Food allergies/intolerances & trigger foods

[liza15]

It seems many of us are dealing with food allergies/intolerances. They make us crave the very thing that we most need to avoid.
We think that we cannot 'live with them' But in reality they are 'controlling' us.
For me wheat and dairy have been causing my weight problems my entire life, yet I keep finding ways to let them creep back into my life.

I have finally made up my mind to take these out of my diet.....except for one day a month only when I will allow them.

Has anyone else finally decided to simply ban certain foods, and if so, do you ever allow it? Do you think the one day a month plan is a good idea, or a bad one?

[momov2boys]

Originally Posted by liza15

Has anyone else finally decided to simply ban certain foods, and if so, do you ever allow it?
Do you think the one day a month plan is a good idea, or a bad one?

I'm not sure how to answer you, Liza.

You're probably well aware of my issues w/PB...

I'm now at the point where it seems that abstinence is restriction. and that's been fueling binges.

So, I will try (once more) to incorporate it, in moderation, regularly.

If I can manage moderation, it will be wonderful.
If I cannot, I may consider allowing it either one day a week or one day a month.
That's something I haven't yet tried.

For you, I think it may be a good idea to allow one day a month of foods you miss, as long as they don't trigger poor choices.

It may help you feel more satisfied in your woe.

We're all so different, and what works for one may not work for another...

Do let us know what you decide and how it goes for you.

It's so great for all of us to be able to learn from shared ideas and experiences.

[liza15]

Thank you rebecca. I TOTALLY agree with the "you can't ever have it" FOR LIFE system seems to set you up for failure and feelings of deprival. BUT having it regularly and easily at hand is also disasterous. I think that is why so many people eventually gain their weight back with low carb. It is very difficult to obstain from carbs for life, and when they do finally eat them, it is just out of control. I am hoping the one day a month system will work. I think bringing some structure and deliberate planning on when we can and can't have something will help. I think it is easier to stick to plan if you know that one X day you can have X food.
I think having one day a month will in essence cover all the holidays also, so that one can enjoy the special occasion foods. So it is not just to go out and eat a bunch of junk, but to have something out of the ordinary that you enjoy. Well it all "sounds good" eh? hahaha.....I am going to give it a whirl....it has to be an improvement from what I am doing now....because believe me alot more than 1 day a month had been popping up!

[LaurieRobo]

For a little more than two weeks now, I have eliminated nuts, peanut butter and yogurt - all of which turned into free foods for me and I didn't feel great (bloated etc.) I have had a almond meal/flax bread - that has never been a trigger for me.

Last week I did have 2 tbls almond butter (two different days) and was ok. Over the weekend I did indulge in some macadamia nuts, 5 or 6 a couple times over the weekend... All ok feel good no binges.

Since I have been successful, with a moderate amount of nuts (not peanutbutter yet) This weeks experiment - I am going to have 3 - 1/2 cup servings of plain yogurt over the next week - every other day and see how I respond.

Don't know if it will work - I guess I will see. I do miss my full fat yogurt but if it makes me feel crappy - I will have to evaluate my love for it!

[BellaHMB]

Gosh, what challenges!

Im pretty good with eating but I do like to snack. So I need things to snack on that are not high carb or high calories. Since I met goal, Ive tended toward having a serving of dannon lowcarb yogurt with some walnuts, some string cheese. Today I ate about 1300 calories, my very highest I think, cause I ate more protein than usual.

I can manage almond butter if I eat 1 serving a day on a piece of flax bread/muffin.
I cant eat regular bread or chocolate/ice cream/sugars. Those are Xd out of my diet.

Im better if I just eat almonds for snacks and no more than 10 a day. But its hard!

Laurie, I eat Trader Joes Greek Yogurt which has 1 carb for 2 T. Have you tried it?

Bella

[2big4mysize]

food allergies are realmedical conditons and those of us with them can't have that food ever without serious medical issues so no I never eat what I'm allergic to and never plan to allow a cheat day.

