My Overeating Triggers and Solutions/Swaps I've Found

I spent the last year paying attention. To myself, to my body, to foods and how they make me feel. To things like binges and the foods and events that preceded them. It's amazing how much I discovered simply by paying attention! In my quest towards more 'normal' eating habits I have learned many things. One of those things was the foods and situations that are triggers for me. 


Triggers (these are specific to me, I have no idea whether anyone else would react the same) I have discovered and ways I deal with them are:

1. Sugar. OK, that's probably a duh.
2. Lack of sleep. This one is huge for me. If I allow myself to get over tired I am on a collision course for a binge. I am much more diligent about my sleep now. I get 8 hours. Period. It is a huge priority. If something comes up, like an emergency, sick kids in the middle of the night, etc I have learned I must be proactive. The day after lack of sleep I focus on consuming lots of water and protein the next day. I also nap if I can and avoid completely sugar and high carb foods that may set me off.
3. Salted Butter. Toast is something I have avoided completely for a while now. I will polish off insane amounts of toast on a binge. I originally though toast was my trigger. Turns out it was the salted butter. I tried some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light and can happily eat one piece of toast. Good to know! I simply traded the two.
4. Strawberry Jam. I am not safe with strawberry jam in the house. I will eat it on toast, on ice cream, in yogurt, straight from the jar...all in a row! It is a huge trigger for me. Sadly, right now I just don't keep it in the house. It's the only way I've found. Even homemade jam has the same affect.
5. Eating too many carbs, especially processed. I have found that things like Special K cereal or bars, Fiber One bars, Nature's Valley Sweet and Salty bars, things we would normally consider healthy, are triggers for me. I keep them out of the house. I make different choices, that won't set me off. For example, I have found that Uncle Sam Wild Strawberry Cereal (and the other flavors too) is a good replacement for the Special K and doesn't trigger a binge. Otherwise I just limit my carb intake and choose the carbs I do eat carefully. I feel better and am much less likely to be primed for a binge. Normally (I am on The 4 Hour Body for 30 days right now) I have Uncle Sam Cereal or Coach's Oats a several times a week and lots of berries and apples. That and vegetables are the majority of my carbs. It's what works for me.
6. Not getting enough protein. When I don't get enough protein I feel naggy hungry and am much more likely to over-eat and make poor choices. Not binge, necessarily (although I think it may contribute), but I find getting lots of protein just sets me up for success.

Fascinating what you can learn just by paying attention! Now that I see these things clearly I can be proactive and not at the mercy of that binge feeling. It's been quite some time since my last binge. I know another one can sneak up on me, but I feel more in control being proactive and avoiding these specific things I know trigger me.


I am just a blogger, not a doctor, trainer, or any sort of professional. What you read here are my personal experiences and opinions.