Your worst trigger

[jolie]

This came up in repsonse to an email a friend of mine sent me. She asked what my biggest trigger was...the one that makes my knees weak...that makes me falter more often than gain strength and say no...the one that sets me off into a downslide. She stipulated it couldn't be more than one food, or a food group (just to make it hard for me). Sad part was, I had so many that I couldnt' narrow it down to just one. If I wanted to violate her rules, I'd say bread/carbs....but one specific food....heck I look FORWARD to the day when it's just one LOL

So do you have that one food which when trigger, brings out a whole different side of you in this 'control' issue?

[Arlene]

That IS a tough one. I don't think I have just one trigger, either. Cheez-its seem to send me into a snacking frenzy ... then again, so does the Del Taco drive-thru. (Love those crinkle-cut fries!)

My big trigger really isn't a food at all, though: It's that whole "I have to follow the plan perfectly" mentality. After I eat one thing that's not really OP (though I know you can work all things in if you try), I'm always fighting the urge to say "I screwed up. Might as well eat whatever I want for the rest of the day."

That all-or-nothing mentality has led to more than one binge on Twinkies, snoballs and chocolate-covered doughnuts from the vending machine at work, just because I had a little more movie popcorn than I'd intended, or a cheeseburger instead of a grilled chicken sandwich for lunch.

Ugh. I lose patience with myself just thinking about it. I know I'm not perfect: Nobody is! That's why my new mantra is "celebrate good choices." I figure making the right (healthier) choice most of the time is a big improvement over what I've done in the past.

[Kellie]

Mine is cookies or pastries. Just suffered from that yesterday. UGH!

[SaucyWench]

I've figured out how to pretty much block all triggers and make new triggers instead, but my main trigger foods are the three 'C's. Cookies, Cokes, and Cap'n Crunch!

[gottahavefaith]

French fries and tortilla chips...there are other things that I like much better, but once I start those things, I can't seem to stop! One strategy I've come up with: normally, I try to limit my beverages to water as much as possible, but if I'm going to be around a trigger food, I order an iced tea or maybe a diet soda. When I want to munch, I sip instead. It's surprisingly effective.

Also...fresh baked cookies. They go down way too easily, and you know that they just won't be the same the next day when they are cold. I really don't want to confess how many of those I've eaten in a sitting.

[Lacey]

Pizza. Definately Pizza. Can't go near the stuff without losing all self control. Seems I can handle anything else. I'm working on it though.

[Lynnee]

Chips! Once I have the chips....well, then I need something sweet to counteract the salty....and then I've already let one foot off the wagon so I may as well just jump off into a big bowl of ice cream!

Chips are evil & heavenly all at the same time.

Great question, btw!

[Lynn C]

Cheese. I'm such a cheese-a-holic, that's been the hardest thing for me, since starting weight watchers, is giving up the full fat cheese for that rubbery crap...

A few weeks ago, at my husband's birthday, I prepared all Core foods and was doing really great with my eating until my friend showed up with a cheese tray >.<<br />
I could probably go the rest of my life and never eat chocolate again, but cheese? *cries*

[gottahavefaith]

I understand. I tolerate low fat mozarella and ricotta, but most varieties just don't taste good. Have you ever watched Ellie Krieger's healthy cooking show on Food Network? One thing I really like about her is her philosophy about things like cheese: use lowfat where you can't tell the difference (which, in a recipe, is surprisingly often) and use small amounts of the real stuff in places where you'll really be able to taste it and won't need a lot. Of course, if having the stuff in the house at all is going to be too tempting, then it's probably not worth it.

[2Phat]

I would have to say my biggest trigger is when anyone else in my range of vision is eating. Just makes me want to munch on something too! Doesn't matter if I'm hungry or not. It kills me to sit and watch someone else eat. DH has half-jokingly threatened to remove my arm if I eat off his plate after mine is empty and his is not. Eating is a social thing for me. Getting together with someone... LET'S EAT! Can't think of one single social event that doesn't involve food of some kind.

[Arlene]

Woah — I never thought about it before, but I do that, too. The boyfriend and I are always going out to eat ... and usually when I snack at work, it's because everyone else is doing it, too.

Curses on eating because of peer pressure! :P

[jolie]

I don't know if it is so much 'peer pressure' but an ingrained way of socializing with our friends. People get together and food is.......errr....on the menu :-) in one way or another. I have been working hard on shifting my socialization to non food related activities, or at least limited food related. Meeting a friend at the gym...going for a walk with my mom/sister...having a pedi party...those sorts of things. It's hard though. I just love eating.

[JoyfulGirl]

My triggers are not specific foods, its the availability of any foods and.....media pressure. I have decided that whenever I hear a food commercial on the radio, see one on tv, or magazine or what have you I'm changing the channel, station, or going the other direction. Another thing that triggers me is not planning, someone once said "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." and that is so true for me as anytime I've binged it's because I didn't have a back up and the "bad stuff" was too readily available. Once I get going there is no stopping me until I have reached engourgement food coma status. If I know in advance I'm going to be dining out I will from this point foward make it a point to visit the website and find out if there are any healthier menu choices, if not I'm going to decline. I have another question though what happens when I go shopping at the mall? The evils of the food court are frightening even thinking about it you never know what will be there.