ruthlilycat

Eating Triggers

 

Article By: The Weight Watchers Research Department   Print   Email

 

JANUARY, 2007—A trigger can be defined as something that sets in motion a course of events. For example, red wine can trigger a migraine headache in susceptible people, while seeing a spider can trigger a panic attack in those who have arachnophobia. When it comes to eating triggers, they fall into three separate categories: trigger foods, trigger feelings, and trigger environments.1

To help manage trigger foods, it is important to identify the food and avoid it altogether, at least for a certain period of time, and then reassess periodically.

Trigger Feelings
A trigger feeling is an emotion, good or bad, that sets off a period of overeating.³ Unlike food triggers, which initiate overeating of a specific food, after an emotional trigger any available food will do. For more information on this topic, read the Science Center library article, Emotional Eating. To manage trigger feelings, it is important to first identify the specific emotion that initiates the overeating and then develop positive strategies to cope with that emotion without using food.

Trigger Environments
A trigger environment is a specific situation or place that sets off a period of overeating. Common examples include walking into a movie theater, going to a buffet restaurant, attending a sporting event or visiting a relative. To manage trigger environments, it is important to identify the specific location, people or events that set off the overeating. As with trigger foods, avoidance is an effective strategy for many people. For example, if the movie theater is a trigger, then going to a play or museum may be a better option. If visiting relatives in their home sets off an eating frenzy, ask to meet in a restaurant or elsewhere. When avoidance is not an option, it is important to develop tactics that minimize the likelihood of overeating.

Bottom Line – Inevitably, eating triggers happen. When this occurs, it is important to recognize them for what they are and think about how you could avoid it from occurring in the future.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35441&sc=802

ruthlilycat

Avoid Trigger Foods When Dieting

Trigger Foods Keep Us Fat

Each of us has our own high calorie trigger foods.
The sort we can't stop eating.
The sort that keep us fat.

How to Deal With Trigger Foods When Dieting

You have 2 basic options:

• Exclude all high calorie trigger foods from your shopping list
  This is brutal but highly effective - except if you have kids.
  They don't care about your crazy weight loss diet!
• Buy fewer trigger foods - stock up with low-calorie extras
  Tolerate some trigger foods in the home, but focus on eating your own lower calorie snacks.

How to Stick to a Diet and Avoid Trigger Foods

Avoiding trigger foods is best achieved on a full stomach. This is still the best way to stick to your diet and lose weight. An empty stomach is asking for trouble.

For example, if you're desperate for cake - eat a banana or a low calorie yogurt. You'll be amazed how it calms your sweet-tooth.

But if the only alternative foods in your refrigerator are high-calorie options, you'll binge on the cake and then the fattening ice-cream and then the high-fat popcorn and your diet will be in bits.

When this happens, most dieters freak out and quit their weight loss program altogether. They can't cope with diet failure and the guilt of bingeing.

So, make sure you have diet-friendly options to eat when temptation strikes, or else have a diet-recovery plan to execute when you exit the binge zone!

http://www.annecollins.com/diet_tips/trigger-foods-dieting.htm

rebelyelll

Hi guys, I'm new here obviously.
I recently joined my community's LA Fitness, and I've started to work out just about everyday.
I've been out for about two weeks becuase of some surgery, but I'm looking forward to getting back in there.
Here's my stats.

Height: 5'9"
Current Weight: 154
Goal Weight: 130, 120.

I've been unhappy with my weight practically my whole teenage life. (I'm 16.) The weight doesnt matter as much as the image. I just want to be comfortable and confident in my own skin. I'm not too much of a diet person, what can I say I like to eat. I just want to tone my problem areas and loose some weight. 

Wish me luck!

  -J