My mum is having gastric bypass surgery on the 24th, and the stress is triggering me to eat everything in sight (I just downloaded the kitchen. I made it a whopping 6 days without bingeing. I am pathetic).
I will be watching my much younger siblings during the time she is in the hospital, which means I will have to have junk in the house.
I know that I won't be able to control myself during the week, so I was hoping you could give me some foods that I could eat that would give that numbing, intense fullness without making me gain huge amounts of weight.
It going to be an emotionally intense week, and I want to be as prepared as possible.
The reasons it is going to be intense:
I'm not worried about my mum, I know inside that this is going to be an amazing step forward for her, but I am worried about the time we are going to be spending with my family:
My grandmother, who likes to call me fat;
my aunt, who is verbally abusive, and told my mum that she will no longer speak to her if she gets the surgery,
my fathers family, who are super "all-natural" and want me to eat llama and bunny meatloaf (I'm vegetarian, and even before that I only ate chicken or beef. I'm not into exotic meats. Especially if the meat came from an animal I petted/held.)
My parents church friends, who think I am a crazy because I want a law enforcement career instead of getting married and having multiple children, and like to preach at me every time they see me about how wonderful it is to have a family. Kids are wonderful, but really? 7 of them? ( Seriously, I am 17, work my butt off for a 4.0 so I might be able to get a scholarship to go to the college of my dreams, and they think I want to throw my dreams away to marry some farm boy and homeschool 6 kids in a jumper? NO THANKS)
People who come up to my mom and tell her the horror stories of this surgery- she has been waiting for a year, so she knows the risks.
So I am trying to reassure my mum because my dad is too freaking clueless to do it.
I'm sorry you're having to go through this without the support of your family. Good for you for working so hard to achieve your goals, even if they're not supportive. It will pay off in the long run! It's great that you know what you want to do at 17. Keep at it!
Oh, and by the way- at 5'8'' and 144 lbs, you are NOT fat, no matter what Grandma says. I don't know why family members feel they can just say whatever they want..it still hurts!
As for foods to binge on- I feel I have to state the obvious- bingeing is probably not the best idea because it will just end up adding to your stress when you regret all the junk you ate...But, you're clearly a smart girl and can make your own decisions, and I'm sure you already know that. Lecture over! I don't know what you like, but here are some of my favourite "treats" that are relatively healthy as compared to some other options:
If you like sweet: (these are more desserts than snacks)
- Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches (or any other skinny cow ice cream product)
- FiberOne Bars (for a chocolate fix)
- Angel cake with Fat Free cool whip and fruit
If you like salty:
- Popcorn (low fat)
- veggies with hummus or tzatziki
- Baked tortilla chips with salsa (better than regular potato chips!)
I do find that in times of stress (of which I've had many) eating a balanced diet (whole grains, lean protein, veggies and LOTS of water) keeps me sane. Junk just makes me feel more run-down.
I wish you and your mom the best- stay strong! I hope everything goes well. Don't let them get you down
My binge foods lately could be different because I eat out of bordem so I munch on things without thinking.
-Skinny Cows. (They really are a lifesaver)
-Special K Products
-100 calorie bags of popcorn
-Baby Carrots (I eat these to munch on, like I said, cause I eat when I'm bored.)
And I'm really sorry about all the stress, hun. If you ever need to cool down you can always come here and rant to us.
That is a big load at 17! I am sorry you have so much to deal with. I am even more sorry for what is being said around you!! I will pray for you to have comfort.
Here are some lower calorie big snacks that I use:
air popped popcorn. HUGE bowl for just under 300 cals. (I actually have only 1 serving bowl big enough to hold it)
carrrots/ cellery and mustard dip. (I make a sweet mustard dip. Yellow or spicey mustard w/ 1 packet equal. Sometimes I also put horseraddish or dill.) Lots! for 300 cals
Plain cherrio's dry great for muching slowly 3cups 300 cals
sugar free jello! I add about a 1/2c more water than it calls for. The whole box 40 cals!
I also do not want to encourage you to binge. But with that said, I often stop the urge to binge knowing that I can sit down to one of these BIG snacks. It takes a long time to eat these which gives my mind the time it needs to calm down. But it doesn't hurt my body.
I am a little curious as to why there has to be junk in the house, just because there are children? Keep a lot of fruit, raw veggies with light dressing or hummus, some sugar free jello and pudding. I also, just have to say, you goal weight seriously worries me. I hope your mothers surgery goes well.
Yeah I have to agree with willow- you are a PERFECT weight already- what's with the 110? A girl who is 6 inches shorter should be 110.
I grew up in a similar environment- I turned to food- and at my heaviest was 230 lbs! (I started here after I was dieting) And even now my goal is 140 lbs and I'm 5'3".
I was told by people that I was crazy to work so hard in school and so on- but funny thing is now I've got a great job and one step away from a career where I'll be making great money- while their kids are driving them crazy, working at dead end jobs making min. wage while racking up the credit cards that their PARENTS pay for them. My mom is proud of me and tells her friends "hmmm I guess that education was a good thing after all?" lol.
