What do you guys do to stop yourself from eating when you aren't hungry?

prettysoul1908

One thing that works for me is to weigh out things i'm considering eating. I just had my breakfast and was still in the mood to eat more. I have a donut on hand and once I weighed it out and saw how big of an impact it would have on my daily caloric intake... I changed my mind. It really helped me evaluate if it was worth it. It wasn't. Now if i have some extra calories the end of the night then I may indulge.

Plus Once I finished weighing and considering... I wasn't even hungry anymore. Lol.

wizzybeth

I reason with myself....and think about how many minutes I'd have to exercise to burn the calories off if it puts me over my target....lol.

A cup of hot tea or hot coffee (I drink both unsweetened and without cream/milk...though I might sneak a tsp or 2 of honey in the tea) often does the trick for me for minimal, if any, calories.

KikiBerry

I eat bigger meals so that I am fuller longer. 6 small meals don't work for me, I'd rather have 2 large meals and room for a later snack if I need it.

anl90

If I am at home, I start up a video game, or get on my computer - something to distract me. At work, I focus on straightening my department, and keep my water bottle full of ice water. If I absolutely cannot fight it off, I try to keep healthy/low calorie things around our house - apples, carrots, pickles, etc. That way, if I MUST eat, it's not as big of a blow to my daily calories.

PeachyCarol

Drink water or walk.

jacklifts

Have the same issue. I'm not sure it's anxiety related? Like if I have something I'm supposed to do but don't want to do it yet or what. Don't know the answer, but thanks for starting this thread!

Here are the things I"ve tried:

• Tea seems to help the most (more than coffee), but doesn't solve it completely or all the time.
• Diet ice tea is my favorite drink and helps a lot with that feeling, but I can easily drink 80oz of it in 10 minutes, so I use that sparingly.
• I've tried cold carbonated water (seltzer water), to help fill up. The problem though is that I'm not hungry, so feeling more full doesn't resolve the issue.
• There are some days when I'm feeling more logical and balanced, and I can simply ignore the feeling knowing that I'm not hungry.
• Other days, when nothing else works, I end up eating a bunch of stuff. If it comes down to eating, I really try to start out with celery sticks and carrots, even though I really want 15 soft-baked Peperidge farm mint-brownie cookies. Then I go to oatmeal/oatbran, 2 servings worth, add peanut butter powder, cinnamon, and use calorie free sweetener or low free syrup. That seems to help, with the heaviness of the oatmeal and the sugary taste. That's still about 300-500 calories, but like I said, I can most definitely eat 5x that in other snacks.

Good luck, and let me know what you find that works for you so I can try it out too.

ReeseG4350

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

I get up and move.

Yeh. I was going to say that. When you are sitting around and feel the urge to shove something in your mouth... Walk away. Go outside. Take a walk around the block. Work in your yard or clean out the garage or something. Call your best friend and get lost in the conversation.

You already know the urge to eat is an habitual reflex. It's a habit. You are bored and, with nothing else to preoccupy your mind, you default to the eating 'thing'. But, here's a thought. If you don't already have a dead tree journal of your diet journey, start one. Go out and buy yourself a nice journal and a good ink pen and go old school. Then, when you feel the urge to grab something and start munching, grab your journal instead. Write about what you are thinking and feeling and how you want to grab something to eat even though you do not feel hungry. You just want to eat.

Focusing on what is motivating the urge can help you to understand it and, thus, conquer it.

lemurcat12

Soopatt wrote: »

I try not to snack as little bites of things activates my hunger although I know it works for other people.

I stick to 3 planned meals and have just told myself "I don't snack and eat between meals". I just don't do it, its not a thing I do - not negotiable. Changing my thinking has really helped me so that I don't need to negotiate and ponder over it - it is just a thing I no longer do, in the same was a vegan will tell you that they do not eat meat - not sometimes, not just when they feel like it - they don't. Ever.

With the option to snack eliminated, I need to deal with occasional hunger and tea, coffee (I don't take sugar so its an almost zero calorie option) and lots of water works for this. I am also less likely to be hungry when I am busy so I do my best to avoid boredom.

Yes, this is exactly what worked for me. Whenever I fall back into the habit of snacking (like when I did a week long bike trip where I was eating all the time, as I needed the calories) I find I have to train myself again to get back into my normal schedule, but it only takes a few days -- probably a week or so the first time I did it.

When I first started this I let myself eat raw veggies when I felt the urge to snack, but nothing else, and I realized I wasn't really hungry within a few days and stopped feeling that urge to eat. Then I started just walking around a little or getting coffee (black) or water or writing a little bit about why I wanted to eat (or even just planning a dinner based on what tastes I thought I wanted).

