Last weekend, my mother and grandma made a TON of sweets to give away to people as gifts, like they do every year. My mom protested at how much they made, because they made a lot of extras. While not really that big of deal, their horribleness has been hanging out in our kitchen, and while I don't completely scarf them, I've been eating few pieces a day.
They are insanely yummy... and insanely horrible for me. Whenever I eat some, my stomach actually hurts because of how anti-nutritious they are, and I end up regretting it. Since my mom is prone to make rich foods, the taste kinda grosses me out as well, BUT I STILL EAT IT.
What do you guys do when crap is hanging around the house? I know I could hide them or at least put them in a less noticeable place, but there's not really a lot of places to put them, and even then, everyone in my family would look at me funny and move them back until they're gone.

I have 3 teenagers...so when I make cookies or whatever..they are gone FAST lol.

Maybe try grabbing some fruit or veggies instead?

Maybe set some mental rules for yourself? Instead of deciding they're all off-limits, decide to have one or two after dinner. Then when you walk by and get tempted during the day, you don't have to tell yourself no -- just, "Later!"

Good idea Desiderata. Just decide how many you can have and put off having them as long as you can. It's things like these that make me appreciate living alone. But when I spend the weekend at my parents' (which is often) I have this problem. The last time I was there I wanted ice cream after dinner. I told myself I could have it at 10pm instead. (I know it's not good to eat that late but I do.) By the time 10 came I was so happy that I had made it that I didn't have the ice cream at all!

What is your diet plan? I calorie count but allow any food in small amounts. So tonight I went to the movies and knew I was gonna want popcorn. I budgeted my calories so I could. Can you budget in these sweets? I know it's not good to skimp on healthy food to afford treats but it's better than letting them surprise you IMHO. Many may disagree.

I either scarf them or give them away. As a result my boyfriend has gained a little weight since we started dating I can't have stuff like that in the house, just can't do it, which is ok when I'm by myself by a horror when I'm at my mom's. I stay home a lot as a result

I not only agree but take it a step further in my own life. For me, the best way to afford and enjoy treats is to have them INSTEAD of a healthy lunch or dinner. If I go to the movies, I want to enjoy a large bag of popcorn without any guilt -- so that's my dinner. If once in a while I want a big slab of fresh cheesecake, that's my lunch.

To me, healthy eating is a cumulative proposition. By following the 80/20 rule I'm confident I'm getting enough nutrients over time. The occasional substitution isn't going to make any difference, IMO.

F.

I agree too. I'm usually pretty strict about what I eat, but the 80/20 rule has served me well. I've cut a meal or (more often) cut back at a meal to have a something delectable.

Or sometimes I haven't! There are sometimes where I DON'T get to budget in something and I just get right back on track. I realized that it wasn't one meal or one day that made me obese, but rather a series of meals and days. Just like ONE MEAL won't keep on me track, ONE MEAL or ONE ITEM won't throw it all out the window.

I think we can all sometimes get a little nuts here. I understand if someone has a serious reaction to something, but I think for most of us if we indulge every now and then we're fine. We just need to balance it all

Of course I am a bit less tolerant of overly sweet things now, so I am less likely to eat them if I can help it. Overly rich desserts don't quite sit well in my stomach...

I wish I could say the same. For better or worse, the only things that don't sit well in my stomach are rocks, nails and shards of glass.

F.

I've yet to find anything to be too rich to sit well with me!

The holidays are always the worst times when trying to diet. From halloween till after the new year. I just get the fat free goodies. ( in know they are still fattening, but its knowing they say fat free makes me feel better...lol)

Just have to keep that mindset that temptation wont get the best of you.

There is no way for you to get rid of this stuff NOW?

My husband and I are totally see-food people - if we see it, we eat it. We have cleared out everything in our house that could induce a binge (as I am a binger, too). Seriously, I can't tell you how much just not having it in the house has helped me.

When we are given stuff, we allow ourselves a little indulgence and then DH either takes it into the office to give away (I work from home, making it even more difficult) or we give it away to neighbors or, we just straight-up throw it away.

That's exactly what I do! And I agree with your philosophy! I feel like it's been the easiest way to balance calories, and... well, have my cake and eat it too. I don't worry if I end up going over my calorie goal on one day if I know I can make up for it on another day. The key is the discipline to correct or adjust in order to make up for or plan for indiscretions.

I had this exact same problem last night. Work party. Cream puffs. I love, love, love cream puffs! I ate one, and it was good. I ate another one later, and I was feeling full by that time, so it made me feel a little queasy. That didn't stop me from going after a couple more later on! WHY???

It sounds like you're doing well, though. Really. I know you'd rather just not eat them, but the fact that you're enjoying them in moderation is a huge accomplishment in my book. I guess the next step is to just remind yourself before you eat the next one of the sick feeling, and maybe you can resist eating them again. I guess this is where the self talk comes in. You know they're good, you've had one so you're not missing out on anything, so there's really no need to eat one "now". Maybe you can tell yourself you'll have one later, and that will help.

What do I do if it's around the house.... well, sometimes the best way to avoid something is to just not eat any. Have you ever found that eating one sets you off for another, and another, but if you don't have one, you're fine? I have no answer for your question. I just tell myself "later", or I eat it and make up for it in other ways.... it's hard.

Still, the question remains, why do we torture ourselves and keep eating things because they taste good even though they make us feel bad??

Avoiding all the holiday goodies is hard, at work this week, someone drops off a platter of cookies, tins of candy, etc every day I just do not have any will-power! If it is out-of-sight I am ok, but there is goodies everywhere!

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I also agree with the idea of allowing yourself yummy things, despite the fact that they're bad for you, because then you aren't dying inside, wanting them.
Indeed, I do a lot better when there's just no sweets around. I'll have to pressure my mom next year into NOT buying/making so many sweets, because until I transfer to a university, I'm stuck with it, relying on willpower...

I've read about the habits of thinner people, and the thing is that thinner people realize that eating until they're full will make them feel gross later, while food-lovers are all about taste and aren't worried about the outcome. While I've been trying to instill that in me, like everyone's said, it's difficult to keep from the amazing food that rolls around during the holiday season.

I would love to just throw it all away... but since my family has a history of being on the poorer end of the middle class, it's hard to just get rid of things that're perfectly good to eat.

I only had one stupid piece of turtle today, but I baked grain-free sugar cookies, and they've helped. Ugh... that turtle was sooo gross... why did people invent such a horrible thing? >_<

I have a wallpaper on my phone that reminds me of my goal. It says, "Don't give up something you want the most, for something you just want right now."

But with that said, if I'm at a tapas restaurant, you can bet I'm having sangria. I'm back in Germany? Yea I'm having that creampuff. Paris? Yes, I'm having croque monsieur.

Also, who says that you can't have ONE bite of ONE slice of cheesecake every day? But I think the question you need to start asking yourself is, why are you eating something you don't even like? Why not tell yourself that you don't like it as a reminder, and pick something healthy instead?