What are your emotional / environmental triggers?
Chocoholic55555
Posts: 173 Member
We all have them, and apparently identifying & being aware of them really helps.
I'll start;
Feeling tired - I think, my body is confused. Perhaps it's the fact that when you have very small children, you can't always sleep when you want to. I think I've got into the habit of eating when I'm tired to keep myself awake. Not when I'm tired, I just want to stuff my face.
Feeling ill - I just want comfort food!! My Mum always let us eat whatever we wanted when we were unwell, so I suppose that's where the association comes from. I have some deep routed belief that I'm allowed whatever I want to eat when I'm ill.
Feeling upset - when my grandfather died, everyone (me included) was so sad. He was gone and there was nothing I could do to about it. The only thing that I could think to do was to feed everyone. People. Still had to eat even if they didn't feel like it. Taking food was all I could do when I felt helpless. I remembered this recently and realised that I use food to cheer myself up too.
Feeling angry - yes, I eat hen I'm cross too.
What about you?
I'll start;
Feeling tired - I think, my body is confused. Perhaps it's the fact that when you have very small children, you can't always sleep when you want to. I think I've got into the habit of eating when I'm tired to keep myself awake. Not when I'm tired, I just want to stuff my face.
Feeling ill - I just want comfort food!! My Mum always let us eat whatever we wanted when we were unwell, so I suppose that's where the association comes from. I have some deep routed belief that I'm allowed whatever I want to eat when I'm ill.
Feeling upset - when my grandfather died, everyone (me included) was so sad. He was gone and there was nothing I could do to about it. The only thing that I could think to do was to feed everyone. People. Still had to eat even if they didn't feel like it. Taking food was all I could do when I felt helpless. I remembered this recently and realised that I use food to cheer myself up too.
Feeling angry - yes, I eat hen I'm cross too.
What about you?
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Replies
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I'm an easy target for advertisers - I can hear a certain food mentioned, or pass by a sign, and all of a sudden I'm salivating for that food.
Probably stress is a trigger for me. It's not so much that being stressed or upset specifically makes me crave junk food, it's more that when I'm in those modes, I don't care so much about being healthy. And when I don't care, there's nothing to stop me from piling in the junk!
I think I've seen this mentioned on here before - but weirdly, when I'm doing really well or feeling good about myself, THAT makes me feel comfortable eating more on a certain day! Which is dumb and defeats the purpose, but happens every time. Or if I get a second glance from a guy while I'm out and about, I'll be like "See, it's okay to eat these ____ because I'm already sex-AY" :laugh:0 -
I'm still working out what my triggers are but so far it's being tired, anxiety ( which is super awesome when you have anxiety :P ), and anytime I have to face my weight ( ie: when someone makes a comment about it, good or bad ).0
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Mine are: Lack of sleep
Feeling like a failure
Feeling overwhelmed
Feeling like people are taking advantage of me.
Also " getting too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired"
Once I am triggered, I can sometimes handle it until the feelings calm down if I don't have anything in the house and don't go out where fast food and grocery stores are calling me. Like cbm413, if I have a picture of something in my mind, I will hunt it down sooner or later:frown: Wish I could stop that because those pictures stay in the back of my mind waiting until I am triggered again and pop back into my consciousness when I am vulnerable.0 -
Interesting thread
Sometimes I have no idea what triggers it, but the ones I'm aware of are:
Tiredness.
Stress and anxiety
Loneliness
Boredom - when I don't have enough other things to occupy my mind/hands
Feeling full - never understand this one, but if I eat enough to feel really full or just slightly too full, then I don't stop.0 -
Yep,
Being alone or overly hungry...
Social gatherings can start me off then pig out at home later on....
Going out to eat....especially buffet...0 -
I find my main trigger is being upset, sadly the past 2 days I've been binging because of a family issue and am preparing myself for the week as I know it's going to be difficult but I find that when I'm binging if someone mentions a certain food I will often start craving it and going and getting it for myself!0
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Interesting thread
Sometimes I have no idea what triggers it, but the ones I'm aware of are:
Tiredness.
Stress and anxiety
Loneliness
Boredom - when I don't have enough other things to occupy my mind/hands
Feeling full - never understand this one, but if I eat enough to feel really full or just slightly too full, then I don't stop.
Oh MY GOSH!! That feeling full one is very true. I can't believe I never put my finger on it before!!! I have the exact same trigger, among many others.0 -
Doing work - I end up procrastinating in the form of munching on a chocolate bar, or yoffling some ice cream.
Boredom - more rubbish shovelled into my mouth.
Feeling useless - 'oh poor me, at least I can eat'
Stress - maybe if I put things off by eating it'll get better.
Basically, my degree.0 -
Feeling full - never understand this one, but if I eat enough to feel really full or just slightly too full, then I don't stop.
Oh MY GOSH!! That feeling full one is very true. I can't believe I never put my finger on it before!!! I have the exact same trigger, among many others.
What is with that? Like, my stomach is starting to hurt just a little bit... better eat another two sandwiches just to be sure.
