(Beware of some tempting pictures below!) I have a little confession here. As you know, I’ve been in maintenance for a little over 12 years, but there are certain foods that I just can’t have in the house. Certain foods like this:
And these:
And don’t forget these:
When I was losing weight I was (and still am) all about moderation. I lost my weight always keeping in mind that I wanted to lose weight by eating “real” foods so that when I hit my goal weight I wouldn’t have to change anything. I could just eat the right amounts of my regular foods and maintain my loss.
And it worked – for the most part.
I learned that even though I had put the reins on overeating brownies, cookies, and chocolate. There were certain foods that I still had a hard time controlling myself around. This disappointed me a little bit because I was sure that I had “conquered” my bad eating habits. To my dismay whenever I brought the above foods: peanut M&M’s, Oreo cookies, and peanuts into the house I ate too many of them. Granted I didn’t buy them often, but I sometimes purchased them in a moment of weakness. Like when I was standing in the grocery store line with four kids under the age of nine.
What to do? Well, what I did was almost never bought those “non-foods.” And for the most part, I don’t buy those foods anymore. BUT, if the overwhelming urge to eat peanut M&M’s comes over me then I buy a small bag and do one of two things. Either I eat a few and throw the rest of the bag away, or I share with whomever I’m with. I’ve learned that I’m really satisfied with just a taste or two and that the first ones I eat seem to taste the best.
Perhaps I should never buy those tempting foods again, but with my personality I start to feel deprived. I start to feel sorry for myself-and that’s not a good thing.
Do you have certain foods that you try not to have in the house? Diane
I try to never have cakes, cookies, pies, brownie mix in the house. I eat this so seldom that when I do have it invaribly leads to a binge:( The store bought candies, cookies don’t usually ever call my name anymore plus I chew sugarless gum and only go to the store not hungry!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..The Sandwhich Generation =-.
One word…donuts!
If they are in the house, I WILL eat them. They have always been a danger food for me. If I eat one, I eat six. So, I don’t don’t eat them-ever.
Our church has a social hour after services on Sunday morning and there are ALWAYS donuts and coffee. I make sure I take an enjoyable ‘substitute’ along so I can have a munchie with my coffee.
I don’t know what it is about donuts and my food psyche…
.-= mamajuliana´s last blog ..Yoga anyone? =-.
I am the same way with oreos, if I have one I’ll have 15. I just avoid them now, they aren’t even worth it!
.-= Lauren @ Eater not a runner´s last blog ..summer lovin’ =-.
OMG yes! Too many too name. I even had to get rid of the Triscuits when I started overeating those! Right now there are some things in the house that are causing problems for me. But they are food that others eat and I cannot impose on them to do without because of my lack of willpower. Sigh.
.-= Karen@WaistingTime´s last blog ..It’s my party and I’ll cheat if I want to =-.
Rye bread/toast
Bagel Chips
are my two remaining STRESS foods – if they are in the house it causes too much stress for me.
the list was a WHOLE lot longer 5 years ago.
.-= vickie´s last blog ..Maintenance and getting lost in the life clutter =-.
I can have all the potato chips in the world in my kitchen and I’ll never eat them. But my goodness hide a cookie in there and I’ll find it and eat it. I can’t have sweets. I’m OK with savory snack stuff, but sweets are my downfall.
.-= Tracey @ I’m Not Superhuman´s last blog ..Goal Oriented: How to Get What You Want =-.
Happily, so far no such food had brought on uncontrollable eating here. For me it seems so many different foods give me heart burn ( anything sweet) that the urge simply isn’t there. It’s a blessing and a curse !
.-= Diane´s last blog ..Pizza for the gluten intolerant =-.
A girl after my own heart…..Oreos are my #1 oh no can’t have those 30 feet near me!
.-= Jules – Big Girl Bombshell´s last blog ..What If Wednesday…Badge of Courage =-.
Tequila. Keep it away from me. Everything else is fine.
bread– which seems kind of strange, but I tend to eat more than I should- oreos, chocolate of any kind, baked goods- sometimes it kind of just depends upon on my mood what I’m craving. But things that are in bags or there’s a lot of, can get me into trouble.
Chips or anything with sugar. Sigh. Even if I can resist the temptation to dive in, I’m just obsessed – can’t think of anything else and can’t stay out of the kitchen. It makes me think that I’m really related to my much-loved old black lab, he’s obsessed with food as well. But I practice portion control on his behalf.
