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A Merry Life

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Therapy Thoughts: Skipping The First Bite

August 3, 2011 by Mary

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details.

Yesterday was an extremely successful day! I ate clean and avoided fast food. I made chicken and corn lettuce snack wraps for dinner.

chicken corn lettuce snack wraps

They were delicious.

Then after dinner I didn’t eat anything else. That’s not something I aim for or anything, it just happened. I had actually planned to eat some french toast with strawberries, but I never got around to making it. At a certain point it felt too late to eat. Even though I was physically hungry I didn’t feel like making anything so I didn’t eat.

Part of it was also about not getting started eating. In therapy we’ve talked about ways to prevent binges and one of the biggest things is to not take the first bite.

Since I only binge at night and only when I’m stressed and the opportunity was there last night I chose to just not eat anything. I felt hungry but I knew that at a certain point if I ate anything it would lead to eating more than I needed. Instead I chose to stop before I began. I chose to make that night successful by not eating anything at all.

I’ve been working to put into practice the tools my therapist has given me. This is just one small tactic that seems to help. There are a bunch of others as well that have helped. I haven’t been binge eating despite stresses and circumstances that would normally lead me to eat. My goals set out in therapy were this:

  • Free of binge eating.
  • Aware of choices. Able to make choices and feel good about them.

So far, so good. I’m feeling much more in control now.

This is something that is all about PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. It’s about making one decision at a time.

Last night I made one decision. It was good. Today I’ll make a bunch of new decisions and each one is a chance to make a good decision.  You have those same chances. Our old habits can be changed, one decision at a time.

Filed Under: Emotional Health, Food Tagged With: therapy


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Comments

  1. Zoe says

    August 3, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    That looks so yummy!!!! And that lettuce looks fresh! Here’s a question though. I get the whole ‘at a certain point it feels too late to eat’. But what’s your opinion on eating ‘healthy’ even if it’s after dinner? Not to say to eat at 1am in the morning, but what do you think about eating a serving of fruit at, say 10 or 11pm?

    • Mary says

      August 3, 2011 at 1:27 pm

      Last night’s “it’s too late” situation was unusual for me because normally I’ll eat again after dinner. I don’t eat fruit either. I’ll eat something that’s more balanced or with a bit more carbs but not purely carbs. Things like crackers with cheese or half a pb&banana. I regularly eat a snack at 9 pm if I’m hungry (sometimes I’m not so I don’t). That’s why I said my goal isn’t to not eat anything after dinner. My goal is to make good choices with food after dinner and not binge. I’m a huge fan of snacks at any time if you are hungry, even if that is 10 pm or 1 am. ;)

  2. Mylene says

    August 3, 2011 at 12:42 pm

    Good for you!!! I totally agree with you, most of the time, it’s the very first bite that lead to binging. My big problem is not the evenings, but the week-end, especially the afternoon when my son is sleeping. Choosing not to take that first bite is so hard, and I share your sense of accomplishment ! Glad to hear therapy is helping you and that you are able to practice those things…and I might try those yummy wraps, they look delicious!

  3. Rachelle says

    August 3, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    I have to listen to your therapist advice in not taking the first bite. This weekend I ate three bags of white cheddar popcorn alone and I knew from the first bite I was doomed. Your dinner looks yummy and perfect for the hot weather we have been having. I might have to try this one night!

  4. Carina says

    August 3, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    Very cool and useful way to look at things!

  5. Angie says

    August 3, 2011 at 4:07 pm

    That’s really interesting and I think you are right Mary.
    Thank you for sharing your tips, I find them very useful and they also make me think about my own situation.

  6. Cassia Zoe says

    August 3, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    I like that policy of not taking the first bite. I have so often said, “I’ll just have a few chips,” then half a mindless bag later I’m putting it away in shame and trying to shrug it off. Some weeks I’ll work 10-hour days so that I can have a three-day weekend because I work so far from home, but it’s on these weeks that I struggle the most with overeating. I will be driving home and want to stop for McDonald’s, even if I’m not hungry. I was thinking about this last night when I employed the tactic of, “What is it I really want?” I realized that what I really wanted was to snuggle with my boyfriend and get a good night’s sleep. Identifying what I really want and knowing that I can have at least one of them (even if not right at that minute) helped me to skip the drive-through.

    • Mary says

      August 4, 2011 at 9:17 am

      Smart tactic! :)

  7. nikkianne says

    August 3, 2011 at 6:22 pm

    Your supper looks really yummy. What kind of lettuce did you use?

    • Mary says

      August 4, 2011 at 9:16 am

      Bib lettuce. Living lettuce. I think it’s called both things. It was a new thing for me.

  8. Katie Photiadis says

    August 4, 2011 at 8:59 am

    Mary,

    I just started getting into your blog and I really enjoy it. I feel like I can relate to so many of your posts.

    I completely agree about the “first bite” rule. Sometimes when you’re struggling with binging, all it takes is one little bite to set you off into a path of insane eating. I’ve struggled with that too. I think (for me) that once I get in the habit of binging every night, I have to cut my nightly eating out cold turkey. Then, once I break the habit, I can slowly start to incorporate a few snacks. But they have to be measured, planned, and controlled!

    Those chicken wraps in lettuce look amazing, by the way!

  9. kelly says

    August 4, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    I am on my journey to health and happiness as well. I am doing a vlong on youtube.com…follow if you would like :)

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