Trigger foods

Okay, so, I joined WW last week to help me lose the last 50-60 lbs I want off.  I did really well this  week (11.4 lbs. down-yeah!) following the points system-it held me really accountalbe for what I put in my mouth and I found I exercised more because I could get free points, although I didn't use most of them to eat with. Anyway, my group got into a discussion about trigger foods and that there should be a point in your life and with WW that you can have that food in your house, whatever it may be, and be satisfied with just one serving.  Now, I did say that I have been eating right and exercising for the last 3 years-with success, and I know that, even after 3 years, I can not have a box of ice cream in my house, because I just can't say no. I said that it is not that I am not diciplined, it's just that I know my body and what my response will be.  Therefore, I chose not to keep it in the house and if I do want some ice cream I go to an ice cream store and buy one.  That is being responsible and what works for me.  To which she replied to me, "you just haven't gotten there yet"- which I think is a load of crap. I don't know.  I hope there is that place.  I guess I was just wondering what  everyone else's thoughts were on this subject. Have a great day, I am going bike riding.  It is such a beatiful day here in Chicago! Katy

I'm going to be in Chicago in July! Hmmm, let's see what we can do. Trigger foods.  I have come a long way on this subject. In OA, as I recall, of course, they advise to remove. That is fine, don't be offended by your WW leader, she is just letting you know that you may get to a differnt place to deal. I'm saing you may not, so keep with what works. Currently I live with a 600 pound man in a 200 man body who drags home many things that trigger me.  Giant bags of chips, cheese, ,dips, crackers. I am now in a place where I am able to go to the chip bag, get out one serving (or two I'm not gonna kid ya here)  and stop. I knew when I married him how it was, so I began working with myself a long time ago.  Truth is for me, i am surrounded by foods I should not eat muchof:  work tables filled with donuts, cakes, candy jars in my face. I'm finally in a place where I can walk away, the food cannot. The temptation is constant. I need to reframe its existence. Entree Foods I have to be really respectful of:  pasta with red sauce, pizza, spanish rice with meat.  I have a plan with these foods - mainly it is get a big salad or fat free veggies to take the bulk of what I eat.  In general withme, i am a bulky eater, which is harder than being a grazer i think. I got fat eating healthy foods. The misconception is that healthier is better, i'm not sure. Overeating is my problem and I work hard at staying with healthy portions of all foods.  I'd love to go for a bike ride, but DH has a flat he will not get fixed.  i may have to ditch him!

Hiya Katy,      I'm with you 100%.  While we have a ton of tempting foods in our house that will cause me to gain weight (taquitos, pizza, ice cream, chips, etc...), I can control myself on most days because I have a good plan, a fair amount of will power, and some serious drive to hit my weight loss goal each week.      However, there are a few specific foods that I cannot keep in the house.  Just like you, I can go elsewhere and eat them in a limited quantity without suffering too much.  But left alone here in the house with them, I will binge...and binge to the absolute brink of vomiting.  So I just have to say, "No," when it comes to anyone bringing them into the house.      They're like a drug to me, and their presence just flares up the addiction.

Congrats on the awesome loss! I have been on WW for two years (missed today's meeting, will go tomorrow) and I have realized that there are foods I cannot keep in house. One is tortilla chips.  I just threw out half a bag because I always eat more than a serving at a time, and chips just ain't chips without the salsa. The other is Cool Whip, even the fat-free version ... again, it can't be eaten alone ... I have to have strawberries, which are good when they're sweet, or fat-free pudding, which is also OK but I could do better with sodium.

