how do you handle trigger foods

Mine is chocolate and I have no self control whatsoever when it's in the house. So I don't keep it in the house. If I need a fix I buy a single serving so I can't binge on leftovers.

Self control does not happen over night. It's something you really have to want and work at. Also a bit of trial and error, in finding out which foods you can eat in moderation and which ones you can't. (no matter how hard you try)

I'll eat foods as I crave them, because if not, I will just binge on them later. Brownies and certain cookies are trigger foods for me, I will eat the whole box if they are around. So i'll go to a local bakery (instead of sobey's or Walmart) and buy just one brownie. That way there's no more lying around and I've satisfied my craving. (Btw, they do look at you funny when you buy just one lol. "You know dear, it's cheaper if you buy them in a dozen")

Or with pizza or chinese food, try microwaving a bowl of frozen veg, while your waiting for it to delivered. (or ready for pickup) That way you won't be as hungry when it gets there.

Just some things that worked for me

I think relying only on self-control is dangerous and often sets you up for failure. I prefer to look at the underlying reasons because if I can figure those out, I can probably find a solution that (1) will work better in the longterm and (2) won't be so much an issue of my battling myself with self-control as my only weapon.

So, I'd suggest looking at your trigger foods and why they trigger you. Here are some of the issues I've explored:

(1) Am I getting enough calories? I find that if I'm not genuinely hungry, the cravings are a LOT more manageable. So, I'll eat something nutritious -- often veggies with a good fat and some protein (like broccoli with cheese and some tasty chicken) -- and find that the craving is greatly reduced or eliminated altogether. Never go to Costco hungry!

(2) Am I getting enough nutrients? I've found that when I have intense cravings, it's often because I'm not eating very nutrient-dense foods. Instead, I'm eating stuff with more empty calories -- usually sugar or junk from highly processed foods. They're made that way to make you crave more -- no coincidence there. So, when I focus on eating more nutrient dense foods (vegetables in particular, but good meats and fats too), a lot of the cravings dissipate or they're satisfied with a small amount of the craved fodo. I won't greatly overeat them.

(3) If I'm satisfied with those two, then I start looking into psychological issues. Am I bored? Am I anxious? Am I sad? Frustrated? All common things that will drive me towards sweets personally. Once I realize I'm doing this, I can usually refocus the behavior and eat more mindfully rather than mindlessly. If I'm bored, I'll find something useful to do -- work on my never ending "To Do" list or chores that need to be done. If it's the others, I'll usually opt for a bath, a long walk, some heavy bag work or meditation to calm and process the emotions rather than soothing with food.

The only thing that I absolutely cannot have in my house is Oreos. I will eat an entire package in two days. Everything else I'm great at self control, but those little devils get me every time.

I buy small quantities of food I know to be triggers. And if somehow something makes it into the house, I pour syrup and toothpaste on it so that I won't eat it.
I feel pathetic about it, but I don't eat the food then.

I avoid cheesecake. Period.

If trigger foods mean if I see it then I will want it then just about all foods are triggers for me. The best way to handle it in my opinion is to work the foods of your choice into your calorie limit for the week.

If there are chocolates/cake around and I don't have any, I'm okay. But once I have one piece/bite, it's game over and I binge. So when people bring snacks into work, I generally avoid them altogether. If it's in my house, I will eat it, so I keep it out of my house. Or if I do buy something, I will do like you do and just buy a small portion of it.

I've also found that flavoured teas really help my sweet cravings. I can have a cup or two of Creme Caramel, or Salted Caramel tea and the sweetness of that is enough to curb the craving.

LIke you said - Individual Servings ! 2 chocolate chip cookies from McDonald's, individual ice cream for grocery store, etc. How can I get some Ritz crackers without buying a box ? That I don't know...... :explode: :noway: :flowerforyou:

I think relying only on self-control is dangerous and often sets you up for failure. I prefer to look at the underlying reasons because if I can figure those out, I can probably find a solution that (1) will work better in the longterm and (2) won't be so much an issue of my battling myself with self-control as my only weapon.

So, I'd suggest looking at your trigger foods and why they trigger you. Here are some of the issues I've explored:

(1) Am I getting enough calories? I find that if I'm not genuinely hungry, the cravings are a LOT more manageable. So, I'll eat something nutritious -- often veggies with a good fat and some protein (like broccoli with cheese and some tasty chicken) -- and find that the craving is greatly reduced or eliminated altogether. Never go to Costco hungry!

