Are you staying completely away from your trigger foods?

KimofTas

ewhip17 wrote: »

.... I think you have to look inward and find out what works for you and what doesn't.

I agree and this is exactly what I had to do to get me started and focused. Now, if I have the urge to go and eat the treats that my husband has in the cupboard, I remember how it feels after I've eaten that whole chocolate bar or bag of chips (ashamed, weak etc) and I go grab a carrot instead.

That's kind of what's gotten me past having chocolate every day like I used to.
Now the rule I have for myself is that if I have a chocolate or treat craving, I have to have a carrot first to decide if I'm just a little bit hungry and being lazy or if it's a bonafide craving. Also, I like to try and be thrifty with my cals so most days, wasting them is not ok with me.

Usually, it's the first and the carrot does the trick

tonyamariepierce

an open bag of potato chips is an empty bag of potato chips. no moderation. if the bag is sealed I am fine, but once its open, its going to gone. I wish I had control but its better to not even allow them into my home

LianaG1115

YES!!!!!!!!!!

DeterminedFee201426

frksfrau wrote: »

I've been on my plan for approximately 6 weeks. I've done fairly well, but I stay completely away from my trigger foods, such as Peanut Butter. It had gotten so bad that my family were hiding jars. Last week while organizing his dresser, my husband found a jar and he burst out laughing.

I know if I get a taste I will eat the jar. What about you? Are you staying away? Or, have you found a solution of having your peanut butter and eating it, too?

i dont stay away from any of my trigger foods . Solution: i just add a little bit of it most days that i want it without going over my calorie goal

sophomorelove

Chocolate is my sin food. I try not to buy it myself because I know I'll eat the whole bag and destroy all the evidence (except for the extra pounds on my butt). I'll still eat it as a treat at someone else's place, when offered. This way I get to enjoy it occasionally but can't eat too much because the fear of being judged overpowers the temptation to eat everything in sight.

Missjulesdid

I cut out EVERYTHING that I was prone to overeating. I have added many of them back in now and I'm able to eat them in moderation now but I wouldn't have been able to simply "cut back". For me, I had to completely eliminate and live without for several months and then add back in a controlled way. Sometimes adding back a food would trigger a mini-binge but I'd just cut it out and try again. Ultimately I don't want to have any food that is "off limits" due to lack of self control, but it's a process and doesn't happen overnight.

VegasFit

I don't bring trigger foods into my house like popcorn, ice cream, cookie butter, etc. I still enjoy those items but outside of my house and on a weekend. I wish I could be one of those people that keep items and stick to a serving but I'm not. This works for me. I did, however, have a friend stay over and we had to go to the store when she realized I had no snack items in the house like chips for her to munch on.

msKoach

Yes, I've had to cut out my trigger foods once I found out I have a wheat allergy (it's cookies and cakes for me) I refuse to find a recipe for a wheat free version as I know I will just eat them all.
Strict avoidance is easier than just a little bite. that's like taking one step and hoping I don't fall into the bottomless pit. I'm really bad

Wicked_Seraph

I've had to learn the hard way that my self-control isn't as strong as I thought it was. I was pleased as punch to see Triscuits on sale at Publix and bought a few boxes. I figured that I was wise enough to only grab a few... and yeah no, more like half the box. The same with the coconut milk ice cream I bought. I opened it up, took a few bites aaaaaand ended up hitting the bottom of the container. AAHHHHH 8(

I've learned it's better to simply not have things like that around.

kclay1021

CoachJen71 wrote: »

Yes and no. I am having them less often. I find I don't do well with deprivation.

This - I have a hard time having chips in the house because even if I portion it out. . . I'll go back for the second portion and the third and maybe even a fourth...........depending on which kind they are :-)

SuggaD

I don't really have trigger foods, per se. But when I have a craving, it takes immense willpower to control, and the things I crave are things that go crunch (nuts, chips, crackers). So I do not buy them unless I am okay with finishing them in one or two sittings, which fortunately, I can once or week or so because I am very active. Last week I ate an entire 1lb bag of macadamia nuts in 2 days. Yesterday a lot of baked chips and some popcorn (working late usually gets me snacking too much).

Francl27

Missjulesdid wrote: »

I cut out EVERYTHING that I was prone to overeating. I have added many of them back in now and I'm able to eat them in moderation now but I wouldn't have been able to simply "cut back". For me, I had to completely eliminate and live without for several months and then add back in a controlled way. Sometimes adding back a food would trigger a mini-binge but I'd just cut it out and try again. Ultimately I don't want to have any food that is "off limits" due to lack of self control, but it's a process and doesn't happen overnight.

Pretty much what I did as well. Then moderation got harder so I cut them again (with a planned Thanksgiving binge in the middle). I found that moderation was actually much easier after I cut things out for a while, and it's when I started eating them regularly again that I ended up binging again. I still don't deprive myself and have sweets, just not the stuff that makes me binge.

Totally depends on my hormones too though... Some days moderation is much easier than others, but lately I've just been taking advantage of the easier days to just avoid that stuff altogether to save calories for when it's going to be harder again.

