Weight Loss for Food-Lovers with Molly Zemek
Episode- What Triggers Urges (ep. 48)
Summary
On this episode of Weight Loss for Food-Lovers, Molly Zemek addresses what triggers urges, so listeners can be intentional to help minimize these desires. One thing that can trigger urges is eating more concentrated foods. The more you eat sugar and bread, the more you will have urges to eat those types of food. Sticking to your plan and only having one or two joy eats a week is a great way to reduce this trigger.
Another common trigger is the thoughts that you have about food, specifically your thought errors. These are thoughts we think that aren’t actually true, but cause us to feel certain ways around food. Molly encourages the listener to really consider what they are thinking in the moments that they eat off of their food plans or overeat. Being aware of the thoughts you are having in regard to food is an invaluable tool in changing your thoughts and therefore reducing urges to eat in unhealthy ways.
Your habits around food is another trigger of food. Molly gives some examples of habits that cause urges, such as snacking at certain times of the day, munching while cleaning up after dinner, eating while in the car, etc. She shares that the solution to this is to create new habits, to practice sitting in the desire and allowing it, without acting on it. As you do this, the old habit will go away and the urges will lessen and even subside.
Next Molly discusses how hunger triggers the urge to eat. She explains that this can be a result of not eating enough, eating the wrong ingredients, or not drinking enough. When you are hungry, the temptation to eat is very strong. Hunger is just a physical sensation and it’s best to not actually think of it as a problem or an issue. When you allow some hunger, it’s okay because your body just uses some of your fat sources. However, it’s important to prevent against emotional hunger because that’s when temptation can become overwhelming.
Another trigger of urges to eat is stress. When we are stressed, we often turn to food and drink as a source of comfort. Stress at work, emotional stress, or even physical stress from exercise can all trigger a desire to eat. The solution to dealing with this trigger is to create situations when you can rest and take care of yourself, without eating. Over time, you will stop feeling an urge to turn to food in times of stress. In summary, Molly encourages listeners to strive to be aware of all of these triggers for urges and how they play into their personal desire for food. She reminds and encourages us that the goal is not to eliminate every urge, because desire will always be there, but to instead work towards minimizing the urges so that they are more manageable, and you can be encouraged to continue on in your journey of becoming a better version of yourself.
Topics Covered
· Urges Caused by the Foods We Eat
· Thought Errors that Create Desire for Food
· How Habits Trigger Urges
· Hunger’s Role in the Urge to Eat
· How Stress Can Cause Urges
Key Quotes
“When you become aware that you’re believing these things [about food], you’re more likely to recognize these thoughts in the moment, either before you eat or while you’re eating.”
“Habits, when practiced over time, create the desire for food.”
“You have to create a new pattern for yourself, you have to create a new norm.”
“The physical sensation of hunger can actually create a lot of urge to eat.”
“You just have to take care of yourself. You have to create situations every single day when you can rest and decompress without food.”
“If you’re engaged in something that’s very mentally stimulating and challenging, you might feel more desire for food.”
“Urges are going to be there no matter what, the idea is not to get rid of urges all together. You’re always going to have desire, but the idea is to minimize it, so that it feels more manageable.”
Resources
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