Any tips for managing yourself when bad foods are around

[ren0318 81]

My family is supportive about my surgery, to an extent. They are all about me having it and get healthy, but...they are not willing to give up their junk food in the house. Which is very hard on me. I realize I can't expect them to give up their right to chose what they want to eat, just cause I can't have it, but it's so hard when I know that stuff is just feet away from me. So I need help.

How do you handle yourself when bad food is around?

[joatsaint 2,814]

I have a few rules I follow when I have the overwhelming urge to eat bad stuff. We have lots of birthdays and conferences in my office, so there are almost always leftover cake, donuts, kolaches....

1. I always eat whatever I've brought for my meals first.

2. If I still have to have a piece of whatever, I use a small coffee cup (6 oz cup, no cheating using a Starbucks Grande cup! :-P) as a measuring device. I let myself have 1/2 coffee cup of whatever the goodie is.

Those 2 rules have done me well when it comes to snacking on things I can't resist.

[StephanieRR 131]

My family is the same exact way!! I have been learning to try to stay occupied. Especially keeping my mind busy. I have already been getting alot of spring cleaning done!! It's great exercise and by the time I am done, I feel so happy with my accomplished project on hand, I really don't want to eat. I'm actually getting things done that I have wanted to get to for a couple years now. Find something mentally rewarding to do and I believe it helps me not do the "emotional" eating. Everyone is different, but that is how I have been coping with it. I also keep their Snacks away from mine. That way I don't have to see theirs when I am hungry. i have been used to them eating in front of me through all the years of yo yo dieting so that doesn't bothmuch anymore either. I wish you all the best and lots of success!!!

Edited April 7, 2014 by StephanieRR

[LipstickLady 25,682]

My first and most important question is if you are a child/sibling in the house or are you a parent/spouse? (And no, I don't mean that in a smart-assy sort of way.)

If you are a parent/partner, you have the absolute right to say what is or is not going into your family's snouts. My children are 13 and 15, so I let them decide what they are going to eat for the most part, but as long as I am buying the groceries, the food I bring into the house is much healthier than it used to be. I still buy chips, but I buy baked or low fat and I often purchase individual serving sizes. There are less cookies/sweet treats in the house and ice cream is usually in bars or mini sizes. Healthier for them, healthier for me and easier to resist. I don't want them to struggle as I have, so I make healthier choices available more often than not. I pack their lunches first thing in the AM when I am not tempted to snack at all.

If you are not an authority figure in the house, find a cabinet in the house that you can call yours and ask your family to stay out of it. Only allow yourself to eat out of this cabinet and make sure you have great, healthy substitutes so you never feel deprived. (I do this, too, and my family knows if they go in my cabinet, they risk pain and mutilation.)

You can do it!! This is a fantastic leap towards good health! Good luck to you.

[Teachamy 1,042]

I have a drawer where I keep my Protein bars and nuts. Kids/husband are not allowed in it. I also have a refrigerator drawer where my yogurt, cottage cheese, and string cheese are. This is also off-limits to the fam.

When they are indulging on chips or crackers, I ask my husband to try to buy the kind with gluten. (I have Celiac, and nothing is worth me risking that pain...) I find that IF I touch corn chips (my slider food) I can't eat just 3. That's a problem. So I try not to touch them at all. I'm not sure there's an easy solution, but I am working on it! Every day is a struggle.

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

I am blessed not to have anyone in the house except me and my sleeved husband. The SF popsicles are my go to treat. I make absolutely sure to eat something before I go shopping, and it amazes me how quickly I can get in and out of the store when I am not hungry. I am not so sure I could resist the temptation at times if the junk foods were in my home, because one teeny bite might lead to more. Good luck everyone.