There are 10 foods I avoid or else I go off on a spectacular eating binge. Research points to these foods triggering the reward center in our brains. Hmmm…possibly. I just know when I eat these foods, all bets are off and weight loss be damned.
I no longer call these foods “triggers.” As I learned about trigger foods, I got the sense that with a lot of practice and good eating habits I could learn to control myself around trigger foods.
Wine is a trigger for me. It makes me hungry, and when I enjoy an adult beverage, the last thing I’m thinking about is tracking my food. Through lots of trial and error, I learned to limit my consumption of the nectar of the gods to just twice a month…and no more than two glasses.
The 10 foods listed below are more dangerous than trigger foods. The foods on my list are weight loss kryptonite. They blow my diet to hell, and I can binge for days once I eat these foods. Over the last two years I’ve successfully avoided these foods as much as possible.
Dot’s Top10 Food Krytonites
10. Anything Milk Chocolate — I’ve learned to love dark chocolate thanks to avoiding milk chocolate. Strangely dark chocolate doesn’t cause me to pig out like it’s sweeter, lighter counter part.
9. Pastries — I’m sitting in a Starbucks as I write this. I’ve been here for about 2 hours. When I go up to refill my unsweetened Passion ice tea, I’ll catch myself looking a little too long at the scones, cookies and brownies on display.
8. Pie Crust — Pie filling is OK, but a well made crust is the most amazingly tasty treat! This is a real hard one for me during the holidays.
7. Rice — I originally listed black eyed peas & rice, red beans & rice, Chinese and Indian foods. But there was one common denominator — rice. When I started my weight loss journey, I needed to find a substitute for rice fast as it was such a staple in my old diet. Thank god for cauliflower!
6. Fast Food…Any — McDonalds, Wendy’s, Five Guys…I’m not sure what it is, but I can devour the stuff, feel physically awful after yet want to go back for more.
5. Peanut Butter — If the jar of peanut butter is left out and I have access to a spoon it’s game over. I used to allow myself 1 tsp with apple slices when I first started weight training. It was the best. But being who I am, that quickly turned into 4-5 tbsp every day, minus the apple.
4. Pasta — Let’s face it, pasta can make anything taste better — salad, sauces, casseroles, seafood, meatballs. A little can go a long way. But that never satisfied me. No matter how full I felt after eating spaghetti, I’d always go back for 2nds or 3rds…sometimes 4ths if I’m the one putting the leftovers into the fridge.
3. Bread — Fresh baked bread…hmmmm…I can smell it now. Oh wow, I’m salivating.
2. Potato Chips — I just wrote about my Texas potato chip advenure…yes I am weak.
1. Pizza — This one pains me to write. It is my favorite food. It’s so versatile. Yet, stopping at two slices is impossible for me. It’s so easy for me to eat a large pizza in one sitting. Thankfully, my trainer gave me a recipe for a meat-crust pizza. It hits the spot, actually fills me up quickly and, I don’t feel deprived. Awesome!