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I am not a binge eater. I was so good at hiding my binges that I was able to convince myself that I did not binge. I have lived alone for 17 years now so it was really easy to hide. In fact, I must admit that I did not even realize I was a binger until after starting Atkins.
How I realized it was a cheat. I told myself that I would just have one...one donut, one serving of ice cream, one piece of pizza...one won't hurt me. And, I was right. Actually one probably really wouldn't hurt me. If I ate one donut, once a month, I probably wouldn't gain weight, I could probably with Atkins still lose weight with that.
The problem is, I learned from my cheat that I cannot eat just one. Somehow, I totally lose control of what I am doing. I tell myself I am going to the supermarket and I am buying one treat but somehow I come home with a bag full. I see myself as if I am looking through someone elses eyes. I am standing in the supermarket my mind is saying over and over, I don't need that, it is not even that good, I will not buy it...and yet there the goods are in my basket.
So, I decided to list out some of the ways I hide my binging, hide it from myself and from others. For any other bingers out there, go ahead and add to the list.
1. eat a "little" all day long. so what if I eat half a dozen donuts in one day, it is not a binge if I didn't do it all at once.
2. on the other hand, eat all at once. eat it all, eat it fast, get rid of any evidence...that way it doesn't really count.
3. I love being told by my friends what a "small" eater I am. We go to dinner and I claim I couldn't eat another bite, and they are still chowing down. I feel so superior! Little do they know as soon as dinner is over I would go through the drive thru of the nearest McDonalds. I would eat it in the car, stuff the bags under the seats. I guess again it "didn't count" if it was eaten in the car.
4. How I would convice myself that eating a box of cookies all at once was ok? Well, you see, I live alone, I am the only one who is going to eat these cookies. So, whether I eat a few every day for a week, or I eat the whole box all at once, it doesn't really matter...I mean, all the calories and carbs and fat are going into the same body. It is probably actually better to stuff it in all at once instead of spreading it out. Yes! I actually used to tell myself this!
5. How I could convice my friends, and myself that I really am not much of a sweets eater. I would purposely buy sweets I really don't care for. such as ice cream or oreos. Of course, I would have my own treats in secret. But I could have ice cream or oreos in the house and not eat them. So when friends come over I can say something like. Oh, I think I have some oreaos in the cupboard, hmm, let me check the expiration date, they have been there awhile. ...Ha! this way my friends all think I don't eat sweets that much.
6. when I go to a bakery type place, I will tell the cashier that I am having a party and need some treats for my guests. And than of course, I will go home and eat 6-7 pasteries!
7. I will go to to 2 or 3 different stores in one day, that way the cashiers won't see all I am buying. and I can tell myself I didn't really buy that much
8. I once made up an entire family! At the bakery near my house, they were starting to recgonize me since I went so often. Everytime I would go I buy 5 or 6 things and I couldn't tell them that I ate it all myself. So, I told them I was married and had 2 children, that is who I was buying for.
9. How I convinced myself it was ok to cheat (binge) on Atkins. I was constipated! I "needed" the fiber (tons of fiber in cake, pastries and donuts I know)
Ok, how about the rest of you out there. How did you realize you were a binger? and how did you hide it?
How I realized it was a cheat. I told myself that I would just have one...one donut, one serving of ice cream, one piece of pizza...one won't hurt me. And, I was right. Actually one probably really wouldn't hurt me. If I ate one donut, once a month, I probably wouldn't gain weight, I could probably with Atkins still lose weight with that.
The problem is, I learned from my cheat that I cannot eat just one. Somehow, I totally lose control of what I am doing. I tell myself I am going to the supermarket and I am buying one treat but somehow I come home with a bag full. I see myself as if I am looking through someone elses eyes. I am standing in the supermarket my mind is saying over and over, I don't need that, it is not even that good, I will not buy it...and yet there the goods are in my basket.
So, I decided to list out some of the ways I hide my binging, hide it from myself and from others. For any other bingers out there, go ahead and add to the list.
1. eat a "little" all day long. so what if I eat half a dozen donuts in one day, it is not a binge if I didn't do it all at once.
2. on the other hand, eat all at once. eat it all, eat it fast, get rid of any evidence...that way it doesn't really count.
3. I love being told by my friends what a "small" eater I am. We go to dinner and I claim I couldn't eat another bite, and they are still chowing down. I feel so superior! Little do they know as soon as dinner is over I would go through the drive thru of the nearest McDonalds. I would eat it in the car, stuff the bags under the seats. I guess again it "didn't count" if it was eaten in the car.
4. How I would convice myself that eating a box of cookies all at once was ok? Well, you see, I live alone, I am the only one who is going to eat these cookies. So, whether I eat a few every day for a week, or I eat the whole box all at once, it doesn't really matter...I mean, all the calories and carbs and fat are going into the same body. It is probably actually better to stuff it in all at once instead of spreading it out. Yes! I actually used to tell myself this!
5. How I could convice my friends, and myself that I really am not much of a sweets eater. I would purposely buy sweets I really don't care for. such as ice cream or oreos. Of course, I would have my own treats in secret. But I could have ice cream or oreos in the house and not eat them. So when friends come over I can say something like. Oh, I think I have some oreaos in the cupboard, hmm, let me check the expiration date, they have been there awhile. ...Ha! this way my friends all think I don't eat sweets that much.
6. when I go to a bakery type place, I will tell the cashier that I am having a party and need some treats for my guests. And than of course, I will go home and eat 6-7 pasteries!
7. I will go to to 2 or 3 different stores in one day, that way the cashiers won't see all I am buying. and I can tell myself I didn't really buy that much
8. I once made up an entire family! At the bakery near my house, they were starting to recgonize me since I went so often. Everytime I would go I buy 5 or 6 things and I couldn't tell them that I ate it all myself. So, I told them I was married and had 2 children, that is who I was buying for.
9. How I convinced myself it was ok to cheat (binge) on Atkins. I was constipated! I "needed" the fiber (tons of fiber in cake, pastries and donuts I know)
Ok, how about the rest of you out there. How did you realize you were a binger? and how did you hide it?
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