For me it was really about habit, so changing that so I don't think about eating outside of meals was the key.

crb426

Drink water and/or brush teeth.

Sometimes I'll walk to the computer and pre-log the calories of the item I'm thinking of eating. Usually the shock of what the extra calories will do is enough to stop me from actually consuming it.

ClassicVegan

Eat. But, I choose something with high protein. If that doesn't work, I try to change my environment by going for a walk or drive.

BoxerBrawler

Save some calories for a snack and eat it really slowly!
Exercise will power and just say "NO", and mean it!
Call it a day, go to bed.
Remind myself how hard I worked all day to do the right thing and how bad I'll feel after I ruin my plan.

SingRunTing

I keep myself busy.

I also save calories for an evening snack everyday. When I find that I'm thinking about eating when I'm not hungry, I plan my snack. Planning how I'm going to spend those calories can be pretty fun.

Machka9

ninerbuff wrote: »

Play video games. Hard to eat when hands are being occupied.

Or paint your nails ... not easy to fix snacks with wet nail polish.

cwolfman13

I don't tend to eat or want to eat when I'm physically not hungry...

Machka9

Machka9 wrote: »

Drink a cup of your favourite tea

Regarding tea, I've found that lemon ginger works quite well to ease that gnawing pain in the stomach I mistake for hunger.

firedragon064

baby carrots! I bought those 1 lb bags. When I'm an emotional eater. I'm trying to overcome it but I still have problem. So baby carrots, sweet and crunchy and it's good for you!!!!

summerdaze120

• I drink (sip on) a bottle of water
• Brush my teeth
• Take a hot bath
• Do some core workouts (abs)
• Get on MFP and read motivational threads

ritzbits190

rkcampbell wrote: »

I drink hot tea. It fills me up and I have to drink it slowly. Usually the craving is gone by the time I'm finished.

^this

allaboutthefood

lots of water and the more I move the less I eat.

_Terrapin_

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

I get up and move.

I chase Lis. She hates my furry coat.

Shull_rachael

Same here I'm starving at nights! Not sure what to do)=

Qriss644

I broke down and found some mild appetite suppressants. That doesn't do it all, I have found that exercise...or just moving-walk to the store, mailbox etc beats it down. A steady regiment of exercise actually takes care of most half the day, morning and evening are the only times I eat. If I am truly hungry, like headache hungry...I get a celery stick and cream cheese...that takes off the edge. It isn't easy, I became a boredom eater...it can rule your life if you let it, but you are stronger than that.

RodaRose

Take up a yoga practice.
It will improve your life in so many ways ESPECIALLY with regard to mind / body awareness.
You will feel more connective to your emotions.
Look up deep breathing techniques on YouTube to start

PhoenyxRose

I either drink water or try to get out of my apartment and go to my university or my studio to paint, but sometimes I cave and I just log it and move on and just have a slightly higher deficit for the rest of the week.

jenniferpiotrowski0

I try to eat filling foods and tell myself in my head when I'm tempted to eat more if I'm not really hungry that I have eaten enough and that it will all be worth it in the end. I try to distract myself with tv and playing games on my phone too

RodHudson1229

Sex is a great distraction. Just saying

ReeseG4350

ruthtruman wrote: »

I walk instead... By the end of every week for 6 months now, I've logged over 5 miles a day on my Fitbit.

Just curious... how long does it take you to hit that 5mi/day?

helenbenzie75

I too drink tea, plus I do cross stitch and have a colouring book. I find it difficult to just sit in front of the tv, my minds always wonders to food! :-)

ReeseG4350

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Soopatt wrote: »

"... (like when I did a week long bike trip where I was eating all the time, as I needed the calories)"

Color me jealous! Wish I had a week to give up for a bike trek! (The Appalachian Trail is so seductive!)

When I first started this I let myself eat raw veggies when I felt the urge to snack, but nothing else, and I realized I wasn't really hungry within a few days and stopped feeling that urge to eat. Then I started just walking around a little or getting coffee (black) or water or writing a little bit about why I wanted to eat (or even just planning a dinner based on what tastes I thought I wanted).

And THIS is a perfect solution to habit munching! carrots, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, wasabi pods, etc. These are perfect munchie foods because they are very low in calories and high in nutrients and fiber to help you feel full enough to serve as a reminder not to eat more! Don't know I would recommend the coffee, though. It can dehydrate you and actually make you feel even more hungry! (weird, huh?)

xKoalaBearx

ariana_eatsandlifts wrote: »

I've been surprised with how a big glass of ice water can curb my instinct to mindlessly snack.

Ditto for me!