No matter what our goals are — to lose weight, maintain our weight, cut down on sugar, or maybe just eat a more healthy diet overall — these goals are often threatened by what psychologists call triggers. In the fitness world, a trigger is a person, place, thing, situation — or even a food — that has a tendency to cause one to overeat.
Perhaps it is a family party, or a trip to the movie theater with the requisite bucket of popcorn. A trigger could simply be your favorite comfort food, or a special restaurant.
Many triggers for over-indulging involve stressful situations, like a rough day at work or a stressful meeting. We could also be triggered by difficult chores or responsibilities which we want to reward ourselves for completing, such as a final exam or a term paper.
The holiday season potentially offers a myriad of triggers: family, comfort foods, stress, and parties or events revolving around food. One holiday tradition that has gained popularity is a “cookie party” — which is basically a festive gathering that involves bringing loads of homemade cookies… and going home with even more homemade cookies. This tradition has food trigger written all over it, but it’s also a tradition that many people can handle in moderation. It depends on what your personal triggers are and how you navigate your own psychological minefield.
This may be the key to enjoying the holidays without succumbing to over-indulgence.
The first step is to become aware of your own personal food triggers. Pay attention to what triggers you, and what your comfort foods are. Staying in denial will ensure that you continue to fall under the influence of your unique triggers. Do you get triggered every time you pass by your favorite pastry shop, or whenever you’ve had a particularly long day at work? Maybe you are most vulnerable when you’ve skipped a meal, or when you are mindlessly munching during a work meeting. Identify your triggers, first, and then find ways to avoid them.
Once you’ve acknowledged your triggers, you can be more prepared to confront them without overeating. Sometimes, simply avoiding the person, place, or thing is a reasonable choice — but we can’t always avoid all of our triggers. If we know that we are going to be confronted with a potential trigger — such as a long work day, or a family party — we can prepare ourselves with helpful strategies. If sweet temptations at work or long hours are a trigger, then staying supplied in healthy snacks, and bringing lunch to work will help. If family parties are a trigger, park yourself away from the food table or bring your own healthy options to snack on.
Everyone will have their own unique triggers, so it’s up to you to figure out what yours are, and make the necessary adjustments. It could potentially help you to reach your fitness goals more quickly and more easily, which is a reward in itself. Be patient with yourself and make changes over time; you will see the progress over the long term and be motivated to persevere. Getting in touch with your triggers requires mindfulness and compassion for yourself, which is always worth the effort.