We all have that one trigger food that we try to steer clear from because we know that once we start, you can’t stop. Cheez Its, Cool Ranch Doritos’ well those or mine. Some food just has an addictive quality about it for our taste buds.

What is A Trigger Food

“A trigger food is a specific food that sets off a course of overeating where control is lost. The most common trigger foods are calorie-dense, highly palatable foods that are often combinations of sugar and fat (e.g. ice cream, cookies) or fat and salt (e.g. nuts, potato chips, French fries)” (1)

Scobesity (1)

You Are in Control

This is going to sound insensitive; your brain controls the movements of your muscles. We learn this as a child in science class.  Our limbs are voluntary muscles, that means we volunteered to put the food in our mouth and chew it. It is your choice! No person or marketing is forcing you to eat it, you are even if you aren’t aware of it at the time or feel you have no control. The truth is you have complete control you are not helpless or powerless.

This that mindset that we weren’t in control in the moment does not help you change your behavior. You can’t effectively work on changing something you’re still partially in denial of. And if you’re reading this article, we can conclude you want to know how to change the phenomenon of trigger foods leading to overeating for yourself or someone else.

I want you to commit right now to yourself that eating is a choice that you can control. I’m serious stand up right now and say it out loud to yourself “Eating is a choice that I can control!”

It doesn’t mean it will be easy, but it does mean that you have the power.  It also means that you have acknowledged it which is the first step in conquering trigger foods.  You should applaud yourself for taking the first step.

Change The Word

Step two this is an easy step we are going to eliminate the phrase “trigger food” all together. The word trigger food makes it sound as if it has some superpower which is ridiculous.  It is nothing more than food it has no powers.

Break The Chain

Now it is time for action we are going to break this pattern. You are your food are going to part ways for a while. The food and you can reunite down the road, for this the work you will need separation for a while. To stop this recurring cycle which is not making you happy in the long run.

If you need to get the food out of your kitchen or house? Do it. You need to throw it out, donate it or put it completely out of sight and reach for at least two weeks. Do whatever you need ensure you do not have access to the food. Take charge remember you in are in control this, is your voluntary action. Break the cycle, then you can re-form a healthy relationship with this food.

Reflection and Support

I would like you to take the time and reflect on the experiences you had with this food. What was going on? Where were you? What caused this craving to hold on to you? Why did you feel the need for it?

It is a good thing ask who, why, what, and where. It’s important to grasp and understand the reason for the misuse of this food.

This means we can reverse the whole process.  Thinking about when, where and with whom you will be less likely to overeat a particular food. You want things to be different this time, control the environment understand the scenario before it happens.

Returning to A State of Control

It will probably take many attempts to bolster your confidence that this food is not in control of you. Each battle it will get easier, and you will become stronger. Eventually you will have complete control over this food.

Set up the environment so you are in control of how far you can over do it. For example, say Ice cream is this food. Pick up a cone at an ice cream truck this way you can’t over do it. For that cone it isn’t in your house when you will eat a whole pint.

This is a personal test to see how in control you are, can you eat only half a cone and throw the rest away? By doing this you are limiting how much you can overdo it, but you are also training yourself to face your former addiction.

Each controlled battle you will build confidence. Keep a record document your progression. It is good to have something to reflect on so you can see just how far you have come.

Footnotes

You are in control of what and how much you eat. If you have difficulty with a certain food, that’s normal and not permanent. You can change that. Take a break from the food long enough to think of a specific situation in which you are sure you will not (even cannot) overeat it. When you’d like to have the food again, have it under your terms. Keep the supports in place where you eat that food in a way you are happy with. Ease off the supports if you feel you don’t need them any longer but keep the ones which make your life easiest.

A Helpful Tip

Protein powders are a great tool in switch out that naughty food for something healthy. I am a big chocolate lover but I have a healthy chocolate protein to satisfy my chocolate cravings. Protein powder can be used in plenty of recipes as a substitute. Below are a few protein powders I have used over the years.

With Protein Powders Galore, Which One Is Right For Me?

Websites Cited:

1. https://www.scobesity.com/blog/eating-triggers/2019/10/11/eating-triggers#:~:text=A%20trigger%20food%20is%20a,potato%20chips%2C%20French%20fries).