Losing Weight - Taming Your Trigger Foods

There are certain things we just cannot stop eating once we've begun. A bag of chips, bread, a favorite chocolate or candy, whatever it is that sets us off makes us keep eating until we feel over-full or finish the bag. These are what we call trigger foods, and they can be a serious stumbling block to trying to lose weight. It isn't simply a case of cheating either; these sorts of foods can affect even the most determined individual because they're as much an emotional crutch as they are a physical indulgence.

Of course, the Habit Changer philosophy isn't about punishment or monk-like avoidance; it is about careful moderation. We are allowed to enjoy ourselves, and indeed that's the purpose behind building all of these good habits.

When you practice healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle on a regular basis, you can indulge yourself now and again with those foods you like without worrying. The trick is learning two important ways to keep control of these trigger foods without letting them kick off a big eating binge. Incorporate these techniques into your routine over the next 30 to 60 days to take charge over those trigger foods.

Method 1 - Exclusion

One technique we've discussed in the past is keeping temptation away from you. If your trigger foods aren't in the house, then you aren't going to binge on them. So take advantage of this and set a time period such as one or two weeks during which you won't buy your trigger food at all. This is not a permanent thing, remember that we're all about moderation. What this time period should do is allow you to use up your current supply and still have some time left without the food in your house.

Now sometimes a whole two weeks without buying or having a favorite treat can feel like a hard decision to make. If you're feeling like this is too big of a commitment, remember what we've discussed about breaking problems down into smaller pieces. Habits are built out of day-by-day steps, not instant yearlong epiphanies. Focus on making a decision for today, a decision not to go out and buy any more of your chosen trigger food. At the end of the day, you can feel confident about having made a measurable, positive step.

Once you've made this first step, the trick is to keep building on it a bit at a time. After making two individual one-day choices, commit to it for two more days. Once you manage that, and you will, increase it again and again until you've met your exclusion time commitment. Remember that this isn't about depriving yourself, but controlling things to your best benefit. The first step in control is deciding how much you can have, and in this case it means deciding when you can't have any.

Method 2 - Mastery

As we've mentioned, keeping something away from you is the best way to avoid overindulging. However, this is only a means of putting off the problem. If we're putting it off until we have the means to deal with it, that's a good thing. If we just keep putting it off without trying to come to grips with it, it's a bad thing. Doing so doesn't provide a sense of closure to the issue, only distance. In such cases people often end up depriving themselves so much that they end up going on worse binges than before, which just puts them back where they began.

In the Habit Changer philosophy, the key isn't perpetual denial but managed control. Once we've learned how to control our environment and exclude our trigger foods for a little while, we can start reintroducing them and enjoying them properly.

So start thinking about your favorite trigger food. Think about all the reasons why you like it and how good it is. As you do, consider that a lot of the enjoyment actually comes from that first bite. This is particularly true with treats like chocolate - the first taste is delicious and enjoyable, while the rest almost seems to come on automatic.

If you feel you're ready for it, get a very small amount of your food of choice, and have one bite. One bite isn't going to wreck your diet; this isn't rationalizing, a small 200 odd calorie treat is well within your allowance of small meals during the day. Have the one small bite, using the portion control methods we've learned. Eat it slowly, savor it, and then have a glass of water after to help provide a comfortable fullness.

Remember that food is not actively trying to sabotage you. It's just food, and you can choose when and how you will eat it. The key is always to approach things from a perspective of moderation. One bite of candy will not wreck your diet, so take out one bite, put the rest away immediately, and have your bite. It can be hard to deny yourself the extras, but it is just as hard to lose the weight you put on when you overindulge. Find simple ways to master your trigger foods, and you will find them all the more enjoyable for it.

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