Sunday, September 7, 2008

breaking another bad food habit...

Today is Tuesday, right? Sure feels like it should be Friday. My last two days have put me through so much at work that it really feels like it's been 5 days—feels like it should be Friday.

I went biking again this morning (and yesterday). I really pushed myself this morning. Went the full 12 miles. Took me 10 minutes longer than it did the last time I was able to go 12 miles, but at least I did it. When I got back I was so happy to see that I'd burned 800 calories. I haven't burned 800 calories during a workout/exercise in weeks. I am so bound and determined to get these last 12 pounds before Thanksgiving. I'm gonna do it.

You know I was thinking about something on the way to work this morning (which feels like it was days ago... but I digress). I'm not sure what made me think of this, but I think I've broken an old eating habit I used to have. I don't know if I'm the only one who ever did this (did you?), but I used to sneak and binge on food when no one was around.

I would get so excited whenever everyone was going to be out of the house for lunch so I could stop by the store on the way home and buy a big bag of Ruffles potato chips and a block of real cream cheese and sit down and eat the whole entire block (that's my version of chips 'n' dip, by the way) and most of the bag of chips in maybe 20 minutes flat. Then I'd stuff the cream cheese wrapper and the half empty bag of chips in the bottom of the trash can so no one would know.

Or if I could somehow squeeze in stopping by McDonalds on my way into work to get breakfast, I'd be in heaven. I'd get two sausage biscuits with cheese, two hash browns, two large milks and a large OJ. I'd stuff each hashbrowns inside the sausage and the biscuit and then coat it with gobs of salt. Then I'd wolf it down drinking milk in between to help it go down. Oh, the OJ? That was so that when I got to work, people would think I was eating healthy by drinking OJ for breakfast.

I can't tell you how many times I'd sneak food—either into the house or in a drive through. I was the absolute worst at ordering something "extra" (like an extra big mac or 2 extra bean burritos) from the drive thru whenever they sent me to get lunch or dinner to eat at home. And then I'd eat that "something extra" before I got home and then eat my meal on top of that. Well, you know, so I didn't look like a pig when I was eating in front of the family.

I would hide cookies and candy bars all over the house. You'd be amazed at what you can hide in plain site.

But what I realized this morning was that I don't do that any more.

I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to hide my food any more.

I eat sensible and I eat in plain site now.

Quite an accomplishment.

And I didn't even realize it happened. It just dawned on me this morning. :]

And onto a slightly lighter subject... I found this United Airlines commercial on YouTube the other day. It's my new favorite commercial. It's totally me! Or at least what I'd like to be one day. Or maybe I'm already there, I just need to convince myself that I can do something like this and just do it. Or maybe I already have done it, I just didn't realize it.

Anyway, picture me sitting at this table trying to come up with the next greatest design that the world has never seen before:



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"18 Pounds in 18 Weeks"
Challenge Update! - Week Eight (updates in bold below)


*Please send me your total loss since we started the challenge on July 12th so I can show how much we've all lost total since we started.


Bento Box Diet (sat WI) - No weigh in since week 4. Total loss 5.5 pounds.
Katschi
(tues WI) - No weigh in since week 5. Total loss 3 pounds.
MaryFran (tues WI) - No weigh in last week. (2 pounds total gain.)
Karyn (mon WI) - Lost 3 pounds! (6.6 pounds total loss since 8/12.)
Donna (mon WI) - Lost 2.6 pounds! Alright!
Spunkysuzi (sun WI) - Lost 2.2 pounds!!! Sweet!
Cathy (fri WI) - Gained 6/10ths of a pound. Hang in there!
Christine- New member. Haven't gotten an update yet. Will keep you posted.

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4 comments:

Donna B said...

I could list TONS of stories about sneaking and binging on food. I still don't think I am "cured" 100%, but I am a lot better. Lately I have been trying to add in to my food assortmenr some of my past "redlight" foods; some have OK, but even though I count everything I eat honestly, I still find the need to eat more than one serving at a time. Today I tried peanut butter, but still think about it AFTER I put the jar back. In time it will come! Good luck on your THnaksgiving challenge ! Keep up the good work. How do you monitor your calories burned when you bike?

Shrink to Fit said...

I could have written this exact post!! I'm not as bad as I used to be but sometimes, and usually at the TOM, I feel the need to hide and eat. I've been reading your blog lately and you are really getting me motivated to keep on the straight and narrow!

~Crystal said...

I was a "sneak food at night" kind of a girl. Did it for as long as I can remember...probably did it as early at 3 or 4 years old. I tell you, I'm a master at opening a fridge, container, cookie jar lid, bag of something or another so quietly that a mouse wouldn't even hear it. Thankfully I rarely ever do this now but it does happen once in a while. But now it's not as much of a secret.

Deborah said...

I can't watch You Tube :o( Send me an email and 'scribe it for me.

I was the same way. Only now I don't have anyone to hide eating from. So I don't know if I've kicked that habit or not. Hmmmmmm.