Stop Eating For Comfort by recognizing your triggers and habits will help you to break this vicious cycle of self-destructive behavior. You are what you eat and when you decide to stop eating for comfort, you have taken control over your eating disorder. One of the biggest causes of anorexia is psychological trauma. It is our ancestral instincts to survive that keep us overeating now in our modern times. The fear of starvation or of gaining weight is often enough to cause a person to override their will. This often means that they do not even realize that they are addicted to food.
There are several psychological triggers that may contribute to anorexia and bulimia and can be recognized by the behavioral changes that occur. Feelings of guilt, low self-esteem, self-loathing, low self-image, perfectionism, avoidance of responsibility, and powerlessness are just some of the triggers that may lead a person to overeat. Many other psychological triggers are not as easy to recognize. But once you know what your triggers are, then it is just a matter of learning to monitor your own trigger settings and eating behaviors and respond to them accordingly.
In most cases, the person who suffers from an eating disorder will make a conscious decision to eat less often, but they may not have a plan to carry out this new goal. It is easier to recognize when your eating habits are disrupting your life. When you notice that you are becoming more lethargic, or feeling fatigued more often, or losing interest in things you used to find enjoyable, then you are well on your way to recovering from an eating disorder. These changes should be a warning to you that something is seriously amiss. They may also be a great opportunity to start changing your behavior pattern.
A trigger is something in your environment or your daily routines that cause you to experience discomfort. Your emotional and physical responses to trigger foods vary depending on what type of psychological problem you are dealing with. People who have a real fear of fat, for example, will develop a strong psychological aversion to anything that contains fat. Triggering foods can also vary from person to person. There is no one formula that will work for everyone, but there are a few steps that can help you identify your personal trigger foods.
Trigger foods can include anything from chocolate to onions. By understanding your particular triggers, you can take steps towards healthier choices. If you have an emotional aversion to fat-filled foods, you can choose to eat healthier, leaner meals. If you prefer a sweet treat, then you can use artificial sweeteners or natural sugar alternatives instead of sweets.
In addition to recognizing your particular triggers, another way to overcome comfort eating is to avoid certain foods. This includes the over-consumption of ice cream, candy, carbohydrates, and other high-calorie foods. When you eat out, plan your meals so that you skip the fast-food restaurants. And even when you are at home, plan your meals so that you don't eat all at once or snack at will. When you are in control of your eating, you are in control of your body's responses to your triggers.
One way to figure out which particular trigger is to keep track of your emotional triggers in a diary. It is very helpful if you write down what you are eating and drinking on a daily basis. After a week, see where this particular trigger is. For example, if it is a chocolate cake, try to avoid eating it during dinner. By making a conscious decision not to eat a certain food during a specific time of day, you will find that you can avoid the trigger and, therefore, stop yourself from experiencing discomfort. Another option is to eat trigger-free chocolate in moderation.
The most difficult part of this process is the process of making the choice to stop eating. You must be strong enough to say no to food that you like and to have the willpower to continue. Fortunately, there are programs available today that are geared towards helping people learn to recognize their trigger foods. These programs help individuals stop eating for comfort by giving them information about trigger foods, healthy alternatives, and ways of finding the strength to say no. When you make the decision to stop eating for comfort by recognizing your triggers, your life will improve in a dramatic way.
