Bad Habits that Come from Being Fat and/or Eating Disordered
Contrary to the imagination of many, this is NOT how I look eating a salad. (attribution to Fir0002/Flagstaffotos)
Now, I’m not going to say, “Bad habits that LEAD to getting fat,” because honestly, if you aren’t genetically predisposed toward getting fat, you probably won’t unless you literally install a lard and powdered sugar IV drip. There are tons of unhealthy thin/average people, but no one gives them shit about “health,” or at least complete strangers don’t. If their doctors are smart they should be giving thin/average folks who are unhealthy a similar spiel, or they are hypocrites.
Anyway, that is neither here nor there.
1. Eating too fast.
I do this because I hate eating in front of people I don’t know or am not comfortable with. Because I have actually been made fun of while eating in public. When you’re fat, and particularly when you’re a fat woman, people will feel free to comment on your dietary choices, as if they are any of their damn business. So, like many fat people, when it comes to eating in public I tend to wolf food down so I can get away. This is bad for two reasons: 1. because I wind up eating more than I actually wanted/intended to and 2 because it furthers the stereotype of fat people eating a lot.
2. Hiding food.
This is related to point one, in that it comes from the same root. I don’t like people watching me eat, or being able to critique my food choices, so I tend to hide from them to eat. And part of that is secreting food places I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to eat unobserved and unbothered. The other part is from living with my first set of room-mates who used to steal my food on a regular basis. I really am getting better about this one. I don’t do it much anymore, and generally only when it’s good chocolate and Girl Scout cookies any more. And that’s self-preservation.
3. Ordering what people think you should eat, as opposed to what you want.
I’m mostly over this one. But I cannot tell you how many times I ordered a salad when I wanted a burger. Or conversely, ordered a burger to prove I could, instead of the salad I actually wanted. It sucks and it’s stupid, and I’m glad this doesn’t happen much anymore.
4. Eavesdropping on neighboring conversations to make sure they aren’t talking about you, and getting embarrassed, fleeing and leaving half-eaten meals when your paranoia is proven right.
Yeah, that one’s pretty self explanatory. I combat this by wearing earbuds a lot. La la la la la, can’t hear you.
5. Apologizing for or rationalizing your food choices, how much you eat.
“I haven’t eaten all day,” offered with a sheepish grin. A. So the fuck what? B. It’s none of their fucking business anyway.
6. Eating less than you want/are hungry for.
Yeaaahhhh… not eating your full meal because all the skinny women are getting take out containers to take theirs home, too. Stop doing that. And the obverse, don’t eat more than you actually want to prove a point. That’s dumb, too.
7. Skipping awesome desserts out of shame.
Stop doing this too. Also, smack the next person who, when you order dessert, offers to split it with you to save you from it. Fuck you, I don’t need saving, but you need to grow a fucking pair of ovaries and order your own damn dessert. Now, don’t get me wrong, some places have desserts you either have to share or take home in a doggie bag, or at least I do. Claimjumpers I’m looking at you. I’m talking about someone wanting to save you from your scoop of ice cream, or single small slice of pie. Fuck you, get your own.
Now some people will only eat so much of their meal, or legit do not like dessert (weirdos). Don’t eat more than you want or things you don’t want. I have in fact been known to take-out box part of my meal, if I was still hungry, specifically so that I have room for dessert. Because, fuckin’ A! Dessert!!!!!
So, yeah, look out for these behaviors in your own eating, and see what you can do to break yourself of them. Your tummy will thank you.*
*As in you won’t feel over full, or not full enough. Not in the losing weight sense. Fuck that shit.
Polimicks 
I don’t think there’s anything that can potentially break you of doing these things, or condition you not to do them in the first place, like seeing it play out from somebody else on a daily basis. I’ve mentioned my mother before and how I grew up watching her be miserable and diet/binge fruitlessly for decades, and decided that was not for me. It sure doesn’t make me a better person; I think it does ensure I’m not miserable like Mom was. There are other things in life to make me miserable, I don’t want this.
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