Guh. *headdesk*0 -
Interesting thread
Sometimes I have no idea what triggers it, but the ones I'm aware of are:
Tiredness.
Stress and anxiety
Loneliness
Boredom - when I don't have enough other things to occupy my mind/hands
Feeling full - never understand this one, but if I eat enough to feel really full or just slightly too full, then I don't stop.
Same for me with the feeling of fullness!! What is that? It makes it hard to have a 'cheat day' because I don't know how long the 'cheat day" will end up lasting... could be weeks once I get off and running:frown:
Maybe it's a survival instinct that if there is an abundance of food, you should eat as much as possible because winter is coming??0 -
Triggers are for me: boredom, lonliness, and the hardest one for me to understand is when I have lost weight I seem to self sabatoge. I think I can eat to celebrate my loss which clearly is wrong. I have been doing this my entire life.0
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1. stress - when I was a student and deadlines for papers were fast approaching... then I'd pig out either to procrastinate or sometimes while working to make it more tolerable...
2. boredom
3. sitting in front of the computer or tv - when I'm in a binge phase (binging several times a week or even every day), computer and tv are my main culprits! for some weird reason I don't think watching tv or surfing the internet is as enjoyable without eating at the same time ! it's really strange, I guess I eat more bc I'm eating "mindlessly" but it's like as soon as I start doing either one I just have to munch on something and I can't stop until all the food is gone. (when I'm not in a binge phase I'm perfectly fine watching tv or surfing the internet without any food)
4. feeling bad about myself/my body which is kinda stupid bc binging makes those feelings only worse!0 -
Hmmm, a trigger for me is also when i go over on calories... then the head games start... what's the use? might as well enjoy it now.... etc etc....0
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Hands down...hangover! Nothing like a quarter pounder supersized meal to feel better. Otherwise, camping. I love hotdogs, burgers, anything cooked over a campfire. When we have a movie night I trash my diet. Popcorn, extra butter. Oh...and chocolate bars. I also have this thing about wanting to binge when I wake up in the middle of the night. Why does food look so much better to me at 3 am??0
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When I'm really bingeing in that out of control, compulsive way, it's almost never because of environmental triggers. Real binges almost always occur because of emotional triggers. Generally, it's some form of anxiety: fear, general worry, anxiety induced anger, etc.
My most recent binge, though, did not seem to have an emotional trigger. It wasn't even hormonal, which might trigger overeating but usually not a full on binge. I talked about it at length with my therapist this week, and we really were only able to attribute it to an adolescent voice in me that simply didn't want to be told what she could and could not eat. Should that happen again, I've got some delay/compromise strategies to try.0 -
This is me too1. stress - when I was a student and deadlines for papers were fast approaching... then I'd pig out either to procrastinate or sometimes while working to make it more tolerable...
2. boredom
3. sitting in front of the computer or tv - when I'm in a binge phase (binging several times a week or even every day), computer and tv are my main culprits! for some weird reason I don't think watching tv or surfing the internet is as enjoyable without eating at the same time ! it's really strange, I guess I eat more bc I'm eating "mindlessly" but it's like as soon as I start doing either one I just have to munch on something and I can't stop until all the food is gone. (when I'm not in a binge phase I'm perfectly fine watching tv or surfing the internet without any food)
4. feeling bad about myself/my body which is kinda stupid bc binging makes those feelings only worse!
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Boredom
Anxiety
Worry
Fatigue
Advertisements
TV
Nighttime
All or Nothing Thinking (if I'm over my calories a little, I just continue on out of control)
Obsession
Donna L.0 -
definitely stress. i work a lot and i'm a full time student which is super tough. i never have time for anything and end up sleeping much less than i should because of it. if i'm stressed out about assignments/tests/etc i binge a looot. today was a really bad day
also the all or nothing mentality. it is really hard for me to just have a little bite of something without going crazy and overeating. especially if i go over a little i just think welp might as well eat the whole world real quick because i already went over by 100 calories. ugh.0 -
My triggers are definitely when under stress, depression, and sudden feellings of lonely.
Environments do not so much trigger me. I actually hold myself together very well around temptation at social events, because I truly enjoy inspiring others around me and living by example. It is when I am alone that binging may strike. I only binge when I am by myself. It is a sickening event when it does happen. I eat and eat until I feel I could throw up. I am happy to have this forum to vent to. 0 -
My biggest trigger is stress. When I am stressed out the first thing I want to do is eat so that I can forget about whatever is bothering me. It also doesn't help that I am one of those people who go over a problem over and over in their heads so it's a horrible cycle.
Another trigger is boredom! "Nothing to do? I know, let's eat!".0 -
Pretty much any EXTREME emotion. I have been able to handle the every day emotions pretty well now, without turning to food, but whenever an unexpected or extreme emotion hits me, I still sometimes will turn to food to soften the blow (numb me).
Also, boredom will get me, too. Boredome and lonliness. My biggest trigger these is being alone and bored (or procrastinating).0 -
Just joined this group and glad to find some support here.
For me it's mostly bored and trigger "situations" e.g. post dinner on my laptop on couch in front of tv - my habit is definitely having something that I can keep stuffing into my mouth..0
