Boredom Eating

pinkiemarie252

Has anybody had good luck with overcoming boredom eating? I so far have not! The tips I've read seem easier said than done. Any success stories?

Liftng4Lis

When it hits, get up and move.

sistrsprkl

Being a stay at home mom, I've had to learn to deal with it. Protein and fiber fill me up and have a reasonable daily calorie limit and just stay in it

atypicalsmith

Why are you bored? Do you not know how to get up and exercise?

DMLC2014

Start a new hobby that keeps your hands busy, puzzle books and drink water first. Get rid of the unhealthy foods and only keep healthy foods in the house!

theanxiousfox

I make a big pot of hot tea and drink that so I'm still consuming something to help the craving. I also started keeping a chart on the fridge and keep track of the days I overeat/bored eat/binge, it helps keep me on track to visually see and if I go a certain amount of days without overeating I treat myself with something non food related.

And I agree with getting up and moving. Go for a walk, find an activity to do, exercise, or if it's late at night just go to bed.

rocknlotsofrolls

It helps me to come on here and read posts and reply to some.

swift13b

I get bored and want to snack during the day at work. No, I cannot just get up and leave my desk to go exercise or entertain myself. I just make sure I only keep healthy snacks around and I usually pre-log them all so I know what I can and can't eat throughout the day.

TimothyFish

I get out and ride my bicycle. Not only does it get rid of boredom, it is harder to eat while riding.

titania_one

I have the same problem as where I work is very slow and somewhat dull. There is some truth to the get up and move thing, i go for lots of walks, it does keep me from eating.

Ocrgrrrl

rocknlotsofrolls wrote: »

It helps me to come on here and read posts and reply to some.

This! Visiting these boards and reading about my MFP friends and their daily exercise/success really keeps me distracted when I get bored.

Machka9

To overcome boredom ... do something.

When I was growing up, I learned very quickly to entertain myself. If I dared to say the words, "I'm bored" to my mother, I'd be out washing windows or something. She would find me something to do ... and chances are it wouldn't be at all what I had in mind.

So I learned to become busy all the time.

Tips
-- Exercise. Here are a whole list of sports: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports ... start working your way through them.

-- Get a hobby. Here are a whole list of hobbies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hobbies ... start working your way through them.

-- Take classes. Most communities have community courses (check with your local library or your town website if you're not sure). Colleges and universities also have community courses. Or maybe you might want to pursue a degree.

-- If you're at work, take on extra projects, see if your company will let you take courses during work time, put your hand up for various committees ... become involved.


And of course, simply don't have food available at a time when you might become bored. Have tea or chewing gum or something else around instead.

berlynnwall

If I feel like eating because I'm bored I try to chew gum first. A lot of times it's enough to shut up my stomach until it's actually time to eat.

ladykate26

I go for a bath. My boredom eat time is every evening!

bainsworth1a

getting up and moving is a good suggestion.
I have to keep my hands busy. especially if all I am doing is watching tv to relax. I have to do something else too like be on the computer or crochet.

Machka9

bainsworth1a wrote: »

getting up and moving is a good suggestion.
I have to keep my hands busy. especially if all I am doing is watching tv to relax. I have to do something else too like be on the computer or crochet.

Yeah, me too ... I rarely just sit and watch TV. I just can't do that. I'm usually dashing about doing housework during the commericals, or working on a hobby or two or three during the show.

Ame_ly

Snacking onto something when you're not hungry doesn't necessarily have to ruin your diet. How about instead of snacking onto that ice cream you snack on some white radishes with a bit of salsa? Just find some low-cal options and start from there .

Merci4u

I have to be VERY busy to not think about food. Saying go exercise isn't the most helpful thing, especially when your tied to the work desk with a boring report to write or you are winding down for the night.

I find not keeping snacks around at all helps and if I do want a snack I have to 'work' for it - eg go and get it from the shop or make it at home. Usually by the time the snack is within reach I don't want it anymore.

Other things I can suggest are drinking lots of water, and allocating snack calories and logging before eating. I personally have moved into no snack zone. For me they are empty calories - snacking doesn't fill me up I just want more. Try a few things and see what works for you.

pinkiemarie252

Work kills me sometimes. I can get up from my desk...but the only place I can go is the kitchen! Night is the worst though. I exercise when I get home, work on my blog and my business, then I'm too tired to do anything, TV comes on and I'm all of a sudden wanting to eat. It isn't as easy as "just go exercise" when you've been up and at it for 10 hours and already put in a good workout! Maybe I should try knitting more when I'm watching TV.

harpsdesire

Sugarless gum is one thing that can help with this, another option is 'fiddle toys' for passive brain stimulation while you work on something boring and must remain at your desk (a stress ball or the 'tangle relax therapy' are good options).

CandiceMcD

what I do is measure all my snacks - and log them as soon as they go in my face, that way I see all these 'boredom snacks' piling up in my food diary & I am like, no.....

dallpruitt

I'm in the same boat I can work out that day and stay within my food plan all day. Then I fall to sleep at night and wake up with this crazy feeling that I have to eat threw my sleep and sometime I'm un aware untill the next morning how much I have snacked threw the night bc I was half sleep the whole time I was getting up to eat something.

Mr_Knight

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

When it hits, get up and move.

Yep.

:drinker:

And if it's late at night that the urges hit - turn the damn TV off and go to sleep!

yopeeps025

I'm not sure I know what boredom eating is like you will just be chillen and relaxing. All of sudden you want to eat something or you want to just be doing something.

jgnatca

It's also habit eating. It's a lot easier to add a new habit than to try and resist the old. Lots of good ideas here. I also have to keep my hands busy.

NewMeSM75

Honest I get that way before bed time. I just tell myself that it will pass. But I know what you mean.

jgnatca

Some days I can let the feeling pass, others not so much. I went through a mega munching phase last month and kept air-popped popcorn around to keep me busy.

lucybulldozer

Have you tried chewing gum or brushing your teeth? The minty taste will stop you from eating and chewing gum could cure boredem. It works for me.

daronjd

I would encourage you to be observant of your triggers. What I mean is, notice that you feel like eating. Notice what you feel in your body. And notice why. Give yourself the freedom to open the fridge and pantry while asking yourself, "Am I hungry? Or am I bored?" If you are truly hungry, eat! If you are bored, ask yourself, "What is something satisfying that I could do instead?" Focus on your breathing and acknowledge that it is just a feeling and it will pass.

bainsworth1a

jgnatca wrote: »

Some days I can let the feeling pass, others not so much. I went through a mega munching phase last month and kept air-popped popcorn around to keep me busy.

I do that too. I also will eat celery or carrots something that takes a while to chew

rushfive

I get this while watching tv in the evenings. It is my unwind time. I get mints and sugar free suckers. It is enough not to go over calories but keeps my mouth busy.