I don't have any intolerances

craving triggers. I was off plan for about 2 weeks trying to get back on when I reached goal. I truely thought my Atkins days were over for good during that time cause I cheated after breakfast, heck even before breakfast and couldn't do one let alone several cheat free days. As a carboholic I know I can't let the tiger out and loose and expect to put it back in the cage again withoout a tremedous struggle so no I don't let my trigger foods in as any part of my WOE.

[LaurieRobo]

Originally Posted by BellaHMB

snip
Laurie, I eat Trader Joes Greek Yogurt which has 1 carb for 2 T. Have you tried it?

Bella

YUP - I eat that, homemade, any yogurt I can get my hands on - I do really like it...

I've revised my plan to wait until next week to add it back in... I think TOM is brewing - I never know and that is probably not a good time to muck with my plan.

I will continue with a few nuts here and there or almond butter (it's amost gone anyway) for the rest of this week. But I'm thinking no peanut butter yet.

Always a challenge!!!!

[LaurieRobo]

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

food allergies are realmedical conditons and those of us with them can't have that food ever without serious medical issues so no I never eat what I'm allergic to and never plan to allow a cheat day.

snip.

That's why I'm trying to see if I am actually intolerant of my triggers foods or if they are just triggers for me rather than an allergy.

[2big4mysize]

I think you missunderstood LaurieRobo I wasn't replying to your post but to the OP topic


there is a real medical difference between food intolerances and food allergies.
In Allergies the food triggers immune system responces. We have developed an antibody to something in that food and the next time we eat it our immunsystem as soon as it comes into contact with that compound releases chemicals to protect the body like histamines and other mediators. Those chemicals cause systemic reactions.

intolerances are defined as digestive issues with a food but no immune system response like lactose intolerant folk. A person may get gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and/or diarehea from eating a food intolerance but their immune system isn't involved in it.

Trigger foods are mostly from previous associated memories of your current emotional state and the pharmocological properties of the food like chocolate which will temperarily correct the emotions we are curerently feeling and/or the placebo effect. such as if when you were hurt as a kid your mommy always gave you a certain kind of treat like a sucker then that treat for you evokes good safe feelings and our Brains because of their massive filing and cross referencing systems find it and "prescribe" them to make us feel better as adults.

[momov2boys]

2big4mysize, generally speaking and from your experiences, would you suggest that people completely avoid their trigger foods?

-Thanks for sharing your opinion.

[LaurieRobo]

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

I think you missunderstood LaurieRobo I wasn't replying to your post but to the OP topic
SNIP


.

I understood... just trying to figure out where my issues are falling into all this mess!

Are they really potential allergies or other issues for me.

[liza15]

Yes- How do we tell the difference? I know everytime I eat dairy my face is extremely puffy and my eyes are all icky in the morning...so is that an intollerance or an allergy. I also have a hard time stopping eating it....so it is also a trigger food.

[2big4mysize]

Originally Posted by momov2boys

2big4mysize, generally speaking and from your experiences, would you suggest that people completely avoid their trigger foods?

-Thanks for sharing your opinion.

it depends on the person. Everybody knows themselves better then anybody else and they know if they have the ability to eat something that will cause them to want stuff they shouldn't have and control themselves and not have it. I can't so I don't. I even avoid emotional triggers if i can.

Some folk are firm believers in the exercise your will power and make it stronger theory so they will on purpose have something or test themselves by attending a choclate tasting party to see if they can control it and then "retrain" their brain by doing something else when those I wants arrive. As long as you are consistant in your alternatives you should be abel to do it if you have the self control and motivation.

BUT should something happen to your alternative like happened to my exercise uses up those chemicals and gives me great brain chems too when I had knee surgery and was left with no alternative to control that I want issues. As I mentioned before I was actually at goal weight and wetn on a carb binge to end all carb binges after resisting for a couple of days without my coping mechanism. I know I can't just shut it down and jump back to being an I love Atkins happy person with an Atkins high so I never even want to try. those were some very scary days for me

There was a study dealing with addicts and it showed that the majority of folk quit cold turkey when the cost to themselves from the addiction was greater then the pleaures they dervived from the addiction. Unfortunately for many of us we don't count the cost of eating a triggerring food as greater then the pleasure of that food on our tastebuds so we have another and another until days or even weeks have passed off plan and we have gained more weight and our clothes are too tight or some social event is coming up and we want to look great.

