Do you remember the last time you were stressed, angry, or frustrated? Did you eat just because you always do when you feel that way? What about the last time you ate five of your favorite chocolate chip cookies – even when you told yourself you would just have one? And think back to the last time you were at a movie. Did you buy popcorn just because you always eat popcorn at a movie, even if you are not really hungry?

These are all examples of triggers exerting an unconscious control over you, setting off bouts of overeating. Trigger feelings, trigger foods and trigger situations can be so powerful you can almost hear them yelling “I’ve gotcha!” before you even feel you have time to stop them. However, with the right tools and strategies, they can be stopped.

Read on and learn how to recognize and control your personal triggers.

Read more :

• You and your triggers
• Pavlov’s dogs teach us a lesson
• Stop your drooling! Turning “I’ve gotcha” into “No you don’t”

You and your triggers

Triggers are certain foods, situations, and feelings that prompt you to overeat; they can trip you up any time, anywhere. For example, it might have always been a habit for you to eat chips when you’re stressed. This means that no matter how much weight you lose, or how healthy your regular eating habits become, there will always be a “chip-eating trigger” for you when you become stressed, unless you learn to control it.

Places, people, situations, and even seasons can trigger an eating response. For example, at the movies, you might be “triggered” to eat popcorn. When you see your mother-in-law you might automatically lunge for the cookie jar.  At Easter, it’s likely you’re “triggered” to eat chocolate.

Learning to identify and control your triggers is crucial to your weight-control success.

Everyone’s triggers are different. However, there are some fairly common ones:

Pavlov’s dogs teach us a lesson

The Russian scientist Pavlov gave us a great example of how triggers work when he researched reflex behavior. In his research, Pavlov conducted one of the most famous experiments in the history of psychology. The strategy of the experiment was simple: a tuning fork was rung every time a group of dogs was fed. After the dogs had become accustomed to this pattern, it was rung without feeding them. It soon became clear that if the tuning fork were rung the dogs would begin to drool more than normal, even when there was no food. The dogs had learned to associate the sound of the tuning fork with food, linking a trigger (the sound) with a response (drooling). In other words, they had developed a conditioned response to a trigger.

This conditioned response is what makes you eat popcorn at a movie just because you are there, or eat certain comfort foods when you are stressed, or eat chocolate chip cookies as soon as you smell them – whether you are hungry or not. For various reasons you have either learned or are conditioned to respond to trigger foods, situations, and feelings as if you are truly hungry; you are unconsciously prompted to eat. Once you begin eating in response to a trigger, your ability to stop is very limited.

Although conditioned responses can take on a life of their own and begin to operate as if they were reflex responses, they can be undone. Unlike Pavlov’s dogs, you can think, reason, and unlearn conditioned responses; you can learn not to drool just because a tuning fork is ringing!

Stop your drooling! Turning “I’ve gotcha” into “No you don’t”

Like any behavioral change, learning how to control triggers is a process. Triggers say “I’ve gotcha!”. You need to learn how to say “No you don’t!” Here’s how:

1. Identify

First you need to identify the foods, situations, and feelings that trigger unconscious overeating for you. The best way to do this is by using a journal. You can divide it up into three sections for trigger foods, situations, and feelings, or just note everything in one place.

Write down any triggers you are already aware of and then begin to observe and record further. Notice what you eat in certain situations or places; observe the connection between specific feelings and your desire to eat certain foods; become aware of when you can’t say “no” to the second, third, or fourth helping of a food. For some people, just this awareness can be enough to control some of the weaker triggers.

Food triggers are more complex than other triggers. There are scores of associations and connections that develop from early childhood between specific foods and comfort, security, and nurturing. With trigger foods, you need to recognize and then actively break the unconscious connection between certain foods and the feeling of inner satisfaction. This often crosses over into the area of emotional triggers as well. To identify food triggers, try thinking back through your life: What have been your “comfort” foods over the years? Which foods were you taught to think of as “treats”? Which foods were “forbidden”? Which foods did you feel deprived of? Answering these questions can give you clues to what your trigger foods might be.