Cakes are my tragic downfall. German chocolate, caramel, sour cream coconut — you name it. I’m an excellent baker but I only make cakes if someone asks me too. Otherwise, the parchment paper is on ice.
.-= ‘Drea´s last blog ..Outsize Me =-.
I definitely can’t have nutella in the house! Actually i can’t have anything with chocolate in the house.
=-.
.-= suzanne´s last blog ..O.k i’m up
I COULD NEVER THROW AWAY…oh my I feel as if I am so far from where I should be as that would be impossible for me, I would put in cupboard and eat over the next 3/4 days a few at time…
I buy chips and chocolate and do that, most days I have a few chips if I want something salty as I dont add salt to my food and I have a block of dark chocolate a day….otherwise am so good I’m boring.
For me it is those mini reese PB cups and peanut M&Ms. My sister often has those when there are family gatherings and it is like I cannot stop myself from gorging on them. So they just can’t be in the house.
I find from time to time that I need to put foods on hiatus. Cashews are something I can be okay with and then I have to stop buying because I overeat them. Or I have my hubby put them up high
. That works pretty well. If John brings M&Ms into the house, though, they must be completely hidden from me so I don’t even know where they are.
.-= Lori (Finding Radiance)´s last blog ..Making the food pretty. =-.
I cannot have ice cream in the house. One taste is enough to make me eat a bowlful each evening until the carton is gone. Whenever I want ice cream, I actually have to make an effort to stop by Baskin Robins. This is a good compromise for me because I still get my fix, but only a couple times a month.
.-= asithi´s last blog ..Day 1 of No Coffee =-.
Ice cream!! I will probably always have a problem with this!! To help me out, I only buy the frozen yogurt or lower calorie versions (must be around 100 cals per serving) and I bought special ‘ice cream’ bowls that are very very small so I think I am getting more.
Mostly I just don’t buy it. If I am craving icecream, I will WALK down to the dairy queen or ice cream shop and ONLY get a scoop. I eat it slow and enjoy every bit of it
.-= Brenda´s last blog ..Ice coffee like at ‘the coffee place’ but healthy =-.
I don’t have foods that I can’t have in the house but I do have foods where it is easier to not start eating than it is to stop!
My adult college age children live at home and commute to college and they have all kinds of snack items that I don’t even take a taste of because it would be too hard for me to eat a small portion of.
.-= Tami@nutmegnotebook.com´s last blog ..Marathon Shopping =-.
Lately it is NUTELLA for me. I cannot seem to resist putting a new spoon in it several times a day…and oh does it have a lot of fat and calories in that spoonful! Also granola for some reason is something I have a hard time eating one serving of. Both of these items come in double pack super size at Costco unfortunately! I am gonna have to ban them from our house (which makes me feel guilty because my children like them and don’t overeat them).
These are often referred to as “trigger” foods, as in; they “trigger” eating binges. I have have trigger foods too, pizza being the primary. And though I might refer to it as a “trigger” food, I do so in the context of the “trigger” of a gun pointed at my belly. Most often though, I like to refer to these as suicide foods. That may seem harsh, but I believe people who deal with eating issues, me being one of them, must take such things very seriously.
M&Ms are on my short list, with jelly beans, sour anything (patch kids, straws, etc.) and thin mints – i’d eat a box in one sitting if given the opportunity!!
.-= fittingbackin´s last blog ..A Few of My Favorite Photos, Lazy Wednesday, Busy Thursday =-.
ICE CREAM! I can not have any in the freezer. I use to just sit in front of the TV and eat 1 gallon like it was nothing! Now I don’t do that and I don’t miss it. If we get any ice cream, we get a small thing of it and it’s mostly for my girls. I also can’t have pop in bottles. I can drink the whole thing in a day or 2.
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Tired =-.
I definitely agree! I either keep certain food out of the house or out of site. Alternatively, I keep many healthy foods in the house and in sight
.-= Dr. J´s last blog ..Lab Notes: Diet Soda May Be Exempt from Proposed Tax =-.
I have found out that during this stressful time I was (am) going through, my trigger foods was starchy foods, like fries, chips….fortunately when they are brought in the house, they are usually smaller servings of them so once everyone has their fill, they are gone.
Typically though, day to day, I have come to a new appreciation for most “junk foods”, and can be responsible with them. Its quite a novel thing for me!
.-= Pam´s last blog ..Weigh In for May 21st (Plus Bonus NSV!) =-.
