What’s a trigger food? That food you can’t bring in the house without it calling your name. The one you can sit down and you blink and it’s gone (and your stomach hurts from eating so much). The food you turn to when you’re stressed. You know the one.
For some people it’s sweets like cookies or candy. Others love salty foods like chips or chex mix.
How to break the obsession with your trigger food?
(first, make sure you’ve downloaded my ebook to make sure you know what to eat to stay satisfied + how to PREVENT stress eating in the first place..)
Now back to trigger foods… Most coaches recommend cleaning out your home food environment to support your nutrition goals.
While I agree in making sure that you meal plan, plan ahead for sweets, and have plenty of healthy foods available... I never recommend getting rid of all foods you love -- like sweets or chips or whatever, especially if they "trigger" you.
Why?
Because eventually you'll be around that food again, and ignoring it does not change your relationship with food.
And then if you do have access to it at a party, or a friend’s house or on vacation... you'll either binge or you'll be mentally preoccupied **thinking** about eating it.
My goal: help you feel free around all foods. Freedom does not come from restriction. That gives the food too much power. I want YOU to have the power. I want you to know you can be around any food and feel free to decide to eat it (or not) and to stop when you're satisfied.
Here's what I recommend instead:
1. Buy a small portion of *the* food. An individual candy bar, a small bag of chips, an individual item from a bakery... whatever it is that you LOVE.
2. Take it HOME to eat. Sit down. Enjoy it. Close your eyes. Really taste it.
3. Repeat this a few times. Maybe a couple of times in a week or over a month.
4. Buy a larger portion. A full bag of chips. A bag of mini candy bars, whatever. Now you MIGHT feel a lack of control and binge ( in which case.. take a breather and go back to step one). But in most cases, my clients surprise themselves. They aren't obsessed. The food can sit in the cabinet for weeks when in the past they felt it was literally calling their name until they ate it all.
I recommend allowing yourself increasing access and as you get more access, and become more in tune with your hunger and fullness cues (versus EMOTIONAL hunger-- we talk about this in coaching) you will realize it's not about the food. You just don't care that much anymore.
Why? Because you can manage your emotions. You can fuel yourself with delicious, healthy meals. You can eat and enjoy chocolate or ice cream or chips without guilt. You can really be around any food, and not feel out of control.
THAT is what making peace with food means to me.
Ready to stop stress eating? Ready to eat healthy foods without restricting? Be sure to download your free ebook below!