2. Decide

Once you have identified a number of trigger foods, feelings and situations, your next step is to decide that you are going to learn to control them. Believe in your ability to do this.

Having decided to learn to control your triggers your next decision will be which triggers to work on first. Only work on one or two triggers at a time – too much too soon is a recipe for failure. Once you realize you can master one trigger, you will have the confidence to tackle the others.

Choose triggers that exert the most control over you and which do the most damage. One way to determine which triggers do the most damage is to count the calories eaten while under the influence of that trigger. For example, if you always eat a huge bowl of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream whenever you watch TV, the damage could be upwards of 600 calories.  Another way to determine damage is to consider frequency; does the trigger eating occur rarely, some of the time, or too much of the time?

3. Stop

You cannot bargain with trigger-generated eating habits. You cannot fool yourself into believing that you can respond to triggers only when you want to.

The best way to control your triggers is to consistently stop responding to them. Not just for a day, a week or a month. Not just while you are trying to lose weight, but until you can control the conditioned eating habit – and in some cases this may mean permanently. True control means that you – not the trigger – decides where, when, and what you will eat.

If you have a problem with eating popcorn at movies, not responding to the trigger doesn’t mean you can never eat popcorn again. It means that to gain control of the trigger you should stop eating popcorn at that trigger place, each and every time you are there. You can certainly eat popcorn when you are hungry, just don’t eat it simply because you are at a movie. Similarly, you may find you can also eat your favorite chocolate chip cookies – if you can stop at one or two. Awareness of the fact they are a trigger food for you may be enough to stop you there. If not, you might have to avoid them altogether.

And remember: don’t go into a trigger zone on an empty stomach! Hunger makes you weak, physically and mentally. If you can anticipate a trigger situation or feeling, eat something healthy and satisfying beforehand.

4. Practice

Controlling triggers takes practice. Now that you have an understanding of triggers, put into effect what you have learned. Try these helpful suggestions for practicing trigger control.

To help you gain control over situational triggers try this journaling approach:

• Write a statement describing the trigger situation. Phrase it in the past tense: “I used to eat while watching TV.”
• Then write a statement in the present tense, describing the change: “I don’t eat while watching TV because I know that eating while watching TV is a trigger for me. It makes it hard for me to lose weight, so I choose not to eat while watching TV.”
• Finally, think of alternatives and write them down: “If I am hungry I eat first, then watch TV. I don’t mix the two activities. Eating is one activity; watching TV is another.”

To help you gain control over trigger foods try this technique:

• Write down what your favorite foods were as a child, a teenager, a young adult and now. Have they changed? For most people they do, which tells us that taste buds can change over time and with choice. Think about how you learned to like the taste of alcohol for example!
• Prepare to change your food preferences. Choose one food to work on at a time; if you feel deprived of too many foods you may just decide it’s not worth the effort at all.
• Eliminate that food completely from your life for at least two months.
• After the two months, reassess. If you can walk away after eating that food without craving more or feeling deprived, then you can assume it poses no real threat and can be eaten in moderation. If you cannot eat it in moderation and feel “powerless in its presence”, then complete elimination of that food is really the only solution. You might reassess again later.
• Write your decisions down in your journal: “I do not eat caramel-covered popcorn. It does not exist for me!” or “I can now eat caramel-covered popcorn in moderation. It has no control over me anymore.”

To help you gain control over trigger feelings give this a go:

• Write down several of your trigger feelings and state why you respond to the food in that way. For example: “I eat after a stressful situation because food calms me.”
• Then describe what happens after you eat in response to that feeling. For example: “If I eat when I am stressed, I feel worse after I eat, and the stress is still there.”
• Then think of several appealing alternatives to eating when you get that feeling and put them in writing: “When I am stressed I will meditate.” “When I am stressed I will take a candle-lit bubble bath.” “When I am stressed I will go for a walk.” “When I am stressed I will garden.”

Remember when dealing with triggers to stay aware and think before you eat. Be conscious that you are making a decision to eat or not to eat. There is always a moment of decision and the decision maker is you.

