The Skinty

Beware of Trigger Foods

You’ve been there before right? You make the decision to eat healthier so you buy all of the healthy foods like carrots and apples, whole grain breads, etc. Perhaps you make the decision to eat soups that are liquid based and not cream, non fat yogurt rather than ice cream, different changes in lifestyle that are pretty easy to obtain. You find yourself doing really well and imagining yourself 10 years from now (if still hear Lord willing) still eating this way and wondering why you never did before.

You’ve made the decision to snack on your favorite foods every now and again so once in awhile you’ll get the cheese steak or pizza with the works, you’ll have the bag of Cheese Twists and go right back to your new eating habits ah life is beautiful. Until one day you decide you’d like to eat a chocolate bar one of your favorite foods that you haven’t had in like forever. You eat it just to find yourself wanting more so you have another the next day....then the next day until you find yourself months later unable to unleash this particular food along with others that have now crept their way into your diet and you find your wonderful change of life destroyed and think to yourself what exactly happened here?

It’s called eating a trigger food, basically a trigger food is a particular food that you’d do best at staying clear way from than eating every now and again. This is the food that you cannot simply take a nibble and walk away. You want it all and when all is gone you want more and more, it’s like it’s never satisfied and you can even find that when you don’t want it, still have to have it and it’s really hard to break free from eating it. For some it can be chocolate as I mentioned in the sample above, someone else it could be sugar. I did Weight Watchers briefly and the counselor I had mentioned to us that his trigger food was peanut butter to which he decided it could not be in the house ever again point blank and period.

Sounds pretty bad huh? Yet what are some ways to avoid falling into the trap of succumbing to trigger foods?

Think before you bite

Many of us have a good idea of what foods will set us off and what foods can comfortably be eaten in moderation. Take some time to think about what those foods are, this may come via trial and error but once you find out what those foods are remove them from your shopping list never to allow them to return to the home like the WW coach.

Seek support at home

Taking a food off of the shopping list can be tough when it’s not just you eating but a spouse who doesn’t have that struggle and still wants to eat the food you’re trying to avoid. Speaking to your husband about your struggle and need of his support in this matter would be best. It doesn’t mean he cannot eat it just that he loves you and therefore will not eat this food in your presence. This can also be an issue for children living at home where mom buys the food, the same request still applies.

Find an alternative

The whole thing of derivation can kick in if a proper replacement isn’t given in these cases therefore be sure to have a replacement food that you can eat that will not cause you to spiral out of control. For instance peanut butter may be your trigger but a peanut butter cup may not be. It’s enough to give the taste but not so much that it’ll have you wanting to by every piece of this candy off of the supermarket self.

Eat it but don’t bring it home If there is something that you can eat say at a restaurant or a friends house that would not cause you to go overboard by all means help yourself there. If the food that you have to keep out of the house ends up being for reasons that once you eat it and no matter where you are you have to have it, better to let it go than to allow it to place you in bondage.

Meditate on God’s word Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (NKJV) Emphasis on the later, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Which in this instance simply means I know eating cake will not send me to hell, but if it’s my weakness I will not eat it because it will have power over me, I will not be brought under it’s power.

Pray for strength

There may be cases where you do all of the right things and it just doesn’t work out in your favor. Maybe spouse doesn’t understand and figure why should he suffer, maybe mom and or dad decides this is my house and I’ll bring whatever food I want to this house. Perhaps you work at a job that always have food around that tempts you to eat eat eat. Whatever the case may be these situations can cause you to fall even when the desire is to do right and therefore remember God’s word, and also pray for the strength to avoid the temptation of indulging in that particular food. Some may say why not just pray to be able to eat the food whenever you’d like. That can be prayed as well however God doesn’t always grant us what we’d like but give us what we need. This may be the weakness that draws us to Him and His word, presenting opportunity to grow in the faith.

So there you have it, these are just a few ideals of how to avoid trigger foods.