Why does it seem like I always binge at my friend's houses? I can be totally controlled at home, and they don't make me feel self-conscious or pressured to eat, and yet I just can't help raiding their fridges and cupboards (with permission of course). I just don't get it -- I'm not bored or depressed or tired, and it only seems to happen when I go over to someone else's house.

maybe its because its a new environment, where you have never had to be controlled in your eating before? Could be that you have conditioned yourself to be controlled at home, but in a different environment that does apply. Maybe you see what they are eating and cant resist? Maybe you've changed your habits at home, but not broken your habits out of home?

or i could be talking rubbish sorry about that >.<

Hmmm. Well, you tell me! Why do you think you can raid the pantry at your friends' house? Where does this habit come from?

Jay

lol -- no, it makes sense.

I don't want to get all Freudian, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe it has to do with being free of my Mom's gaze. I know she's dieting as well, but as a kid she used to kind of "monitor" what I ate to know why I was gaining weight, etc.

Whereas other people's parents don't seem to care.

Obviously... since I'm not their kid. lol.

Well, there you go! And now it's time to learn to monitor yourself.

Jay

lol. Sounds like the smart thing to do. Thank you very much.

Great that you found out why and also important that you found out your trigger. So many times, people are unaware of what triggers a binge and before they know it, they've done some damage to their eating plan. Now, it's time to control it. My trigger is my parent's house! I binge there because I think I turn into a little kid who wants to re-live the days of old and to rebel on some level. However, now, when I go to their house, I bring my own food and I am prepared, so usually, I can control it. Maybe if you bring your own food and know that it is the only food you plan to eat, then you won't do this anymore. Also, if your friends are super supportive, you could ask them to not let you do it!

Wow, I used to do the same thing when I was younger, and my parents still living. I would pig-out at my best friends house.

I never really thought about it until you mentioned it, but my parents were the never ending evil eye when it came to my weight and what went into my mouth, along with comments and criticism. My friends parents didn't care, worry, or have an issue with food. They ate and that was that. If I enjoyed a huge bowl of bf Mom's pasta salad, she was thrilled there was less to throw out. (and that someone actually liked it...LOL)

It took me a VERY long time to get past that "no one is looking, so quick, grab something to eat!" mentality. It's a learning process, but if you pay attention to it and make an effort to monitor yourself, you'll get there.

Me too! What, like I thought the food didn't have calories if no one saw me eat it??

I've become much more successful once I realized that eating a brownie has consequences, whether I want it to or not!

Hmmm... though, as I think about it, I wonder if this is part of why *I* eat when my husband is out of town.... a weird holdover of this old way of thinking? hmmmm...