Eating Triggers and Strategies to Beat Them

Do you know there are so many triggers that can cause you to eat? Here are a few of the triggers and some strategies to beat them.

• Stress- When you are stressed acknowledge it. Learn to develop stress management techniques like journal.
• Feeling angry or upset- analyze your emotion and try to find an activity to deal with it; take a walk or call a friend
• Certain Time of Day- avoid skipping meals or delaying meals, make an eating schedule (set a timer), plan what you will eat ahead of time this will reduce the chances of impulse eating or emotional eating.
• Pressure from friends and family- Get your response ready for those people that WILL tell you it's OK to cheat, or look for healthy alternatives you can eat in social situations.
• Being in an environment where food is available- avoid them if you can; sit away from food at meetings or gatherings, take a different route to work, class, shop from a list and only eat when you are hungry, arrange nonfood outings with friends.
• Feeling bored or tired; Identify the times when you feel the lowest energy and fill it with activities like; exercise breaks
• The sight and smell of food- Stop buying high-calorie, high sugar, high fat foods that tempt you to snack, store them in inconvenient places, out of sight; avoid walking past tempting treats. Buy small individual pack snacks to avoid eating an entire large bag.
• Eating mindlessly or inattentively- Turn off the distractions; do not eat in front of a T.V., don't talk on the phone and eat, avoid eating while on the computer or while listening to the radio, eat slower, put your fork down and savor each bite and become aware of your hunger as it gets satisfied.
• Feeling deprived- allow yourself an "indulgence" food or "cheat food" in moderation only, this way you won't crave the food; focus on balancing your calorie input and output.
• Eating out of habit- establish a routine, take a new route to work so you don't feel compelled to stop at a place that is bad for you.
• Watching Television- find something to occupy your hands and body while your mind is watching the screen; ride a stationary bike, stretch, draw, knit or anything else besides snacking on popcorn or ice cream.

Keep a log of what triggers you to eat. Before you eat write down these things; how hungry you feel; are you tired, sad, angry, or happy? Write how you feel after; are you stuffed, satisfied, still hungry? Keeping track of your emotions and how your stomach feels after you have eaten can make a big difference in the amount of food you consume.

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