Most Crackers…the word CRACK is in there for a reason ya know! lol
.-= tj´s last blog ..LAB WORK! =-.
I can’t have velveeta mac and cheese or any mac and cheese the house because I eat the whole box.
And cookies either. If I make them I’m fine but if I buy them they are inhaled.
.-= Cynthia (It All Changes)´s last blog ..Convenience vs. Cost =-.
Ice cream, cookies (any kind), potato chips (especially the bbq kind), and chocolate candy (Peanut butter M&Ms are my favorite!!).
When those foods are in the house I have an extremely hard time controlling myself!
~Kellie
.-= The Chubby Girl Diaries´s last blog ..Inspirational quote of the day… =-.
I’m slowing learning, with the help of Geneen Roth, that there are no foods that I can’t have in the house. It used to be ice cream, cookies, chips, chocolate peanut butter anything. I’m not buying them a lot lately because I don’t want them but if I did, I could buy them, have a little until I was satisfied (not full), and save the rest for later. It’s a learning process but I know it will work.
Potato chips and ice cream. I eat chips occasionally, at a party, on my veggie burgers (the tiny $0.50 bag), and ice cream occasionally on hot days when I run into a cone, but when I have them in house, I think of them until I eat them all. Girl Scout cookies, which I no longer buy because they still use trans-fats, can last for months, as can other cookies, dark chocolate almonds, etc. but not ice cream. I don’t know about my luck with anything salty/crunchy, even beyond chips, but don’t keep any of it in the house.
.-= julie´s last blog ..We were fat women once =-.
I was going to make a list, started to and then thought…DOH! I don’t want to think about those foods! I agree with your choices and your strategy for dealing. I like to just have a few bites of something and then my skinny husband eats the rest. It works!
.-= Katie´s last blog ..Biggest Loser Final Four =-.
I agree with Katie.
But generalized, any baked treat. Any ice cream.
Mindlessness and me don’t get along with food.
.-= JourneyBeyondSurvival´s last blog ..#LongHardDay =-.
Essentially any kind of cereal is my weakness. Of particular concern is Raisin Bran and anything by Kashi! I can’t stop at just one bowl, so I have pretty much stopped buying it. You gotta do what you gotta do, right?
.-= Lara (Thinspired)´s last blog ..Reader Question: Binge Eating =-.
Diane, I so do this! Thee are certain things I will not bring in the house even after all these years & if I want it, I am forced to go out for it. Like you, I may take a bit & give the rest away…. except for my weekend cookie treats!
.-= Jody – Fit at 52´s last blog ..Protein Cookies =-.
Any kind of nut butter is BAD NEWS in my apartment. Because I live alone I don’t ever have snacky candy or cookies lying about but whenever I buy a jar of peanut butter I seem to have to throw it away after a day or so because I find myself diving in for a spoon here and spoon there far too often. As an alternative, I found really great single-serve maple almond butter packets at Whole Foods. http://www.justinsnutbutter.com/
.-= Jenelle´s last blog ..Thoughts on Living Large & Feeling Small =-.
I don’t keep cookies in the house. When I want a cookie, I go to the bakery and buy one. ONE. It’s more expensive that way, at least from a $$$ point of view, but I figure I’m saving in the long run.
Seeing your yummy pictures reminds me I haven’t had delectable peanut M&Ms in years. Must add to future weekly splurge list. (A single pack, not the “pounder”.
)
.-= Cammy@TippyToeDiet´s last blog ..Rescue Me, Rescue You =-.
No cookies, cake, brownies, chocolate, ice cream, sweet stuff, including things like raisin cinnamon bagels and sweeter cereals. The only kind of cookie I can have is those Dare social teas. They are not sweet enough to trigger wanting lots of them, so I honestly have those around for quite awhile. I have to watch the granola bars too. Sweet and Salty, no way. Nature valley crispy ones are fine.
In general, no chips or crackers, although I am better with those than sweets.
I am okay with pop, but I don’t like it much.
It used to be peanut butter and frosting. I could not control myself around a jar of either. Now I can though… but I have to watch it around non-single serving bags of chips. For some reason, actually OPENING a bag of chips/salty snack (potato chips are the worst) is a mental deterrent on most days, but if they’re already open…I’ll just have a few (then a few more, and a few more, and suddenly I’ve had a serving without feeling satisfied) every time I walk by the kitchen. I had a costco bag of popchips around and it just wasn’t cool. Every day I’d have some. Ugh. Not that they’re that horrible, but I can find better things to eat than stale pop chips.