Co-written by Anna Delany

What is it about the thought of putting on a bathing suit that creates such a flood of obsessive and self-conscious thoughts and feelings? Just looking at one can cause panic to rise, and self-confidence to dip.

With this article’s tips on overcoming self-consciousness, we challenge you to do away with those bathing-suit blues this summer, and start feeling more comfortable in your swimwear.

So-long self-consciousness

Self-consciousness can stop a lot of fun in its tracks, whether it’s on the dance floor, at the beach, or elsewhere.

You know how it goes… when you go to put on that bathing suit, feelings of embarrassment, self-loathing, and shame all rush to the surface, leaving you longing for winter. Now maybe you don’t have the perfect beach body, but we’ll bet it’s not that bad! While some of your self-consciousness might be based on real issues, a lot of it is likely irrational and – because you are probably your own worst critic – highly exaggerated. No one else would spot that extra crinkle of cellulite that resides ¼ inch below and 30 degrees to the right of your left kneecap! They’re far more likely to be looking enviously at the good parts of you.

Next time you feel a wave of self-consciousness coming on, whether you’re in a bathing suit or not, stop and ask yourself if you’re being overly critical. Then focus on the things about your appearance that you like, just as others do.

No one else is looking (quite so hard)

Are you too critical?

The thought that “others are watching and judging” can blow your self-consciousness out of proportion. Controlling this thought is a key to getting self-consciousness under control. Next time you start to feel that all eyes are on you, just take a step back. How realistic is this perception? Is everyone really staring at you and judging you? Are you that interesting?!

The fact is, tall or short, skinny or plump, in shape or out-of-shape, most women are self-conscious – and nine out of ten of them are self-conscious in a bathing suit. So do the other eight out of ten women really look like Godzilla? Or are they, like you, just too darn self-conscious or preoccupied with outer appearances? How about looking on the bright side of the statistics: If so many women are so worried about how they look, then they’re not really looking at you!

That takes care of the women, but what about the other half of the population? Won’t the men ridicule or judge you? Actually ladies, men are generally more likely to be ogling supermodel types than criticizing those of us who aren’t a perfect size 2. And as for that extra crinkle of cellulite that resides ¼ inch below and 30 degrees to the right of your left kneecap? “What’s cellulite again?” is their most likely response.

Remember, you are your own worst critic, but that doesn’t mean everyone else has to be: Keep your oversized ogle-goggles to yourself!

Tips for taming self-consciousness

What you do with self-consciousness is up to you; ultimately, you decide how you are going to perceive yourself. And whether it’s a “my-hips-are-too-big,” a “my-butt-wobbles,” or a “my-legs-are-like-chicken-legs” criticism, there are several ways to get the belittling under control. You can:

• Challenge the self-talk that perpetuates your self-consciousness. Is everybody really looking at and poking fun at you? Are you really that visible in the grand scheme of others’ lives? Are your thighs the worst that anyone can imagine?
• Develop an awareness of your own filters, both the ones that obscure your good points and the ones that exaggerate your less-than-perfect points.
• Be realistic: So what if you’re not a flawless super model? Guess what, without airbrushing neither are they!
• Act your age. If you are comparing yourself to the way you used to look when you were 20, don’t (unless you’re 21!). Learn to fit the body you have now.
• Take action to change what you can. If you’ve been overeating and under-exercising and it shows, start making some changes. You can eat more wisely and exercise more.
• Accept what you can’t change. Bone structure, age, skin tone – these things are yours for keeps. Learn to accept them and focus on those things you can change.

Back to the bathing suit

With all these ideas of how to manage self-consciousness under your belt (or should we say bikini) let’s think about the practical side of getting into your bathing suit.

When shopping for a bathing suit, choose a comfortable and flattering bathing suit in the right size that doesn’t accentuate those areas that are most worrisome for you. And when you’re trying on different suits, make a conscious effort to focus on what you like about your body instead of focusing on what you dislike.

