How do foods become ‘trigger foods’?

The majority of women who I begin working with, who are struggling with some form of over eating or restriction/overeating cycle, will report having a certain food or foods they label a ‘trigger’ food.

A food they feel they simply cannot consume without ‘lack of control’, or that triggers their over eating spiral.

But why are some foods ‘triggers’, and how do are trigger food created? Truth is, is probably not the food at all. Let’s unpack the first step of disconnection..

Beliefs:

It’s likely your beliefs around food may fall into black and white thinking; ‘good and bad’, ‘healthy and unhealthy’ food you ‘should or shouldn’t’ eat - when really, no food holds any specific moral value, just more or less nutrient density; and all have a place within our diet.

By holding moral beliefs around food, we attach extended meaning to our food choices, which can often cause a knock on effect of choices that make us feel pride or shame.

Associations:

You likely make certain associations with food types, or groups, placing meaning behind their consumption. This food will ‘make you fat’, or food eaten by ‘lazy people’. You skip the positive associations and favour the negative assiciations in your mind, which fuel the shame spiral. (This can often cause projection in our body image too, such as ‘feeling fat or disgusting’ after consuming certain foods)

Scarcity:

​Because of these beliefs and associations, you try to limit yourself from consuming these foods. You ‘keep them out of the house’, or tell yourself you can’t have them now because you’re ‘trying to be good’. And because you’re human (and a lot of these foods are delicious and you WILL eat them again in your life..) that is often short lived. When you break the rule you set for yourself, the combination of shame, negative associations / mental chatter, and deprivation create a ‘flood gate’ or ‘last supper’ tidal wave; you see this as your one opportunity to indulge, or feel as though you’ve ‘messed up’ by ‘giving in’, so might as well continue on..

Identifying and challenging engrained beliefs and associations around certain foods, is what will create a gateway to change your behaviours around them for good.​​​​​​​​​​​

Ready to find Food Freedom?

The Food Freedom Project is intaking now, we begin September 30th.
Charly x