I had an interesting day food wise yesterday. A bbq at home with family after a trip out. It ended up being a lot later than expected and not only was I hungry but it had left me a little agitated about how did that fit in with my breakfast/lunch/dinner plan. But I decided it was fine. It's okay not to be so rigid.
The problem was that there was a lot of snacks/nibbles on the table while waiting on the food and I didn't want to over eat on those beforehand. I had some kept myself busy and it passed.
I then had a normal/smaller portion of the bbq and realised i was plenty full. I had a burger in a roll with some veg and really didn't need to go back for more. It felt easier than I'd had before.
Then after when we were sat at the table chatting there was a bowl of crisps sat next to me and I realised i was just sitting there eating them because they were there, i wasn't really enjoying them. So i moved them away.
There was birthday cake (which I can't eat anyway) but I had bought a vegan Brownie for me and dh to share (they are huge). That felt like a win as we'd usually get one each and complain that they're too big. I had also bought a cookie from the same shop but i managed to stick to my plan of keeping it for today. That felt like another little win.
I also gave the crisps away with my DD as I knew that I'd eat them all later.
When everyone left I was aware that I had a lot of food left and that can be my downfall. Lounging on the sofa in front of the telly thinking "well I've done well today (or not as wouldbe normal) " and being tired after a busy day with lots of people, that is prime time for me to binge. But food was playing on my mind. I decided that I had actually only had 2 meals that day so I had my third. It would be better to have a small proper meal rather than just constantly graze on crap.
Just a little amount or probably just the right amount of leftovers. I then had an ice cream as they were leftover too. I didn't need one as I'd had one after my burger but I decided I'd enjoy it.
I could sense that dip into "well, I've over done it now, I've failed, let myself down....blah blah" so I went to the cupboard to get the crisps, remembered that cleverly I had given them away. It was like a light bulb went off and I decided to go to bed to stop the inevitable binge that would have happened.
So, in retrospect it was an interesting day. I could think that I over did it, the treat foods especially, but in truth I didn't eat as much as other slim non bingeing eaters. It was a party, I ate a little more sweet treats in one day and in a different pattern to my daily routine but I DIDN'T BINGE either at the time or later.
My usual pattern at these things would be....
Eat nothing all day beforehand. Gorge on the crisps and snacks while waiting (and up til 2 years ago quaff down loads of wine). Have at least one overloaded plate off the bbq maybd two then go back for bits to eat (just another sausage on the passing because it was there). When everyone else had finished I would be back at the table for potato salad and suchlike. I'd have more than my share of dessert (often hiding in the kitchen eating ice cream out the tub while making them "for the kids"). Then, constantly filling up the snacks on the table and grazing constantly. Wondering how everyone else can have that there and not be interested. Then, shoving mouthfuls of whatever is at hand when I was tidying up. Sneakily, in the kitchen while everyone sat outside. Then when everyone had left feeling tired, overfull and annoyed at myself so just opening the fridge and cupboard and eating whatever I could lay my hands on. Snacks, sweets, desserts, leftover bbq food. Anything.
So, yesterday for me was a win .