Aemely

I try not to buy foods that tempt me to mindlessly binge. But, if I really have a hankering for my one "overeating" temptation again, I'm going to pre-portion it into smaller bags before eating a chip. That being said, a couple binges hasn't set me back, as long as it doesn't happen very often. However, I have felt sick afterwards!

sarieth05

I've gotten better over the months at not gorging myself if I've got my trigger foods in front of me, but I stopped buying my favorite chips because I think I'd be more likely to eat too many. I'm not going to stress if they end up in the house for whatever reasons, but I have gained a bit of restraint. XD (I logged ONE Pringles chip today - would definitely not have only eaten one a few months ago).

neanderthin

If you have no self control then you're probably doing the right thing.

ewhip17

Also, I've sort of replaced some of that stuff with other foods that are healthier and that I'm less prone to eat in mass quantities. There are certain protein bars that I really like and I'll often use them as a treat. Or low sodium almonds. Or Honeycrisp apples, which I'm currently obsessed with... Making those substitutions has really helped.

Bearbo27

I do stay away from a few trigger foods but eat everything in moderation. Not all my trigger foods are that bad for me. I love chocolate but can totally handle just a bite to help hold me over without eating a massive amount of it. Breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day and while I would love to eat 2 big breakfast burritos with sausage and egg, I don’t. I have got myself where I make 1 small burrito with everything weighed out and I'm good. One trigger food I'm staying away from is donuts. I used to get a dozen donuts for the family and eat half the dozen by myself. I love donuts and coffee and I think right now it would be too hard to not overeat. With that being said...I do try to work in as many if my favorite foods as possible. When I eliminated too many foods in the past it backfired.

ewhip17

Bearbo27 wrote: »

One trigger food I'm staying away from is donuts. I used to get a dozen donuts for the family and eat half the dozen by myself. I love donuts and coffee and I think right now it would be too hard to not overeat.

Phew... you are preaching to the choir there! Donuts were the thing I'd buy when my wife and kids were out of town so they wouldn't know that I ate the entire dozen..... :-)

_lyndseybrooke_

No. I don't have "trigger foods." Sounds like a symptom of an eating disorder if you ask me. Or just crappy willpower, which we've all been guilty of having at some point. I eat the foods I like and fit them into my weekly calorie limit. I still eat burgers, fries, pizza, Chinese food, ice cream, chocolate, etc. quite often.

I used to be bad about overeating certain foods, but that's not really a problem for me anymore. The secret to avoiding a binge, at least for me, is to not deprive your body of calories by eating too little. When I was eating 1200 calories per day, I'd go nuts on the weekends and gorge on delicious, high-calorie treats, which made it hard to lose any weight because I was undoing all of the work I did during the week. Now that I'm eating quite a bit more (and still losing), I don't even feel tempted by donuts or cookies in the break room. It's no big deal to walk past it if I can't fit it into my macros that day.

I can honestly say I've never hidden food from myself.

Smoofalz

At first I did. But after watching my calories for a few months, I have really become used to eating less and not over indulging. Now I can have a small piece of cake and not go back for the rest and stick to one slice of pizza instead of like 3 and feel satisfied lol.

stealthq

Does it count as a trigger food if I'm able to say no, but just really don't want to?

If yes, I can't relate, so don't have anything to contribute.

If so, then no, I'm not avoiding them. I'm just more careful about them. I might pre-portion servings of some things (oreos, crackers, toffee). Other things I'll buy when I know I have the calories to eat the whole friggin' thing and have nothing left over (certain pizzas). Others, I just exercise my willpower and make myself stop. I do try to not stress my willpower too much on one day. So, if I eat something I have a hard time stopping early on, I'll eat something I enjoy but not to the same degree, later.

annette_15

Only thing I have no willpower around is chocolate... I cant just have one piece. If I eat one piece and try to walk away I feel more deprived and sad than if I dont eat one, so I either let myself eat it all or I dont eat it at all lol.. So yeah I try to only buy chocolate when I'm gonna eat it

111grace

When I started this 2 months ago, I cleaned my house, no trigger stuff!! was going well until yesterday, looking in MY clothes cupboard I find 2 big chocolates, a family member hid their chocolate in My clothes cupboard!! I felt like an AA member I had just found a bottle!!, and low and behold, 2 days 800 calories over!! S*#T!! 2 months of buying my groceries and not once taking any trigger crap!! and here at home in MY clothes cupboard!! the "apple in the garden". I had thought, I got this!! my conclusion for myself!! once a junkie always a junkie!! I wish I had, had the strength of character to throw it out the window!!

eat_hike_b33r

Nope, I love crisps and if I stop eating them completely I will for sure crack one day and eat half a bag.... I just weigh it, add it to MFP and decide:
1. is it worth it now that im looking at the nutrition info
2. will it put me over on calories....

if the answer is yes, and no, then I eat it without feeling guilty and i enjoy every single chip...

MirrorMe33

I have way too many trigger foods... Nutella, plain crackers, white bread, TimTams or any form of home made biscuit. They're now things I simply have to keep out of the house. I managed moderation for a while but I've lost the ability lately so it's back on complete abstinence until I can learn how to behave again.
Saw a jar of Nutella in the shops yesterday and had to work very hard to keep walking. The things we do for better health...

CrmpetsNTea

I just started, but I know that if I go near a bag of chips, have nutella or a slice of cake, it's all over! I won't stop! So I'm staying away from those foods entirely until I get a handle on portion control and caloric value of different foods.