How do you manage your trigger days?

shangrilala
shangrilala Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have two major triggers that will set me off course pretty quickly for an entire day if I'm not careful. And to be honest, I haven't really mastered how to handle them - I could use some advice in that area.

Trigger 1: Being tired.
When I feel sluggish and worn out, I want comfort. Comfort in the form of crumb cake or donuts or cheeseburgers and french fries. And before I know it I will have hit my calorie goal by lunch.

Trigger 2: Being stressed.
At the end of a particularly stressful day, I soothe the anxiety and decompress with food.

I realize I'm an emotional eater, and at this point in my life, when things are so crazy, when I'm up at 6, and don't stop going until around 10/10:30, both triggers are a real every day possibility. I'm not very good at managing them yet, even with careful planning. My current lifestyle doesn't fit the fixes I used in the past. For example, at the end of a bad day, I hit the gym or went for a run. I'm not able to do that now.

Any suggestions would be helpful, and appreciated. I just completed my first week and lost 6 pounds. I don't want to go another week or 2 and then wind up derailing as a result of a problem I know so well. In other words, I really want to break the cycle this time.

Replies

  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Trigger 1: eat a smaller serving of all of those items.

    Trigger 2: eat low calorie food and/or eat low-calorie/high-volume during the day so I have lots of calories to play with in the evening when I'm more likely to want to eat more.
  • Leana088
    Leana088 Posts: 581 Member
    Replace your stress/comfort eating with something else. A hot bath with candles, a cup of warm tea. Treat yourself to a home manicure.

    I don't keep treats in the house. That way I can't eat them all in one go. Instead I buy myself a small single serve treat before I go home everyday. What's done is done. I don't make another trip to town to go and buy more.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Planning and logging my food for the day in advance. Really doesn't seem worth messing up my plan. I don't want to spend hours exercising just to eat a lot more food than I actually need.
    Waiting 20 minutes to an hour to eat to see if the feeling goes away. Drinking water or tea. Chewing gum for awhile. If I still want something after that then I will eat.
    Sleeping more. If I am not getting enough sleep then it is tempting to eat more and move less.
    Exercise to manage stress. It does make me feel better and I feel less tired after exercising just 20 - 30 minutes as well.

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