One of the other maintenance threads got me to thinking about how good I’ve gotten at identifying my “triggers,” i.e., those situations that lead me to overeat. For me, identifying triggers is essential to maintaining; if I can’t identify the problem, I can’t fix it!
So, I thought I’d share some of my triggers and invite you to share yours. But sharing triggers is even better if we can share some possible solutions to those triggers. So, here are my triggers and some of the solutions I’ve tried:
1) Allowing myself to get too hungry – If I allow myself to get beyond the point of “hungry” and into the realm of “very hungry,” I’m bound to overeat. I’ll grab anything and everything to satisfy my hunger – a slice of cheese, a handful of nuts, and, yes, even a Snickers bar from the vending machine.
Solution: I try to remember to bring fruit and/or other healthy snacks with me to work so that I don’t allow myself to get too hungry. Sometimes, I even practice preventative medicine, i.e., if I’m not that hungry for breakfast but I’m leaving home & know I won’t be back for several hours, I will force myself to eat something before I leave. I know that many people don’t advocate this, but it has worked for me.
2) Eating an unsatisfying meal – Whenever I eat a meal that doesn’t meet my expectations or that is just generally unsatisfying, I react like a petulant child who hasn’t gotten her way. I feel as if I’ve been deprived of what I rightly deserve, and afterwards, I’ll try to find satisfaction in other foods to make up for the unsatisfying meal. Thus, I end up eating the unsatisfying meal as well as lots of other foods in an attempt to find satisfaction.
Solution: I TRY to stop eating a meal with which I’m dissatisfied. This is a tough one for me because I’m the type of person who keeps thinking, “Maybe I just need to get used to it” or “It’ll get better.” I need to get better at throwing out these types of thoughts, stopping what I’m eating, and deciding what else would be a more satisfying meal.
3) Using food to relax & unwind – I tend to associate food with relaxation and good times, so on Friday nights I’m particularly susceptible to overeating. After I’ve come home, walked the dogs, exercised, and done some house-cleaning (all this after work), all I want to do is get some goodies to eat and sit in front of the television. Like Pavlov’s dog, my mouth starts salivating once my butt hits the couch on Friday night.
Solution: This one is a tough one for me. I know all the usual tactics: take a nice bath, give yourself a manicure, etc. However, to be frank, none of these relaxation activities is as EASY as eating. I really need to work on this one and would welcome any suggestions.
Your trigger #1 is also mine... What I do, I eat every 3-4 hours no matter what... If it's only 2.5 hours and I know I'll be away and I'm not hungry yet, I'll eat anyways, because I know I will grab whatever at the 5 hour point... or worse be cranky and weak...I really hate that feeling!
Trigger 2 : After-supper-cleaning-up-the-dishes-eating! Does that make sense? Eventhough I'm full, I will pick at the leftovers. One solution is to rush the cleaning process, yes, actually hurry really, really fast to clean up, you should see me? OR when I'm especially weak leave the kitchen as soon as I put my fork down and run here to the computer and log my food on Fitday.... I particularly like this one because I don't have to do dishes, we still don't have a dishwasher!
I have a similar Friday Night dilemma... but we order Pizza ERERY Friday! Sometimes, when I haven't been that good all week, I'll order the Za and then leave as soon as it arrives go shopping, treat myself to a salad then come home and eat it once everything is put away... I warn everyone as I leave too, to make sure the Za is well hidden... OR if I've had a particularly good food week I will partake in 2 slivers of pizza... Then run to the puter and log it in Fitday...
Pookie ~~ That's a great idea to go OUT and have your craving fix in a controlled portion and environment then walk away from it... I've done that on occasion too, keeping it same food at home is a definite ...
A situation that triggers me: Being in a social situation where I am feeling uncomfortable for some reason and food is around. It's weird since I am a social person, but if something's up, I don't know anyone or what not I tend to run to the food.
My Solution to my trigger situation? Hmmm still don't know, probably I should just get into my head and figure out what is wrong and use all my will power possible not to overeat....
Pookie, I have the same problem as you with watching food shows. I used to watch the food network regularly, but now I just watch it every once in a while. BTW, I like your solution to giving in to your cravings; it seems to me that your way allows you to have your cake and eat it too [so to speak—LOL!].
Lanaii, it seems like Fitday is a great tool for you.
Ali, hmm . . . I guess food might be a comfort to you in a situation in which you’re not feeling too comfortable. I’m wondering if there is any other way to make yourself comfortable other than turning to food. Could you remove yourself from the uncomfortable social situation? (I know this won’t always be plausible). That’s a tough one; I hope some others can offer some possible solutions.
