What’s Your Trigger?
This week’s posts have covered those healthy food choices we know all about: fruits & veggies, waterwaterwater, portion control, and exercise.
Well, I don’t know about you, but--
when the debit card gets rejected,
the baby cuts her first tooth,
my teen has a fender bender,
my husband gets caught in traffic coming home and $20 worth of good steak is about to turn into shoe leather--
it’s not a stalk of broccoli I’m gonna grab.
It’s a cookie or crackers. Or, if those aren’t in the pantry, I’ll eat bread with butter. Better yet, peanut butter.
Then I’ll have some wine … with the jar of peanut butter and a spoon.
I vent my frustrations by sticking my head in the pantry and nomnomnom’ing down every form of sugary carbI can find.
You’re wondering why I have all this when I’m supposed to have only healthy foods in the house?
Meet Wings and Fins, my two lean teens. One spins a ten pound rifle and lifts weights, the other runs 50 miles a week with cross country training. They’re boys who are muscle and sinew and growth hormones. I’d give my right arm to have their metabolisms.
If you have kids, you know what I’m talking about. Sure, there’s apples and carrot sticks around—Wings and Fins eat those too. But, from animal crackers to pizza rolls, your pantry/fridge/freezer holds temptations that call your name - especially when the boss is unhappy with you or you were put in a bad spot or your kid rolled his eyes and made you feel about an inch tall in front of the insurance adjuster.
Life’s not fair, is it?
This is when you need to face down your personal trigger and defeat the siren call of ________________ fill in the blank.
Just take a big swig of water, raise your right hand, and repeat after me:
“I, ______ state your name, promise that when my Trigger fires, I will drink a quart of water, and do ten pushups (or whatever exercise strikes your fancy, but make it something hard) before I partake of the sugar/salt/processed chemicals that put me in size ___ in the first place. I shall seek support from a team member. And if I do partake, I shall write it down in my food journal and remember that I’ll only drown if I stay down.”
Remember Lisa Fields’ quote from Monday’s post? "You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there." Edwin Louis Cole
This won’t be a perfect, all or nothing journey. I’m frustrated that with all the exercise I’ve done every day, only 2 pounds came off. But if I’m honest with myself and with you, I’d have to admit to the last six mint oreo cookies I’d kept stashed in the basement freezer.
Control the Trigger. Don’t let it control YOU.
What’s your trigger? How can you keep it from bringing you to your knees? Remember… ten pushups!
Great post. I am a total stress eater. It is something I have become aware of in the past few years. I think it started because I have sugar issues so every time I would get the least bit angry some one say, "Oh, we need to feed her." No, sometimes, I just get to be mad!
ReplyDeleteMy biggest trigger is conversations with my mother, which I have almost daily. I have started redirecting that emotion. If I hang up from mom, the last place I go is in the kitchen. I go straighten my bedroom, fold clothes, anything but walk to the fridge. So, far it has worked okay, but I am about to have to call her, so ya know.
Love the pledge, by the way, I might print that out and put it on the fridge!
I ADORE this blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's so encouraging to know I'm not floundering out here alone. (Not that this competition didn't already teach me I'm not, but still.)
ReplyDeleteI was talking to a friend the other day about people who turn to alcohol and smoking to deal with the stress and sanity of their lives. I don't drink (got that out in my early 20s) and I'm allergic to cigarette smoke so that was never an option.
But there's always food. Food has been my go-to for boredom, stress. loneliness, anger, and even celebration. I am the queen of rationalizing and I can rationalize that extra piece of pizza like nobody's business.
I only drink water (and have for years) so I've got that taken care of. I like the push-ups idea. Especially since I really don't want to have to do push-ups in my office at work. :)
Love the post! I don't keep ANY junk in my house...but...my fiance has a 14 year old daughter who lives on sourworms and cheezits. So I struggle at his house, and with our houses merging soon, I better find a way to deal. Haven't figured that one out yet. Pushups just might work.
ReplyDeleteStress eaters, food addicts... I think to myself, "Why don't I have another shot of sugar with that rant?"
ReplyDeleteAnd then I rationalize having another... and another...
The drowning quote resonated with me this week, because it's true. 'Drowning your sorrows' happens as easily with food as with alcohol & cigarettes. They're crutches. That's the reason for the pushups -- strengthen our muscles so we don't need the crutch anymore.
Thanks for your comments Dawn, Terri, and Carey!
Talked about trigger with my prevent diabetes class last night... Ah, stress, in any form. And depression, any form of feeling blue. Food is comfort...
ReplyDeleteNot sure there is any particular trigger event. Instead, it's subtle and it builds to a crescendo and then I find myself sitting on the couch with a bag of something crunchy... I don't keep really bad for me food in the house, but an entire bag of rice snacks isn't exactly a great thing either!
Must think of how to be specific with this trigger...
Awesome post! My trigger is stomach pains.. I feel hungry all the time even after I've eaten... I will grab anything yummy lol
ReplyDeleteI've abstained from the worse of the worse these past 2 weeks and it's not getting easier but I'm not giving in!!!