FOlk like Fawn who have done a whole life change could probably get away with eating a trigger food cause the concept of eating "crap" foods is an abhorance to them but even goalies have foods they know they shouldn't but they do anyways as Allie just posted about last week with her nutbutter jar.I know if cream and cocoa powder are in my house at the same time i will convert the whole cream container to low carb chocolate candy and eat it all in one sitting so they do not live in my house at the same time period.

You know yourself so only you can answer for you. Can you let the tiger out and recage it without a scratch or not?

[momov2boys]

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

There was a study dealing with addicts and it showed that the majority of folk quit cold turkey when the cost to themselves from the addiction was greater then the pleaures they dervived from the addiction. Unfortunately for many of us we don't count the cost of eating a triggerring food as greater then the pleasure of that food on our tastebuds so we have another and another until days or even weeks have passed off plan and we have gained more weight and our clothes are too tight or some social event is coming up and we want to look great.

You know yourself so only you can answer for you. Can you let the tiger out and recage it without a scratch or not?

Thanks 2big4mysize, for lots to think about!

[liza15]

Well......look on the bright side. If peanut butter is something you are going to give up and never keep in your house, you have basically "solved" your problem. If you go out to eat, you wont be tempted by the peanut butter sandwiches on the menu....because their is none!!! The partys and events you attend WONT be serving peanut butter.

Try living with out bread, pasta, rice......hard to escape!!! Staff of Life for most of the world.

[steady]

Originally Posted by LaurieRobo

That's why I'm trying to see if I am actually intolerant of my triggers foods or if they are just triggers for me rather than an allergy.

Very educational thread for me...
I always wondered whether I was allergic to, intolerant to, or triggered by cheese and nuts. I tend to overeat them. I usually abstain for a while and then come across a situation (cocktail party) where cheese/nuts are the only LC foods and I am hungry so I eat them. Then I get a "taste" for them again...then the "need/want" for cheese/nuts lingers so I have a reasonable portion in the following days (thinking I moderate these foods). Eventually need/want grows into a insatiable craving and my serving grows into an all-out overeat/binge portion. Then I realize cheese/nut are not a good thing for me because I have no control and have to struggle to wean off them again.

So after reading this thread I've deducted cheese and nuts are just food triggers, since I don't notice any physical effects whether I am in a abstaining phase or eat phase. It is the actual binge that makes me feel crappy physically...not the cheese or nuts.

[LaurieRobo]

Steady -

That is a great observation and learning I'm just getting there and trying to figure it out.

I do know that I am much less bloated feeling since I haven't been eating yogurt but is it really the yogurt or just the volume I was eating. We shall see next week - hopefully it was just the volume, because I really believe that it is a healthy addition to my WOE. I think though not having it for a couple weeks - if indeed it is some sort of allergy, I know that I can live with out it.

I am the same with nuts and cheese as you - I can be fine without, then in a pinch it becomes the only real good choice... a little more and a little more then finally I get to a point that it is too much and back off... this has been more of a natural progression with both these foods and I am not as concerned with that - because I can natrually go weeks without nuts and not even miss them.

I am more concerned with the yogurt and what it is doing to me and finding out if it is an allergy.

We'll see next week how my new experiment goes adding it back in!

[2big4mysize]

Laurierobo if when you add yogurt back you get that bloating try taking it with one of those lactose enzymes and see if your bloating reappears or not. if it doesn't then then you know you have an intolerance to the lactose and can decide if you want to continue eating it with the enzymes or not.

[LaurieRobo]

Originally Posted by 2big4mysize

Laurierobo if when you add yogurt back you get that bloating try taking it with one of those lactose enzymes and see if your bloating reappears or not. if it doesn't then then you know you have an intolerance to the lactose and can decide if you want to continue eating it with the enzymes or not.

Thanks! I will keep that tucked in my bag 'o tricks!