Finally, remember that – after a comfortable bathing suit – the most important thing to wear to the beach is a good attitude. Don’t dwell on the fact that the itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka-dot bikini is not for you. You look better in what you’ve chosen – enjoy it!

Co-written by Anna Delany

May is High Blood Pressure Awareness Month – and though Spring is a busy time for everyone it’s important to pause and check on our heart health. Often we don’t think about our heart health until it is too late, so let’s get in the habit of tracking our numbers early.

The Toll of Cardiovascular Disease

Did you know that cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S.?  One in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, equal to 2,200 deaths per day. Sobering numbers!

A key contributor to both heart disease and stroke is high blood pressure – also known medically as hypertension. It’s estimated that about 74.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from hypertension and many don’t even know it.  In addition to stroke and heart disease, this one condition is a major risk factor for other health problems such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, blindness and even sexual impotence. As blood pressure goes up, life expectancy comes down. Read More »

The holidays are filled with gift giving, mad dashes to parties and lots of planning to keep everything (and everyone) on track. If you are looking for a special gift how about something homemade? Bringing a cookie platter – one that has been remade to be lower fat or calorie – is sure to be a hit.

Who says tasting good can’t be healthy? Here are twelve great options with five brand new makeovers. You’re sure to find one to please you or your gift recipient.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (New)

California Raisin Oatmeal Cookies (New)

Fennel Pistachio Cookies (New)

California Walnut Breakfast Cookie Gift Jar (New)

Walnut Cookie Hearts Filled with Fig Jam (New)

Ginger Spice Biscotti

Gingerbread Men

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

Orange Cranberry Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Thumbprint Cookies

It’s a balancing act to enjoy holiday festivities and foods without feeling the pangs of regret when you step on your scale on January 2^nd, but you can do it.

What’s your holiday eating style?

Do you eat in moderation most of the time?

Do eat first, then think about what you should or shouldn’t have eaten, or do you think about what you want, choose and then eat?

Do you have little or no self control?

Do feel in control of what you eat?

Do you eat in excess – certain foods, all foods, at certain festivities, at all festivities?

Do you stuff yourself – some of the time, most of the time, all of the time?

Do you overeat – all foods, certain foods, no foods?

If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it

If you’ve selected phrases above that indicate you are in control, most likely last year you successfully managed to enjoy the holidays and partake of some of your favorite foods and desserts without gaining holiday weight.  Whatever you did right last year will work this year, so keep on doing what you did.

If it is broken, fix it

On the flip side, if you’ve selected phrases that indicate you did overindulge, and you   suffered the consequences of gaining those hard-to-lose extra pounds, then this article is for you.

Insight – the first step towards change

There are myriad reasons why we overeat during the holidays. First and foremost – we are inundated with a host of foods that smell good, look tempting, and (if I didn’t cook it) taste pretty good.   These cues trigger overeating. The sight, smell, and memories associated with holiday foods are definitely challenging, but if you understand that these powerful cues can override your good intentions, you can change the outcome. You can determine which cues you want to respond to and which ones you will avoid or overcome, but you will need a plan.

How to outwit holiday food cues

1.   First and foremost don’t go to holiday events on an empty stomach. Hungry people are more susceptible to sensory cues. If you think saving calories by not eating all day is a good strategy think again. You’ll eat all the calories you saved and hundreds if not thousands more.

Never go into a holiday food zone hungry or thirsty.  Drink a glass of water or two and eat approx 200 calories containing protein and/or fiber within an hour.  Hungry people don’t make good eating choices. If you are not hungry, you’ll be better able to pick and choose, instead of acting on impulse in response to food cues.

2. Before you go, decide what you want to eat. Be selective. You really don’t have to taste it all.  In fact, research indicates that eating small portions of everything is not a good strategy because you never feel quite full or satisfied, so you eat more and more.  Choose a few foods and desserts and eat reasonable portions.

3.  Adjust your attitude. If you tell yourself you are depriving yourself, most definitely you will overeat.  Instead, tell yourself that you are making informed choices.  Let’s face it, you can eat whatever we want to, but there is a price in gained weight. Armed with this knowledge, you are more likely to make wiser choices. When deciding which foods to eat and how much of them you will eat, think about how difficult it has been to lose those excess holiday pounds. Ask yourself if it was worth it. Only you can be the judge of that.  Remember, it’s always your choice.