.-= Quix´s last blog ..Death By Fun =-.
We very rarely order pizza anymore. I’m fine with homemade pizza, but something about the very greasy delivery pizza sets me off and I just want to eat the whole thing. When we do order, I’ll usually only order 1 medium size for our family of 4, so there are no leftovers.
Miniature Heath Bars and Reeces PB cups and ice cream. If I have a moment of weakness and buy these then I “hide” the bag in the top of my pantry. I know it is there if I need one but I don’t keep reaching into the snack drawer to get one again and again. I have some up there now that I will probably forget about until the next time I clean the pantry and throw them away.
Specifically I can’t have cookies and cream Blue Belle in my freezer or I want it every night. We have a fabulous frozen custard home town shop and when they are open from March – November they have three special flavors a day. Of course you can always order a sundae, glacier, etc. but we go for our treat only if they have one of our favorite flavors – probably 2X per week but then we have a kid’s dish. This is enough of a treat to look forward to that I don’t mind not having ice cream at home.
I usually buy stuff “for the kids” but they end up eaten by me. I have to get a sweet or chocolate before my period. Or I’m impossible. My kids don’t even like ice cream and 1 packet biscuits lasts for months.
My problem is the break room at work. If I look to the right of my desk, across the hall is a table where candy is often placed. Yesterday there was a small jelly jar 1/2 full of M&M’s. They were calling my name! I happened to see my DD come online and I told her of the trouble I was having. She said, “Throw them out!” I said, “They are not really mine to throw out!” She said, “Well if you are free to eat them you are free to throw them out! Besides, nobody in your office (5 women) NEED them!” So… I went in there ran some water over them and deposited them in the trash! WHEW! It really helped! So thankful for my WWer buddy/daughter that helps me through times like that!
Cereal is the worst one for me. Funny, because when I was at my heaviest, I never snacked on cereal by the handful. It’s something I picked up during my weightloss (probably because I was trying to keep from snacking on worse things in the house). Granola clusters are the worst, but I’ve been known to stick my hand in a box of plain bran cereal :\ I’ve snacked away whole boxes without ever pouring a real bowl to eat. Thus, it is no longer allowed in my house!
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Flashback Friday – Babies!! =-.
Your current strategy seems like a good one. Depriving ourselves can lead to binges. I like your strategy of giving yourself a small treat every now and again. I don’t think any of us will lay on their death bed thinking “If only I hadn’t eaten that handful of peanut M&M’s…”
.-= karen@fitnessjourney´s last blog ..The Blame Game =-.
easy – salt and vinegar chips.
I can eat a bag a day.
.-= Joe´s last blog ..Recap and Request =-.
I cannot have ice cream, cookies or candy in the house on a regular basis. Once in awhile treats are ok but I don’t trust myself to eat them in moderation if they are always around.
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..I Don’t Do Flip Turns =-.
I cannot have cookies or chips in the house. I have absolutely no control with either one!
I have to agree with a lot of the lists above… ice cream, cake, (Birthday cake and ice cream is especially a downfall. Everyone expects everyone to have some. It’s hard to say no to your own child’s birthday cake knowing…) cookies, pizza… Same picture. If I eat just one “taste”, I’m in trouble. But why is that? What is it about that one taste? As long as I don’t go there, I’m fine. But because the temptation is there and I don’t want to deal with the mental gymnastics to stay strong, I too don’t keep them in the house. The kids are just used to it. Those things are occasional foods not everyday foods.
hot tamales. I know that I’ve eaten something that has triggered cravings when I can’t stop thinking about hot tamales. Fortunately they make my mouth numb after the first 50 or so. Unfortunately, this just means that I stop eating them until the feeling comes back and then start again. I never buy them, never have them in the house and if somebody else should have them I never have that first one because I won’t stop until they are all gone.
.-= Siobhan´s last blog ..no run for me =-.
Brownies are the worst for me. They are the one thing that I find myself not being able to stay out of no matter how many times I tell myself I don’t need more.
So, like you, I keep it to a very low minimum how many times they are in the house. I have a little, and then just don’t make them too often.
.-= Leah´s last blog ..The Final Chapter =-.
There are so many things I avoid having in the house because I can’t control myself. Crackers, cookies, cake, ice cream … pretty much anything that should only be eaten in moderation. I’m getting a little better about it by why torture myself. If it’s not there, I can’t eat it.