Day 3–100 Days To A Healthy Relationship With Food
Triggers: the biggest driver of unhelpful eating
“I got the funding!”
“You did?! Fantastic! Let’s celebrate this evening”
And within a millisecond my mind goes to champagne, crisps, maybe open a bottle of wine, some nice chocolates, perhaps cheese and biscuits too.
Knowledge
According to anxiety expert Arlin Cucic in this article, being triggered, in the realm of mental health issues such as eating disorders, anxiety and substance use disorders can be defined as this:
A trigger is seen as anything that prompts an increase in or return of symptoms. For example, a person recovering from a substance use disorder may be triggered by seeing someone using their drug of choice. The experience may cause returned cravings and even relapse.
I’m trying to be careful here about how I use the word “trigger”.
I do not have an eating disorder. I have an unhealthy relationship with food — two different things.
I use it because it has become so commonplace in the world of self-improvement that if you’re reading this article you probably know what I mean.
I don’t mean I have an addiction to food and seeing someone eat is a trigger for me.
I do mean that what we all choose to eat, every time we eat, is a response to a trigger of sorts. A need — hunger. A desire — to feel better.
Or, a habit. What we’ve done in the past. Our brains are brilliant at leading us down familiar paths.
Edward De Bono explained this in his “rivers of thinking” theory — every context or situation we face is like a flow of water which our brains sort into the usual little streams and bigger rivers which over time get more firmly entrenched.
If we’re used to doing something, we’ll likely do it again. We resist change.
So when I think celebration, that means eating and drinking loads of stuff that isn’t going to help me meet my twin goals of a healthy relationship with food and a healthy weight.
Being aware these triggers exist and spotting them — that is helpful.
Everyone has different triggers in the areas of their lives where they display unhelpful behaviours.
So if you’re struggling to find a healthy relationship with food, do some thinking about what your triggers are and when they happen. Notice them, accept them and then work with them (instead of them automatically leading you somewhere you don’t want to go).
We’ve decided to celebrate on Friday night. I’ll be having one beer, perhaps two at the most. Then I’ll choose to leave it there.
Progress
Still on track. We even had some family tensions today which could have led me the way of the biscuit tin, but didn't. Today I started to write a list of subjects I want to investigate, or be honest about, or share my experiences on, as part of this 100 Days 100 Ways project. I have spent SO MUCH of my life thinking about food (and not being able to crack it) so just emptying my head and finding some order is going to hugely helpful. Onward.
3/3/100 (Number of days into project / number of days goals met / total days in project)
Why I’ve chosen16:8 Intermittent Fasting
Be responsible about food and weight management. Research a healthy weight, and healthy methods of weight management for you physically and mentally. Remember, you are not defined by what you weigh. I am not a nutritionist.