Trigger Foods

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damie79
damie79 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you feel that you have "trigger" foods. For example if I eat anything sweet, I'm almost immediately hungry again... also I feel like very salty things can also be a trigger for me as well but not nearly as much. What are you methods of coping? If I overindulge on trigger foods, sometimes I feel that I have to skip a meal to get things out of my system or my cravings just seem to get out of control.

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  • bacanbit
    bacanbit Posts: 58 Member
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    The salty makes me want the sweet. It drives me crazy!
  • grouch201
    grouch201 Posts: 404 Member
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    It depends on how much of the stuff is around. For example...my roommates have a habit of bringing home cookies and leaving them in the 'communal' area, which is on the kitchen table. If I have one, it is practically inevitable that I will have another, and then another, and then another. I usually don't allow myself more than that, but just the four cookies is 2 servings and about 400 calories. I just have to pretend they aren't there and not allow myself to even have one.

    As far as most other things, I just don't allow myself to buy junk food. On the occasions that I do, I either buy a small enough portion that eating the whole thing won't be killer or I only measure out a single serving and then leave the rest alone. I maintain my sanity by allowing myself enough of the foods I enjoy that eating healthy doesn't become so much of a burden that any indulgence starts an avalanche of bad eating.
  • alanzo87
    alanzo87 Posts: 14
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    most definately anything with sugar. Once I have the smallest amount I want more, and I think about it until I eat it. Bread also makes me want something sweet. I am trying to cut them out, but its so hard!
  • FitterZone
    FitterZone Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi

    I love pizza and chips... I am trying something new. I allow those foods on a limited basis and in half the quantity I used to eat until I phase them out even more. In the past, once I am in a zone of healthy eating, those foods are no longer attractive to me.

    The hard think is social gatherings where alcholol is involved - I need to drink a lot slower, smaller quantities and more water.

    Good luck

    James
  • TripleJ3
    TripleJ3 Posts: 945 Member
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    For me its varity.

    I can have 1 cookie but if there are 4 different kinds there that I like I want one of each. Same with those mix bags of mini candy bars. I think theres 5 or 6 different kinds in there and I always have to have one of each. but then I want to taste the first flavor again and it starts over.

    So its not really any *type* of food, although both my examples are sweets, I do the same with chips or crackers. Its just the more varity, the more I want to keep eating them all then start back over again!
  • dothompson
    dothompson Posts: 1,184 Member
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    I also have a sweet trigger. It's almost like an alcoholic, if I eat one cookie, candy piece of cake, etc. I find it almost impossible to stop. I simply can't have that first bite unless it's in a very controlled environment. This will sound really strange, but I find that when I'm craving something sweet, if I eat a dill pickle the craving goes away.
  • damie79
    damie79 Posts: 6 Member
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    That's very interesting! I have read that vinegar has a sort of stabilizing effect on blood sugar. I wonder if that's why it helps. I will try that because I love dill pickles :)
  • sbwood888
    sbwood888 Posts: 953 Member
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    Anything real chocolate. The chocolate flavored stuff like cookies or ice cream bars, etc is OK, but if I eat something like a chocolate bar it is ON! I guess it is the creamy texture, I don't know.....I just cannot stop when I start eating chocolate. Especially 3 Musketeers bars. :love:
  • katschi
    katschi Posts: 689 Member
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    Processed food triggers me. I just can't eat any of it without wanting more, more, more.
    Anything sweet ... cakes, donuts, cookies, pie etc. ... forget about it. I can't handle it.
    Peanut butter ... even if it's all natural.
    Soft breads, pasta, white potatoes.
    Cheddar and havarti cheese.

