A trigger refers to something that affects your emotional state. You loss your ability to remain present in the moment and be in control. It can cause specific thought patterns and influence your behavior and actions.

Make a plan to manage the triggers that cause you to overeat - defined as eating and drinking more calories than you need, causing you to gain weight.

Trigger Food - one that gets you off course; you are not truly hungry yet you keep eating and eating! We crave whatever we ingest. For example - Eat sugar, crave sugar. Stop eating sugar, stop craving sugar. It seems too easy. Too simple. Too good to be true. But it's the truth!

Trigger Situation - where you are, who you are with and what you are doing when this happens? Example – you are home alone, watching TV and you eat a cookie, then another and soon you are looting the kitchen for anything that looks good. Or you had good intentions about going out for a calorie appropriate dinner with a friend, but a high-calorie appetizer, then an entree, and a big dessert landed in front of you. Or are you at a party wolfing down appetizers? You were triggered!

Regardless soon after you regret your actions and don’t even want to think about how many calories you just consumed! You tell yourself, I know better, why did I do that? I won’t do that again!

Let's assess the Triggers -

List ALL your red light foods (trigger foods). Red Light Foods in Overeaters Anonymous are - those which you know you cannot eat safely without losing control and eating too much. Is it a snack food or part of a meal? Are they sweet or salty? Hot, cold or room temperature? Processed foods? Carbs, comfort foods? Five basic tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (savory).

What are the sources of the Triggers Foods? Is it a fast-food restaurant? Drive-thru? Food you order in? Grocery store? Convenience store? Your pantry? Meals with family or friends? Co-worker's birthday cake? Treats from others? Costco samples? You?

Describe the most common situations where you reach for the trigger foods or snacks. What room are you in, what time is it, what are you doing, who is with you, and how do you feel? Are you tired? Are you lonesome? Are you eating to feel better? Are you rewarding yourself? Soothing yourself? Eating from habit ie. Watch TV & eat? Are you bored? By getting the food how does it make what you are doing better? What should you be doing at that time?

Do you see a pattern? What types of foods are you reaching for? When you start to eat it are you already looking for seconds? Does easy access make a difference? How can you better handle the situations to avoid the triggers and not binge or to eat more than you should?

For example I love turkey dressing, and am compelled to keep returning to the fridge (scene of the crime) to eat it till it's all gone. That is a trigger food for me. Now when I make turkey dressing, I make enough for one meal, no leftovers, and I enjoy the meal and feel in control of my eating.

This is what the assignment is about - how will you not do that again? Can you pick a replacement habit or behavior that will cause you to pause, and think do I want to do this, and why? Maybe it would help to step away from the trigger - drink water, go for a walk, phone a friend, go outside, look out the window, brush your teeth, go to bed early, or play with your pet? Be consistent so you can develop the new habit.

Write out your strategy to avoid the Triggers. Maybe it’s baby steps to get you started or moderation. Don’t be a perfectionist, just get started.

Maybe it's only certain foods and you can make your own food rule "I do not eat XXXXX, it's a trigger food for me". "I will not buy it this month."

By doing this planning activity many times, I identified my problem foods. My Red Light Foods - appetizers, desserts, chips, and crackers of any kind. For 8 years I have not eaten any kind of chips or crackers. Also, I have not eaten in movie theaters or eaten Costco samples for 9 years. For example - because I do not eat crackers, I stopped buying blocks of cheese because I don't have crackers to put it on.

This year I overcame my worst trigger/habit of eating when I can't sleep. I will NOT reward myself with food for being up late. I acknowledge that I am not truly hungry, I want to eat for a distraction. Now I have the habit of going into the guest room and back to bed. I listen to an audiobook or watch a youtube show on my phone, but usually I go back to sleep quickly.

Maybe it would help you to 1) record food in the Food Diary before you eat it. Do you still want it after seeing the calories 2) wait 20 minutes before you eat it, but be mindful of what you are doing or 3) find an activity to distract yourself 4) have a pre-made snack of under 200 calories to eat instead

Summary

List Trigger situations - where you are? who you are with?
Trigger foods (red light) that cause overconsumption of calories.
Plan - replacement habit or behavior

My positive behaviors – ?

Have you developed habits to help you cope with your triggers? What did you learn from doing this assignment? Anything else to add?

My experience tells me - Getting rid of triggers... works better than willpower.

If you are catching up on Countdown Activities

Countdown Activity 1- Information & Blog
Countdown Activity 2 - Exercise
Countdown Activity 3 - Healthy Eating & Nutrition Plan
Countdown Activity 4 - Introduce Yourself
Countdown Activity 5 - Win Today Checklist
Countdown Activity 6 - Win Tomorrow Checklist
Countdown Activity 7 - What Can I Do In 8 Weeks – Motivation