there are definitely foods i cannot keep in the house. sometimes i'll try just to test myself and sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't. and as time has passed, that list has grown a lot more. so now my after hours "bad" eating is of sugar free pudding and granola bars.  better than cake and ice cream but still unplanned and guilt provoking. i cannot have a jar of JIF but i have a thing of single serving (1 tbs) peanut butters that i keep in the cabinet no problem.  then there are other items that sometimes i am fine with - like low fat ice cream bars and such that are like 150 cals. but if its a stressful time or things are going well or i'm just out of sorts, those become enemies as well and i cannot stop at just 1.  bottom line, you need to get to know yourself really well. there is no shame in knowing your limits and putting external controls on your life. i think most people find that to be what you have to do. its been 6 years for me - 4 of mostly maintenance - and its still an issue i deal with on most days. sure your WW leader can say whatever she wants, but the stats don't lie - long term weight loss is still pretty rare and if that is so, i think there are very few people that ever get to "that point." i don't necessariy believe in cravings or the addiction model of eating - i just finished readings a few articles about it and the theory really doesn't hold scientific water. but i say, do what works. if that's the OA abstinence thing, great. the best program is whatever program that is sustainable and realistic for you and no one else.

Hi Katy, I used to think one day I'd eat like a "normal" person.  Then I realized that wasn't true.  I'm not sure whether it's because I am addicted to food, or because my metabolism and what I made of it after being over 350 pounds is just not up to par.  I have to say I've become more normal, but not quite there.  For instance, I posted about gaining 22 pounds after reaching my lowest weight.  However, that was over 8 months time.  I used to be able to do that over a good month of eating!!!! I can't eat simple carbs, period.  I can't eat one cookie or one piece of cake or 1/2 cup of pasta.  I just cannot do it.  I am firmly convinced i have an allergy to carbs, and a lot in my past has truly indicated that it might very well be a well founded belief.  I eat whole wheat toast, whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes and oatmeal.  That's about it in the carb family, it's just easier for me.  It actually makes me feel so ill that I can have the foods in the house and not eat them.  I can actually eat one dove dark chocolate candy or one lindt dark chocolate truffle with no problem, but put pasta in front of me and I'm off to the races. I'd like to believe one day I could eat simple carbs in moderation, but I don't have much hope that it will come to pass!

Hi Guys, I really do think it is just an individual thing.  I can have chips, bread, or even pb in my house, but just not do the ice cream thing--oooh, cheese too ( I love love love cheese, and so close to Wisconsin too!) .  So this is what works for me-I keep it banned from my place.  I guess the leader was trying to be encouraging, when I felt like I was being a little more realistic.  Anyway, I say whatever works, right??!!??

Sometimes I think that because I feel I "know" I'm going to eat everything in that ice cream carton, that I just set myself up to do that. It's seems very psycological, mind gamey.  BUT, until that time comes......no ice cream in the house for me!--much to the detriment of my nieces and nephews.  Oh well, they can have celery-LOL.  I'll definitely be the favorite auntie then!  Ha Ha. Neecee let me know when you coming to Chicago!!  We'll go have a beer! Katy

For me I do just fine with healthy snacks in the house.  Perhaps that is because I prefer the fatty ones?  I keep a lot of the single serving/100 calorie items, rice cakes,  and the low-fat/no-sugar ice cream bars and popsicles.  I do really good with these.  What I can't have in the house is large bags of chips of any kind, healthy or not. Other items would include snacky cakes from Little Debbie and super duper butterlicious extra quadruple serving buttered popcorn.  Pretty much I had to replace all of these with their low-calorie cousins.  Snacking/grazing isn't really my biggest problem. I'm like Neecee, it's the main-courses that get me. I'm a big overeater and a binger. My other problem is beating off my nephew and wife. It's moreso my nephew than my wife. She's fine with just having one whereas he has a tendency to graze on my healthy snacks since I quit buying the bags of chips and other stuff.  I try to buy items for them that are not triggers for me but the nephew devours them in a days time and starts on my stuff.  Phew, you should've seen what that boy ate yesterday.  He's pushing a wopping 190 lbs at 6' tall.  Must be nice..... I am not sure I believe you'll ever be able have the trigger foods in your house and avoid them completely. I say do what works for you and just nod your head when people try to impose what works for them on you.