
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Is there a grocery near you that has the fresh grind it yourself peanut butter? Because if so, you could grind and buy a really small quantity of really high quality peanut butter to take home. Kroger here where I live has that machine and Whole Foods where my sister lives has it.6
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What didn't work well with the individual packets?
Only bought the box of individual packets once - had a bad day and ate three of the packets (750 cal) before I threw the rest in the trash. It wasn't the end of the world, but it did raise the mental point that I still have an issue with peanut butter to overcome. Haven't bothered to try again since that one failed attempt.Is there a grocery near you that has the fresh grind it yourself peanut butter? Because if so, you could grind and buy a really small quantity of really high quality peanut butter to take home. Kroger here where I live has that machine and Whole Foods where my sister lives has it.
Thanks for the suggestion. I have bought the single serve Justin's peanut butter which works well when I need peanut butter for a recipe or other purpose.
To be a bit more specific, I am trying to get to a point where I can mentally get past the roadblock altogether when it comes to certain foods in the house. I have other "no brake" foods, too. I could buy single serve of all those foods forever... or I could learn to have those items in my house in a way that they aren't a trigger for me. They didn't used to be a "no brake" food. It's only since I started this journey with calorie counting that the trigger food mindset manifested itself within my habits. Does that make sense?
Can someone share a successful story about how he or she turned a "no brake" food into a food that they can portion control reliably?
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I am better at self-control, but I also see recognizing I have no self-control with some foods is just as good. Not binging is not binging.
One thing I do is only have the best I can find, in a restaurant that's quality.2 -
Use a food scale to help with portion control. Buy the Smucker's Natural. It has no sugar added. No palm oil. Delicious.
-put the piece of bread on the scale, hit tear, and weigh the pb you add.
(have you ever tried almond butter? Heaven).
My no break food was chocolate. I found something called SIXLETS at one of those dollar stores. Individually wrapped little chocolate balls in a tube of 10. Chips I weigh on a scale.1 -
Have you tried PB2 peanut butter powder? it's not quite the same (and no crunch!) but I really like it as a substitute.1
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I feel your pain. I dearly love PB.
When I have a craving for it, I mix my PB pp with almond milk.1 -
Thanks for all the input, everyone. I appreciate the time spent to help me troubleshoot. However, I don't think I am quite articulating correctly the problem I am trying to solve. I am not looking for substitutes or ways to still eat PB when I am craving it - I've solved those problems early on because I truly love my PB and I know that a successful lifestyle change should incorporate foods you love!
What I am trying to solve for is the long term "how do I normalize PB so it's no longer a trigger food for me?" Can anyone share a success story whereby they no longer need to keep a trigger food out of the house/in limited quantities in the house? For my case specifically - how do I get myself mentally to the point where I can keep an entire jar of PB in the cabinet like a normal person (like I used to be able to do) and learn to trust myself that I won't binge on half the jar in a day?
Hopefully that helps clarify my ask. Apologies again for any confusion!0 -
Honestly, based on the way you're describing your relationship with peanut butter it may always be a trigger food for you. Unless you can pin down exactly why it triggers your need to overeat it and deal with that underlying issue. It might be something you just have to avoid altogether and you might need to work more on accepting that.7
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I love peanut butter, I could eat spoonfuls at a time yet I have to (sometimes aloud) tell myself no. It's up to you to find a balance with it, for me personally, I try and log calories for the day early on, around midnight-ish. This way I know what is planned, which is where peanut butter comes in. I've found 1TBLS is perfect with a banana, this way I get my pb fix, but I'm not going overboard, and I've started purchasing natural pb without extra sugar added.
I guess it sounds like I'm saying 'just eat less pb', but maybe find something to pair it with to help feel full and satisfy cravings?3 -
How do you eat your PB? If you eat it on crackers, get out the number of crackers you need, top them, put everything away, go eat. Same with however you eat them.
Don't take the jar with you.3 -
@sofchak I think the point you need to reach is "lifestyle change", rather than diet and restriction.
Peanut Butter wasn't affecting my weight. I had a medical problem where it affected my gall bladder. I had to stop using it, along with lots of other oily, greasy foods. Now those foods are just not part of my lifestyle anymore. There's peanut butter in the house all the time, but apart from risking the occasional taste, I hardly ever touch it.0 -
What I am trying to solve for is the long term "how do I normalize PB so it's no longer a trigger food for me?" Can anyone share a success story whereby they no longer need to keep a trigger food out of the house/in limited quantities in the house? For my case specifically - how do I get myself mentally to the point where I can keep an entire jar of PB in the cabinet like a normal person (like I used to be able to do) and learn to trust myself that I won't binge on half the jar in a day?