Vmelo: I have left, but sometimes it's not possible... Doesn't happen too often though... so I am pretty much okay. I just remember one time when I was with my ex, he decided to leave me alone and ignore me for the evening and I was with his friends and communicating in my second language (I'm better in my second language now, but I was still rusty then) with a bunch of girls who were super close friends, it was kind of awkward so I just sat by the nachos, candy and what not. Oh well, me and that guy didn't work out.
I found a few trigger points when I was off my exercise for about two months as I healed a foot injury. So, I guess the biggest trigger point for me is the lack of exercise to stimulate my endorphins and help keep my weight stable.
Yah, I coulda done more floor and weight workouts.... but my physical exercise plans basically collapsed. Then some of the negative thoughts creeped in cuz I didn't have my walks to work them thru. Then some of the snack foods looked good to eat as I thought thru the negative thoughts...... that's another trigger point too. The mindless eating on auto pilot. Seemed like a lazy period is a trigger point for me to fall back into some of the unhealthy eating patterns.
I gained about 20 lbs, but couldn't feel bad about wearing my size 10 pants instead of my 8's. So my good attitude about myself still held up. I knew in my heart that I would be out walking again and get the problems resolved..... I'm back walking and have been doing good at that too. I've been out 3-4 times a week for my one hour walks and have stopped the auto pilot eating - so I'm feeling good about getting back in control after a bit of a slide down the slippery slope.
I've firmed up more than I've lost weight - it's the delicate balance between muscle regained and fat relost. I'm down 4-6 lbs in the last month. All my times and weights are approximate because I don't chart anything from calories, or exercise or weight or measurements...... I did that all in the past on other diets and it didn't help in the long term so I'm trying something different this time and it seems to be working out just great for me. Even my start weight was approximate because it was the weight I weighed about 3 months before I began to change my lifestyle, it was the last glaring red number on the scales I had seen ( I probably was more when I started, but it didn't make a difference really - it's the long term results I was looking for - and that came at the end and not the beginning I told myself) so I don't even have a start date cuz I woke up one day and decided to eat less fat and sweets. Basically it took me about a year to loose 114 lbs.
I guess another trigger point for me is paying close attention to the scales and the calories eaten and charting out exercise minutes to burn off certain number of calories. Some things I read others doing on their plans. For me I felt the old "been there, done that, got my t-shirt" . It didn't work in the long run, cuz I'd get all upset at a plateau. This time for me without counting calories or charting exercise.... I made it through the plateaus cuz I wasn't as focused on the results of the scales but focused more on how I was changing my health.
Well, I've rambled on a bit today. But these are a few of my trigger points...Allie
SW 258
goal 140-145 maintained for 6 months
CW 156 and heading back to goal
I used to eat without thinking, regardless of level of hunger or time, as soon as I woke up in the morning, and also as soon as I entered the door from being gone. Sort of using food as a transition from one state of being to the next. Becoming simply aware of this was the first step, and the next step was to set a timer for 30 minutes before I could eat, assuming not being starved. This put an easy end to that one. Now that is no longer a trigger at all.
Food ads and the food channel used to be as well. I turn the channel during ads as others have noted, and no longer watch the food channel unless its just after a satisfying meal.
Shopping while hungry also used to be a problem. Awareness was the solution in this case.
One that I still have a problem with on occasion is buying foods on really good sales. Saving money talks to me too strongly sometimes. This past week, for example, they had an exceptional beef cut for less than half price. I got some, and ate it. If it had not been on sale, I never would have considered getting it. It was very good and I hadnt had beef in 2 months, but I would have preferred not eating beef right now. I wasnt craving it. Yet. Fortunately I am not susceptible to baked goods or candy on sale, though I used to really get lots of after holiday candy at half price, and then eat it. I stopped doing that by not allowing myself to look in the sale bins, but that is a very specific event that is easy to avoid. I do not like shopping lists.
I used to eat all the Halloween candy before the actual holiday and then have to buy more. I stopped that by buying candy I didnt like in the first place. Sorry kids. Instead of little delectable chocolate candy bars, I got gum or licorice or fish balls or other less appealing things for me. Heck could freeze over before I'd eat those.
Some particular foods that used to be triggers are no longer. These I 'legalized'. That is, I brought them into the house intentionally and with permission, ate my fill of them till the thrill was gone and they no longer appealled. A double edged sword here, but for many things this did work. In the old days I was unable to have peanut butter in the house. I would wolf half a jar one day, and finish it the next. So I went the opposite way and gave myself total permission to have it, and ate as much as I wanted, and it lost its glamor very quickly. Now its in the house all the time and in fact goes rancid usually. This is not the solution for everyone, but it worked for me with many things.
Jan, I love your technique for handling former trigger foods by making them "legal." I'm still trying to do this w/ Ben & Jerrys, but so far it hasn't been working--LOL!