Don't let them get you down and heck don't even justify yourself! You don't have to! If they harass you say "I don't want to be a stupid housewife" then walk away- that's the line I used to give (btw I don't believe that being a housewife isn't a noble job- it just wasn't for me.).
Since you are underage, age 17, it sounds like you have no choice but to live within this negative environment.
I used to be an emotional eater. You can not "fix" your feelings and natural reactions to people who are putting you down or attempting to control you with extra food.
Whatever your financial circumstances are, I would suggest, since you asked, is to put some physical and emotional distance from these people and learn to start taking care of yourself, whatever that entails.
There are no good binge foods but there are ways you can learn to assert yourself with these people in your life without needing extra food.
Do that and you won't need to look to numb yourself with any extra food.
You have a right to be treated with respect regardless of the difference in your vision for your life or what your choices are.
First of all, treat yourself with respect by not looking for any kind of food to numb your feelings. All it will leave you is feeling sick and lousy rather than lousy.
Ask to be treated with respect. Again and again. If they refuse to walk out of the room until they get the idea.
Once you are of age, and that is coming soon, if taking care of yourself means walking out of their lives for awhile, then do that.
Obviously I agree with everyone that binging is not a good idea, but I know the need to just nibble and nosh all day, so if you are going to do it anyway, at least it is better to choose healthy, low-cal foods. Fruits and veggies are the obvious choice, but popsicles are also good. Also, frozen fruit such as grapes and mango are yummy and take a longer time to eat.
Another suggestion is to try to eat very slowly and chew your food well, which will help your digestion as well as making you eat less. And remember to drink a lot of water too. And chew gum!
I agree with a lot of the choices here as being good snacks, but I'm worried that if you do binge, you'll end up getting a lot of calories from some of these choices (which are good for you in normal or small servings). I'd have to say, popcorn. Look at the labels when you're buying them, find the option with the fewest calories per cup. A lot of the 97% fat free ones are good, because they only have about 10-15 calories per cup. If you're really going to go on a binge, you can eat 3-4 bags for the same amount of calories as a meal. (About 500 cals, I mean).
Plus, the fiber in popcorn helps you get full faster. Sugar free gum helps too.
But honestly, this is just a way to limit damage, it's not the solution. Are you currently talking to someone about your stress eating? A professional could help a great deal.
reading your post puts off bells and whistles in my head. not personal toward you, but simply because i tend to think the same way (although i'm getting better) and i've noticed it's a common line of thought among bingers.
The fact is, you don't HAVE to binge under stress. in fact, you will handle the stress better if you have a different approach.
i would reccommend some sort of meditation or deep breathing exersizes. Get away to a quite place, even if just for a few minutes.
I also think it's just really unfortunate that in our society we believe children will only eat junk food. There's no reason kids can't be raised on a healthy diet, and feeding them a steady stream of crap will only predispose them to eating disorders and weight problems of their own down the road in my opinion. but you're only 17, so i understand the kids aren't your primary responsibility.
Your mom's having gastric bypass. What better way to support her than to join her in changing over to a healthy life style?
looks like you've lost alot of weight already, i wouldn't use the anticipation of a stressful scenario as a reason to plan for binging.
Binging is an unhealthy behavior no matter what the food. Eating a healthy diet and getting good nutrition will be the best in the long run for coping with stress. Soups and salads are good, as are fruits, veggies and lean sources of protien (such as fish, chicken breasts)
my advise, get plenty of rest, take time to relax, and really, really look into some sort of mind quieting exersize. (like meditation or deep breathing)
Sorry, i know this isn't the answer you wanted, but what you are proposing won't help in the long run
P.S.
well, on the other hand, green tea or herbal teas can be a good "binge food" so to speak. something to keep your hands busy, yet it's ultimately good for you, and warm liquids can be soothing, plus no calories
I love frozen grapes and blueberries and cherries and strawberries. I babysit alot and have found the kids prefer them over junk.
Also laughing cow cheese..
Well ... I've stayed the course a few times by always having gum in my mouth. It's not the ultimate answer, and sometimes it can make you even hungrier (real or imagined), but it will give your jaws something to do. I will confess to eating not one, but two, bunches of celery in one sitting, dipping it in balsamic vinegar. I have major attractions to salty/crunchy, and this was the only thing I could think of that could create some volume and satisfy both those urges. It did work - I was really full and couldn't eat any more. Total calories probably ran under 100. Since then, I've learned that my only true binge-breaker is to leave the house, either by foot or by bicycle.
I like to munch on baby carrots. They keep me busy and fill me up pretty quickly. Apples are also filling and low cal. Like the other girls have said, fruit and veggies are the best option. Homemade popcorn and multi-grain cheerios are also some of my favourites because they take a long time to eat and keep me busy.
Tea is another GREAT idea I try to have at least one tea everyday, usually in the evening when I am tired and more prone to binging. By the time I'm done my tea, it's either too late to eat much else (bed time) or my craving has passed.
"Good" binge food recommendations?
Food is the least of your concerns