4. If you didn’t pay attention to tips 1, 2 or 3 and you wind up eat everything that isn’t nailed down, take a few minutes before the day is out to count calories and fat. Use the CalorieKing Food & Exercise Journal along with the 2013 CalorieKing Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter, or use CalorieKing online tools.   You will be so shocked at how much you ate, it will motivate you to make wiser choices the next go round. In fact, the best defense against weight gain is to maintain a food and exercise journal especially during the holidays.

It’s not just the food, It’s the Big Excuses

Excuse #1 “The holidays only come once a year, so why shouldn’t I eat everything I want to?”

To be very clear, the holidays do not come only once a year.  We are always celebrating some holiday or other -– birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, Easter, Passover, Valentine’s Day, 4^th of July, Labor Day Week End – you get the point. Even week-ends are high on the holiday excuse list. Add it up – counting weekends, holidays, etc there are approximately 126 days you can find reasons (excuses) to overeat.  Granted, this is a very special time of year, with unique circumstances, but don’t use that as an excuse.

Excuse #2 it’s really not the holidays if we don’t eat and drink and make merry (with lots of drinks, desserts, candy, cookies, etc).

Now, even you don’t believe this one really – do you? Isn’t there more to the holidays than food?  Don’t get me wrong. I look forward to holiday dinners and desserts, but I always keep in mind the years that I’ve gone overboard.  I enjoyed the food during the short period I ate it, but I suffered months afterwards kicking myself and trying to lose the extra pounds. Shift your focus from food (when you can) to the other aspects of this season.  It is not all about food.  It s about sharing and giving and loving and socializing and spiritual growth and being thankful.

Bottom line, I’m not saying don’t eat holiday foods.  Just don’t eat them to excess.  You’ll enjoy what you do eat more and you will be happier on January 2^nd than you would be if had no self-control.

The holidays are coming and while it can be a time of feasting for many, others are focused on their health needs – either now or for their New Year’s Resolutions.

If you know your giftee is interested in healthy living and well-being but they haven’t told you what they might need, here is a handy little list of some gifts they may appreciate.

After you’ve landed on an idea, make sure you take your giftee’s health or experience level into consideration (are they starting out or a workout veteran?). Then head do your research to find out the best model for their needs – you can ask questions in forums or go to a trusted source like Consumer Reports for unbiased, tested information.

You’ll love the light that comes into the gift recipient’s eyes when they realizing you are thinking beyond just material gifts by getting them something that will help their commitment to healthy living.

Electronics:

Consider step counters, heart rate monitors, new bathroom scales, kitchen scales, fitness DVDs or a Wii Fit as a surprise!

Apps:

With dozens to choose from ranging from exercise tracking and pacing, or all over fitness monitoring like Nike Fuel Band there is something for every exercise level. Plus, CalorieKing has several free apps to help you track calories in your every day foods or uncover how much your next fast food meal will set you back.

Workout Clothes:

Everyone with a fitness regimen needs the right kind of clothes. Everything from comfortable yoga pants to properly insulated outdoor running jackets, or a new pair of shoes is sure to be appreciated. Not sure of the size or style? Cut out a picture of the item you intend for them to buy and enclose it with a gift card.

Workout Equipment:

There are plenty of things that can help a workout along. Think of fitness balls, hand weights, stretching bands or yoga mats. Even if your giftee already has one, it could be they are due for replacement. Again, a gift certificate can help if you aren’t sure what they might need most.

Music:

Nothing helps a workout along like a good playlist. If you know what they like, just pick up a cd as a stocking stuffer. Otherwise a gift certificate to your favorite MP3 site will be a huge hit.

Gym Membership or Personal Trainer:

If you know the gift recipient would like to step up their routine or needs individualized instruction to get started a gym membership or personal trainer would be a truly thoughtful gift. Tour gyms in advance to decide what may be right, get recommendations on a personal trainer from friends or get a recommendation from the American Council on Exercise via their trainer finder tool.