As far as Halloween goes, I always say that I'll buy something I don't like, but I ultimately end up buying at least one bag of something tempting. So, I'm trying something different this year. I'm waiting until the day of Halloween to buy candy. At least it won't be hanging around the house all week!
Allie, good for you, girl, getting back on track. I'm a firm believer in doing things our own way, regardless of what works for "most people." I've read that this is one of the "secrets" of maintainers: they do what works for them, adapting plans to suit their style.
Vmelo -- The last couple of Halloweens I have sent the family out to buy the candy, then when they come home it goes directly to the basement hideaway. Halloween night I don't do the door thing, I let DH and DS do the giving...
I found another trigger today, Walmart! DD bought a container of gummy worms and I ate 6 of them, I fortunately was able to stop there, before the sugar downer, when I got home I got DS to go hide it in the basement... I think the next thing you'll know they'll be sitting in the dungeon eating all the time because all it seems those two teens eat is junk!!
Wow- so many of mine have been covered already Here are what comes to mind for me, in no particular order:
1) The "Life Sucks" trigger: This one's been a biggie for me for the last six months. It covers injuries, illness, family stress, unemployment, iffy mammograms, etc. My first reaction to any outside stress is to reach for food. After the initial damage is done and I'm 2-3 pounds up and feeling bad, it finally dawns on me that my eating a bag of chocolate is NOT going to change the outcome of anything, except my waist size. If my husband is out of work, or I have a bum knee, food will not make it better. It doesn't help my friend with breast cancer if I eat for her.
2) The hungry shopping or shopping while dieting trigger: Here's where I have to admit to eating cashews from the bag while shopping My lastest strategy is horrible, but it works. Aside from eating BEFORE I go, I look for the fattest person in the same aisle at the grocery store. Do I want to look like that again? Nope. Put the chips back on the shelf.
3) I'm at a party and everyone else is munching carby, greasy or calorie laden food and alcohol: I always bring my own "Mel friendly" dish to share, usually shrimp and cocktail sauce, or humus and pita. Or both. And several bottles of plain or seltzer water.
4) There's food in the house that I shouldn't be eating, but I live with a husband and 14 yr old who can eat anything. Solution: I really don't like most of their snack food, and ds's lunch snacks are individually packaged and under lock and key so that he won't eat 6 packages after school. I know exactly how many are there and have just enough for a week's worth of lunches. The treat foods that I just can't seem to deal with at all, they've agreed to go OUT for, even if ice cream is buy one get one free that week. None of us needs 2 gallons of ice cream!
5) The success trigger, or what MrsJim calls complacency. I'm at goal, my clothes fit, how bad could it be to eat and extra serving of X, or a taste of Y, or a whole pot of Z? Or blow off cardio for a few days? It probably would be fine ONCE, but falling into this particular trap is like falling down the rabbit hole. You just never know where it's going to end. I've spent the last 3 years fighting this one and have reached the conclusion that for me, maintenance is a 3 pound yo-yo. I get where I'd like to be and know is maintainable, then slowly I start getting careless. My solution is my 3 pound "line in the sand", and eating as thoughtfully as I can.
6) The virtue trigger. I've done EVERYTHING RIGHT! I went to a party and nibbled my shrimp, I watched while 5 fourteen yr olds scarfed down 4 pizzas, I've eaten perfectly forever and done every workout- #$^&*!!! I deserve a face plant in chocolate! Um, I haven't really found a solution, because I usually cave. I think this is related to Trigger #5.
7) I'm HOOONGRY! I'm always hungry. Tea, sugar-free jello, a few egg whites, or if it's late, floss, brush and go to bed.
I'm sure there are a zillion others. I don't cook interesting food anymore, because I'd eat it. I used to make lavish pastries and subscribe to a bunch of foodie magazines. Not any more. I don't watch much TV, so that's not a problem.
Anyone else have the family buffet trigger? The only solution was to move to another state. But egads! I went for a visit the first week of Sept. and put on 3 pounds in a week. We ate out at no less than 5 buffets in that week. Hmmmmmmmmm
Boredom is a big trigger for me. I try to get myself to do something interesting, but it doesnt always work. What do you all do to counteract boredome?
What are your trigger situations?
Eventhough I'm full, I will pick at the leftovers. One solution is to rush the cleaning process, yes, actually hurry really, really fast to clean up, you should see me? 
That's a great idea to go OUT and have your craving fix in a controlled portion and environment then walk away from it... I've done that on occasion too, keeping it same food at home is a definite 
...
Here are what comes to mind for me, in no particular order:
My lastest strategy is horrible, but it works. Aside from eating BEFORE I go, I look for the fattest person in the same aisle at the grocery store. Do I want to look like that again? Nope. Put the chips back on the shelf.