    I cope by avoiding most of it although I keep peanut butter in the house and hope for the best.
  • jen0125
    jen0125 Posts: 53
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    carbs carbs carbs. the more processed, the more i crave them. the more i give in the worse the craving gets shortly after eating. on dealing with them, well, i don't have a plan since i keep eating them :) one day i hope to avoid them on a regular basis. one day....
  • mamaDaisyJ
    mamaDaisyJ Posts: 395
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    I guess mine would be chocolate, or carbs. I have had to stop getting the yummy fiber plus antioxidants chocolate granola. The results are not nice the next day. I just have one, then within half an hour I'm back in there and that's all that looks good to me. Then I eat 3 or 4! Of course, it falls to all chocolate, but even when I'm trying to be healthier about it I suffer....
    I was talking to my daughter, and she has willinglingly agreed to allow me to not buy junk food for the house and she can have candy when we are out and about at the stores. Now if I could just get my husband to agree.
    They do like alot of junk that I don't like though. I started buying any flavor but cherry poptarts, those are my favorite. I like sugar, chocolate chip, or sandwich cookies, so I get oatmeal cookies for the family. I plan on eating fruit with dinner when they have mac&cheese.
    So basically, I just started buying the same stuff in flavors or styles that weren't my favorite.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    White tortillas, cheese puffs, and alcohol.

    I try to stay away from Taco Bell because the white tortillas make me ravenous afterwards. I have to get about 3-4 things from there just to get satisfied, but 3 hours later I am running into the kitchen again!

    Cheese puffs are something I just can't have a normal serving of. I have to devour the whole bag. Putting the bag away just doesn't help.

    And then there's lucious alcohol. Nope, I am not a fall down drunk...unless I am drinking, lol!!! I normally don't drink except on vacation or the holidays, but when I do drink, I just don't stop. Ever. My fiance bought the stuff for Bahama Mamas on Friday and we had some Saturday night too...and boy were they good!!! But I am still paying the price for all that alcohol with the bloating that I currently fighting!!! Some people know their limit...I am not one of them. That's why I only drink a couple times a year. :bigsmile:
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    definitely cashews. I can't buy them anymore :P
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,715 Member
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    *Bumping*

    I have been able to incorporate foods with good planning, only buying a certain amount or just avoid if it just doesn't work. Here are a few-

    Cereal. It's so hard not to eat a whole box!
  • 15822
    15822 Posts: 269 Member
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    It's taking me years to accept, but overeating makes me overeat. Let's say someone gives me an entire large pizza at a social event and I eat it and feel like I will never need to eat for the rest of my life and also I can't breathe, then I'll wake up next morning so hungry I'd eat the couch pillows whole if I could digest them. Any huge meal will make me hungry the next day, which has derailed my dieting efforts so many times. I'll have one bad day, then be unable to get back on track and after about 3 days of failing to somehow make up for that one day I'm guaranteed to give up altogether.

    My new approach is to let it happen. I had a 4000 calorie day a few weeks ago and I made no attempt to eat 1200 the next day. that's not how my body works. I can probably do a 3000 cal day the next day and the following day stick to 'healthy foods', but in unreasonable quantities, then within 4 days I'm back to sticking to my goals. I've now done this new approach after two weekends of social eating and one instance of going on a 14 hour bike ride which of course meant lots of extra nutrition. And I'm still here, so it works!
  • DFW_Tom
    DFW_Tom Posts: 218 Member
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    VegjoyP wrote: »
    *Bumping*

    I have been able to incorporate foods with good planning, only buying a certain amount or just avoid if it just doesn't work. Here are a few-

    Cereal. It's so hard not to eat a whole box!

    Interesting old thread. Thanks for resurrecting it.

    Carbs of almost any kind triggered very strong cravings when I first went on a low-carb change. Even the healthy low glycemic carbs like, plain popcorn or steel cut oatmeal, had to be avoided. Any kind of grain, dough, or food with added sugar triggered blood sugar spikes and cravings. Chips? I'd eat the whole 12 oz. bag if I started with just a chip or two, and feel even hungrier after that last chip. Portion control was just a pipe dream for me when it came to high glycemic foods.

    I'm overjoyed to say that after the better part of a year avoiding carbs, my sensitivity seems to be abating. Had a serving of oatmeal with peanut butter and blue berries this morning without suffering any cravings. Will try a banana next! I'm staying away from cereals though.

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