The title of this post is a lesson I think I’ve finally learned.
Say No To Food That Isn’t Worth It
Sounds smart, right?
As a recovering binge eater I find myself doing well when I focus on the quality of food I’m eating. In the past I’ve eaten some truly disgusting food combinations and plenty of food that was of questionable quality. With a binge it was rarely about what I was eating, it was only a matter of how much I could eat and how quickly I could get that painful overly stuffed feeling of punishment to soothe me. Twisted, I know.
In addition to helping my self out with self-care and preventing the emotional need for binges, I now try to focus on the quality of food when I eat.
I would NEVER eat some of the things I scarfed down in binges past. In fact, I’m at a point now where I am starting to pass on things simply because I know they won’t make me feel good.
Biggest example: sugar and dairy. These are two things that make me feel horrible especially if I eat a large quantity. (They are also the two things I used to love the most!)
These days I’m getting better at simply saying no to candy/sweets or passing on things with dairy. This isn’t easy all the time but it’s something that has taken me a long time to grasp.
Last night for instance we left a movie and Kepa wanted ice cream. There is a Ben & Jerry’s place nearby (smart location) and I’ve gone there tons of times to get ice cream. However, last night after a lovely day of eating it didn’t feel worth it. I knew it would make me feel a bit sick and the high amount of sugar would do me no favors long term. Plus, it was cold outside! It didn’t feel worth it so Kepa got ice cream and I passed.
Sometimes food isn’t worth it.
Another example – I love cereal but milk makes me feel gross. Sometimes I think I want to eat bowls of sugary cereal like I used to but I am content with not doing this because I don’t want to feel yucky after eating cereal. I’m learning it’s better to pass on things that won’t benefit my body.
If it makes me feel sick, or has no nutritional value, or doesn’t help me in any way, then I definitely consider passing. Food isn’t always worth it. That’s finally a mental conversation that runs through my head now rather than “food! must eat all! now!” any time I’m around something delicious. (Oh, compulsive eating, you jerk!)
Progress people, progress.
{ 10 comments }
I’m with you on the ice cream. The mix of sugar and dairy makes me really sick afterward! I have to plan to be sick and waste most of the rest of the day and really want to try ice cream in order to have it, so I almost never eat it. I’m def an eat for the experience type of person, it’s all about the quality and taste of the food…made it hard to adjust to how low blood sugared I get if I don’t eat frequently enough, if something really tasty’s not around, and remember to eat anyway.
merri´s last [type] ..The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George My rating:…
Isn’t that the truth! For me it’s salty snacks. I just can’t stop eating them!
YES!! in a gentle way Im trying to teach this to the child too.
if you dont LOOOOOVE IT DONT EAT IT.
um
except for veggies and fruits and lean proteins and um I PROMISE IM TEACHING BETTER THAN THIS COMMENT IS :-)
LOL. I totally get what you mean. I feel like this was a good lesson for me to learn. I think I’m in such a better place that I’ll actually be able to teach my future kids how to eat without totally screwing them up. Haha.
Good for you! Maybe I should start looking at some of my foods to see if there are some that just aren’t worth it anymore.
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh´s last [type] ..Identity crisis
Pizza. Lasagna. I have zero restraint, so I almost never eat them. Its just not worth the aftermath of kicking myself later about overdoing it and feeling like crap. Of course I have a challenge coming up for my birthday- bf is making homemade lasagna, which I love, but yeah.. we’ll see! Wish me luck!
Deb´s last [type] ..Sunday Day 450 & Monday 451 Food Diary
Good luck! Enjoy that lasagna. :)
Once I started counting my calories, my eyes were opened and a LOT of the food I used to eat/binge on was no longer worth it. Finding out something had 1000 calories (half of my total for the day) really took the appeal out of it for me!
Lisa´s last [type] ..Enjoy the Moment and Breathe
As a retired binge eater myself pizza was my vice. I’d order a large pizza and eat the whole thing. I don’t eat it now because I’ll end up feeling like a lethargic slug on the couch!
I for sure get what you’re saying here. I’ve slowly come to that myself over the last few years! I discovered something new tonight that just isn’t going to be worth it for me — deep dish ‘pie style’ pizza. While it tasted good, my stomach is now all torn up — probably from the dairy! If I were to make it myself, there would’ve been WAY more veggies and less of the typical cheese. I’ll get it for the hubbs occasionally, but I think I’ll stick to other foods. GAH. Otherwise, I’ve been staying away from a lot of foods because I feel like, whats the point? I have been having ice cream, but I’ve been eating the kind made from almond milk and I LOVE it. Mostly because it’s smooth, sweet, refreshing and creamy, BUT it’s not over the top sweet like ‘American’ ice cream. I discovered I MUCH prefer less sweet treats when we had dinner at an Asian restaurant and they owner asked if we would like to try green tea ice cream that they had brought here from home. And let me tell you, it was AMAZING! Since then, I’ve realized that many ‘American’ desserts are just too over the top for me and I prefer something to be sweet but not syrupy or saturated.