I have been managing foods that used to cause me to binge by eating them daily. I adore peanut butter too, so my breakfast smoothie has peanut butter in it. I don't feel deprived or at risk of eating it all because my smoothie tastes so yum to me. I am the same with chocolate, so I have a couple of squares often, again so I don't get into the deprivation/binge cycle ever again. There are no longer foods that I can't buy out of fear, it is very empowering! Enjoy the foods you love, just less of it! Life is sad without enjoyment lol
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Thanks for all the input, everyone. I appreciate the time spent to help me troubleshoot. However, I don't think I am quite articulating correctly the problem I am trying to solve. I am not looking for substitutes or ways to still eat PB when I am craving it - I've solved those problems early on because I truly love my PB and I know that a successful lifestyle change should incorporate foods you love!
What I am trying to solve for is the long term "how do I normalize PB so it's no longer a trigger food for me?" Can anyone share a success story whereby they no longer need to keep a trigger food out of the house/in limited quantities in the house? For my case specifically - how do I get myself mentally to the point where I can keep an entire jar of PB in the cabinet like a normal person (like I used to be able to do) and learn to trust myself that I won't binge on half the jar in a day?
Hopefully that helps clarify my ask. Apologies again for any confusion!
For me personally, I told myself that there was no way I was going to have to hide from all kinds of food forever (i.e. keeping them out of the house for fear of lack of control) so... I decided on a 'familiarity breeds contempt' approach.
I find that trigger foods that develop after beginning to calorie count are usually foods I found hard to fit in my calories, and so either I avoided them completely or overate them to a ridiculous point when I finally gave in.
To eliminate the behavior, I did what you did with the single servings, but--the key is to not give up. An example: say I have trouble moderating Oreos. I go shopping weekly, so I buy 7 packages of Oreos, and log one every. Single. Day. On bad days I might slip up and eat many or all of them, but that's part of the process. I keep it up until the food is so familiar that I'm no longer tempted strongly by it, although I still love and enjoy it. I've taken away the 'forbidden' feeling and learned to eat it in moderate portions.
It takes a while, and remember that a slip isn't a total fail. Keep the item put up high in an inconvenient place to help avoid dipping into the stash multiple times a day. Buy just enough to have one serving daily until your next shopping trip. Best of luck! 8 -
You guys rock! This is the direction I was looking for. Appreciate all the anecdotes and suggestions. Before checking this thread, I bought a jar of peanut butter last night and had a tbsp with my post workout meal. Sounds like my logic last night aligns with the familiarity approach - eat a tbsp every day that is prelogged in my calorie count. That's how I think I'll be able to normalize the food again. @susieq_1984 - what you said resonates the most: "I keep it up until the food is so familiar that I am no longer tempted strongly by it."
Holding myself accountable here now. Logically speaking, the jar I picked up has 26 1-tbsp servings. Give or take a day when I miss a tbsp or have two tbsps, I will check back in on this thread (hopefully in around 3-4 weeks and not sooner) to let you know how I did with keeping my #1 trigger food in the house. Crossing my fingers that my willpower and this familiarity trick can help me reach my goal. Thanks all for the support!12 -
You guys rock! This is the direction I was looking for. Appreciate all the anecdotes and suggestions. Before checking this thread, I bought a jar of peanut butter last night and had a tbsp with my post workout meal. Sounds like my logic last night aligns with the familiarity approach - eat a tbsp every day that is prelogged in my calorie count. That's how I think I'll be able to normalize the food again. @susieq_1984 - what you said resonates the most: "I keep it up until the food is so familiar that I am no longer tempted strongly by it."
Holding myself accountable here now. Logically speaking, the jar I picked up has 26 1-tbsp servings. Give or take a day when I miss a tbsp or have two tbsps, I will check back in on this thread (hopefully in around 3-4 weeks and not sooner) to let you know how I did with keeping my #1 trigger food in the house. Crossing my fingers that my willpower and this familiarity trick can help me reach my goal. Thanks all for the support!
Glad I could help, and I hope it works as well for you as it has for me! 2 -
What does food with no brakes mean? **Nevermind, got it.2
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You got this!0
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What I am trying to solve for is the long term "how do I normalize PB so it's no longer a trigger food for me?" Can anyone share a success story whereby they no longer need to keep a trigger food out of the house/in limited quantities in the house? For my case specifically - how do I get myself mentally to the point where I can keep an entire jar of PB in the cabinet like a normal person (like I used to be able to do) and learn to trust myself that I won't binge on half the jar in a day?
Hopefully that helps clarify my ask. Apologies again for any confusion!
CBT?0 -
Honestly, the way I got rid of the 'eat the whole box at once' mentality was to buy a lot of it. It worked for me and chocolate. And I only have some when I'm really in the mood for it, not just because it's there. Not sure why, guessing it's a psychological difference between 'I need to eat it before it's gone' and 'there's a lot of it, no rush to eat it, there'll always be more'.
Or asking myself if it's really worth it to never eat something I love again, when I could try to just have a small amount of it at a time - at least this way I still get to eat some... which is better than none.