(2) Am I getting enough nutrients? I've found that when I have intense cravings, it's often because I'm not eating very nutrient-dense foods. Instead, I'm eating stuff with more empty calories -- usually sugar or junk from highly processed foods. They're made that way to make you crave more -- no coincidence there. So, when I focus on eating more nutrient dense foods (vegetables in particular, but good meats and fats too), a lot of the cravings dissipate or they're satisfied with a small amount of the craved fodo. I won't greatly overeat them.

(3) If I'm satisfied with those two, then I start looking into psychological issues. Am I bored? Am I anxious? Am I sad? Frustrated? All common things that will drive me towards sweets personally. Once I realize I'm doing this, I can usually refocus the behavior and eat more mindfully rather than mindlessly. If I'm bored, I'll find something useful to do -- work on my never ending "To Do" list or chores that need to be done. If it's the others, I'll usually opt for a bath, a long walk, some heavy bag work or meditation to calm and process the emotions rather than soothing with food.

I've looked at your diary for the last month and the advice that you were given above is perfect for you.

Looking at what you've eaten, your body must be starving! Please ditch some of the processed foods and replace them with whole foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, good fats and protein. Learn how to cook for your own sake.

I know your intentions are probably good, but that was kind of rude. It's one thing to give advice to someone who asks for it, but quite another to tell other people what's best for them unsolicited. What a person decides to eat is their own business.

I think relying only on self-control is dangerous and often sets you up for failure. I prefer to look at the underlying reasons because if I can figure those out, I can probably find a solution that (1) will work better in the longterm and (2) won't be so much an issue of my battling myself with self-control as my only weapon.

So, I'd suggest looking at your trigger foods and why they trigger you. Here are some of the issues I've explored:

(1) Am I getting enough calories? I find that if I'm not genuinely hungry, the cravings are a LOT more manageable. So, I'll eat something nutritious -- often veggies with a good fat and some protein (like broccoli with cheese and some tasty chicken) -- and find that the craving is greatly reduced or eliminated altogether. Never go to Costco hungry!

(2) Am I getting enough nutrients? I've found that when I have intense cravings, it's often because I'm not eating very nutrient-dense foods. Instead, I'm eating stuff with more empty calories -- usually sugar or junk from highly processed foods. They're made that way to make you crave more -- no coincidence there. So, when I focus on eating more nutrient dense foods (vegetables in particular, but good meats and fats too), a lot of the cravings dissipate or they're satisfied with a small amount of the craved fodo. I won't greatly overeat them.

(3) If I'm satisfied with those two, then I start looking into psychological issues. Am I bored? Am I anxious? Am I sad? Frustrated? All common things that will drive me towards sweets personally. Once I realize I'm doing this, I can usually refocus the behavior and eat more mindfully rather than mindlessly. If I'm bored, I'll find something useful to do -- work on my never ending "To Do" list or chores that need to be done. If it's the others, I'll usually opt for a bath, a long walk, some heavy bag work or meditation to calm and process the emotions rather than soothing with food.

I've looked at your diary for the last month and the advice that you were given above is perfect for you.

Looking at what you've eaten, your body must be starving! Please ditch some of the processed foods and replace them with whole foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, good fats and protein. Learn how to cook for your own sake.

I know your intentions are probably good, but that was kind of rude. It's one thing to give advice to someone who asks for it, but quite another to tell other people what's best for them unsolicited. What a person decides to eat is their own business.

Yes my intentions are only ever to give honest, intelligent feedback based on the facts available. You're right, I didn't mean to be rude at all. I didn't feel that any of the advice given was unsolicited, the OP is crying out for some help and I really felt for her. Please always allow for the fact that intonation and expression cannot be conveyed in a post and I will word any future posts more carefully.

Much has been written of self-control as a muscle--it can be strengthened and under too much stress it can give out. Here is an article with strengthening suggestions, and references. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower-self-control.pdf There's a lot more like this on the web if you look.

I have 3 teenagers in the house so there is always some junk food in the pantry. I totally agree with posters who say it's best just not to have tempting foods around, but I make concessions for my kids' sake (being overly strict deprives them of an opportunity to learn moderation on their own, and they are amazingly moderate). I do MUCH better when it's not around. That said, 2 things help me deal with the temptation. (1) I build snacks I like into my meal plan for the day and tell myself the kid snacks are off limits to me because I have my own, much better, snacks. E.g. 1 oz almonds curbs my sweet craving and is really satisfying. It's easy to go over 1 oz, so I actually pre-measure. Nerdy, I know, but I've proven to myself many times I need that guardrail. (2) In the morning, I plan my intake for the day. It's a lot easier to go "off-roading" when there is no defined road in the first place. Having a plan makes it easier to follow.

All of Lindsey's suggestions were really good ones, I thought.