CalorieKing Membership:

If your gift recipient is just starting out on their journey towards healthy living and would like a greater understanding of nutrition and fitness – along with a diary, expert advice and supportive community you can always purchase a CalorieKing membership. We would love to have both you and your gift recipient become join our program.

Have a happy, healthy holiday!

We love to take reader’s questions and try to provide resources and insights to guide you on your way. We’ve fielded this very timely question from one Facebook Fan:

Q: When the weather turns to fall and winter, should I workout at a gym or at home?

A: Great question! We’ve done some research to get to the bottom of wintertime workouts. Depending on what fitness level you have, and your personal preference will determine whether you work out at a gym, at home, or even outside! Each form of exercise will have its pros and cons – the key is to pick one which most appeals to you so you’ll keep moving!

Here’s are some tips to help you decide:

Workouts at Home:

• It can save time. If you don’t have the time to pack a gym bag and drive to the gym, popping in a DVD, downloading a video or firing up the Wii Fit could be perfect for you. You’ll have more time to fit in your workout if you can roll out of bed, stretch and get started!
• It’s private. If you aren’t ready to face a crowd of gym bunnies or stand in line for a treadmill, you can get started on exercise in your own home until you are ready to hit primetime.
• It gives you options. Today’s fitness market is full of items that help you exercise at home. Everything from yoga mats and hand weights to treadmills and resistance trainers are available for you to choose from.

Workouts at the Gym:

• It can keep you motivated. The gym can be perfect for those who might want some extra motivation. A trainer can set you up with a plan for you to follow and improve upon. Don’t forget you are also making a commitment by paying fees that you wouldn’t want to waste, and you will also be focused environment dedicated to exercise to keep you on track.
• You can benefit from specialized equipment. If you are looking to maximize workouts, or feel like you aren’t sure if you are performing a move correctly you can find someone to help guide you with the specialized equipment on hand.
• Join a class: Going to the gym can be great for finding a class where you can try something new – yoga, Zumba, you name it. There are plenty of organized activities you might love.

Workouts Outside

• You can enjoy nature. As fall descends your workouts on your bike, trail or in your park can be enhanced by the beautiful scenery and brisk weather.
• You can take up a new sport. If you need a change in your routine, winter brings unique sports with it that are generally around only once a year. Skiing, snowboarding, ice-skating and sledding are all things you can try with your family and friends; you’ll have some fun while burning off calories. Just remember to be careful to dress to avoid hypothermia and be aware of the time spent outside.

Hopefully these tips will help get you thinking about where you’d like to get started with – or even make a change to your fitness routine. The most important is pursing fitness where you’ll be able to start at a level that is most comfortable to you physically and emotionally.

Perhaps the most important tip for starting exercise is to consult a fitness trainer if you are able. They can assess your individual abilities, make a plan and track your progress. Plus, you can usually meet with them anywhere that suits you.

Be sure to check out our resources below to find tips on finding a trainer, tips on staying healthy while exercise during the fall and winter weather and more!

Appetizers

Turkey

Stuffing

Gravy

Potatoes

Cranberries

Sides

Bread

Spreads

Desserts

Whipped Toppings

Calorie Counts By Joan Bushman, RD 10/2012

Halloween is a tempting time with literally hundreds of candies out there to buy. While you may have the best intention to pass them out to the kids, sometimes you can’t help but sneak a few in for yourself. We’ve taken a look at some of the most popular candy bars so you can be aware of the calories they could add to your daily plan. Everyone here at CalorieKing wishes you and your family a safe and healthy Halloween!

Halloween Candy Guide – Top 15 Mini Size Bars

Breast cancer is a disease I feel very personally connected to. My sister and aunt are survivors. I have friends who are fighting and losing the battle as I write this. In following their experiences it occurs to me that breast cancer is a subject people tend to not talk about until it hits them in some way. Cancer isn’t pleasant, but it is important to talk about and arm yourself with information on prevention. Read More »