That being said, it's still all about willpower in the end. I got to tell myself 'I will only eat a square' and take my time to really enjoy it, but on days when I'm stressed/hormonal or whatnot, it's still going to be much harder not to eat more.1 -
Can you plan to just eat a little of it every day? Maybe you are binging because you deny yourself for so long, and then once you are able to eat it, you can't stop. If you try having just a bit each day and fitting it into your calories, that may help normalize it!0
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Wish I had an answer for you! I'm not there yet with my trigger foods. I try and I'm only successful as long as the container or package is sealed. Once I open it, game over. The problem for me is that my trigger foods are the foods I go to when I stress eat. It's a bad combo for me.0
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@sofchak Bumping this to ask how it's going! Hope this thread helped you out with your moderation hurdle. 0
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Thanks for checking in @Susieq_1994. I tried twice and binged twice. I think it was connected to the stress around training for my first ultramarathon. Now that I have that event behind me and I am not so hangry from the long runs, I should try to have PB in the house again to see how I do. Will pick some up this week to see how it goes.1
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Thanks for checking in @Susieq_1994. I tried twice and binged twice. I think it was connected to the stress around training for my first ultramarathon. Now that I have that event behind me and I am not so hangry from the long runs, I should try to have PB in the house again to see how I do. Will pick some up this week to see how it goes.
Good luck! I've had the same issue myself, but the key for me is generally just to keep trying, eventually I get it right. It might be easier if you buy those single-serving packages you mentioned before, they might be easier than a full jar. Hope it goes better this time! 2 -
I love PB too. But I'm surprised how much I'm ok with having it around and not eating it. My BF requires it at work and at home...LOL Don't get me started on Nutella or Reese's spread...LOL
I do know though, if I start eating it, I'll want it all the time. If I don't eat it, it doesn't phase me. Like Potato Chips, and all the other other things I have "no brakes" for. It seems extreme to not eat it and I know that is frowned upon here, but I know what I can eat and be satisfied and what will just make me either want more of it, or lots of something else.4 -
Try allowing yourself some every day. If you know that there's going to be PB tomorrow, you may not be so desperate to eat it all in one sitting.
Like pre-log it in every single day. KNOW that you're going to have it tomorrow again.0 -
I tried again today and failed immediately. Ugh. Luckily I stopped at 3 tbsp and threw the jar away before I got myself into too deep a calorie overload. I guess that's progress. Better than half the jar before stopping (and way better than the entire jar). So still no brakes initially... but the emergency brake came on faster this time. Will give it another go soon.
I have to be able to get this figured out eventually. It's literally the only food in the world I have this problem with now - I was able to recently conquer my desire to eat all the Amish whoopie pies I so dearly love (6 to a container) in a couple days (1 per day now when I do buy them).
Thanks for the continued advice and encouragement. Maybe I will try the single serving packets again....0 -
I tried again today and failed immediately. Ugh. Luckily I stopped at 3 tbsp and threw the jar away before I got myself into too deep a calorie overload. I guess that's progress. Better than half the jar before stopping (and way better than the entire jar). So still no brakes initially... but the emergency brake came on faster this time. Will give it another go soon.
I have to be able to get this figured out eventually. It's literally the only food in the world I have this problem with now - I was able to recently conquer my desire to eat all the Amish whoopie pies I so dearly love (6 to a container) in a couple days (1 per day now when I do buy them).
Thanks for the continued advice and encouragement. Maybe I will try the single serving packets again....
I definitely encourage the single-serving packets. Like I said, being able to take that one serving and have the others sealed and put away was a big part of my success--I still have a lot of trouble with "bulk" packages of things like cookie or cake, it's really hard to stop at one serving when the whole thing is open, right there in front of you in all its glory!2 -
Susieq_1994 wrote: »I tried again today and failed immediately. Ugh. Luckily I stopped at 3 tbsp and threw the jar away before I got myself into too deep a calorie overload. I guess that's progress. Better than half the jar before stopping (and way better than the entire jar). So still no brakes initially... but the emergency brake came on faster this time. Will give it another go soon.
I have to be able to get this figured out eventually. It's literally the only food in the world I have this problem with now - I was able to recently conquer my desire to eat all the Amish whoopie pies I so dearly love (6 to a container) in a couple days (1 per day now when I do buy them).
Thanks for the continued advice and encouragement. Maybe I will try the single serving packets again....
I definitely encourage the single-serving packets. Like I said, being able to take that one serving and have the others sealed and put away was a big part of my success--I still have a lot of trouble with "bulk" packages of things like cookie or cake, it's really hard to stop at one serving when the whole thing is open, right there in front of you in all its glory!
I needed to do this with chips. One family sized bag is a cheaper way to go, but I'd kill it in 1 or 2 sittings. Better for me to buy a box of small bags and take 1.0
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