How do you stop yourself from eating when you arent hungry?

maea5040
maea5040 Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I always want to snack on something, even when i'm not hungry. I already traded my chips in for veggies, but I want to keep snacking on something throughout the day, especially when Im bored. What do you do to stop this feeling?
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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I get the snack attacks when I'm sleep deprived, haven't had enough protein, or slack off on my regular exercise program. I work very hard on my sleep hygiene, and make sure I get enough protein and exercise.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Fiber is important as well. Would you please change the Sodium or Sugar in your food diary to Fiber?
  • cbihatt
    cbihatt Posts: 319 Member
    Distraction works best for me. Also, I drink a lot of hot tea.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    When i'm engrossed in doing important stuff, i don't think about hunger. :+1:
  • rachelmarie1
    rachelmarie1 Posts: 201 Member
    maybe try gum or drinking more water?
  • DaniettaF
    DaniettaF Posts: 212 Member
    I do it with hot drinks, like tea. I have a number of flavours so I don't get bored of them.
  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
    Keep busy, drink extra water or hot tea, or snack on some veggies. Also, remind yourself why you're doing it. I downloaded a bunch of motivational images on my phone and put them on my lock screen. Right now it says "You don't want to look back and know you could've done better." Whenever I unlock my phone I see that and it keeps me focused on to goal. Another good one is "Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most."
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    It's a habit. Try to distract yourself now and after a couple of weeks you will completely forget. I promise :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    aim_3 wrote: »
    Distraction works best for me. Also, I drink a lot of hot tea.

    When I'm sitting in front of the TV - a large glass of ice water and something (anything) to distract me......solitaire, crochet, adult coloring book.....whatever.

    What gebeziseva said "It's a habit." Break the habit by any means necessary.
  • samwiserabbit
    samwiserabbit Posts: 153 Member
    Step One: Notice that you're not hungry. Check.

    Step Two: Do something besides eat. :)

    Some things I've done that actually help me move on from the urge to snack are a hot shower, a walk, reading, writing, knitting, and (ahem) sex, etc.

    Snacking on veggies never did it for me, and chewing gum only helps me hold off eating for a little while. Drinking water helps when I'm actually thirsty, not hungry.

    I don't know what you're doing when this happens to you, but I can tell you that I've found that I get the urge to snack when I'm trying to work if I'm not sufficiently stimulated by my work. For me, that means listening to an audiobook or radio show while I work if I can manage both at once.

    Also:
    It's a habit. Try to distract yourself now and after a couple of weeks you will completely forget. I promise :)
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    Boredom eating gets me bad especially at work. Usually I try and distract myself, and play a game of 'drink the water'. Think I'm hungry and I know I can't be? Drink water! Brain thinks I should be hungry? Water! It helps me make sure I drink water which can also be a symptom.
    If it's honest to goodness grazing issues (you just like to mindlessly snack), get rid of the snack foods. The only things I usually keep around for snacks are granola bars, and fruit in fruit juice. Lately I reintroduced chips, but I can weigh them out with no issue now.
  • KiwiAlexP
    KiwiAlexP Posts: 186 Member
    I find I sometimes just want flavour instead of the water I'm drinking at work so maybe try sugar free mints or gum
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    Walking on my treadmill at a reasonable pace (where i'm just walking, not panting hard or sweating or anything) watching a netflix show does wonders for me. I forget that little trick sometimes when I get lazy and don't think I need to get up and walk.

    I have done 6 miles today and it's amazing how my hunger just goes away. I need to keep remembering that because these last few days, I've been letting calories creep up on me. Find something that can take your mind off of eating.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I don't remember what it is like to be bored. I have not had that experience since I was a kid.

    Find something to do besides eat. As other suggested read, color, clean house. Go for a walk. Get a hobby.

    Do something.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    maea5040 wrote: »
    I always want to snack on something, even when i'm not hungry. I already traded my chips in for veggies, but I want to keep snacking on something throughout the day, especially when Im bored. What do you do to stop this feeling?

    It's just a habit...habits can be uncomfortable to break, but they can be broken. Establish feeding times and pre-plan what you're going to eat during those feeding times and stick to the plan.

    Also, in some cases, boredom cannot be helped...but by and large we are in control of what we're doing. If I find myself bored on the weekend at home, that's a good indicator to me that I need to get up and go do something. So I find a project or I go for a ride or go for a hike or otherwise engage myself with one of my hobbies.
  • ElvenToad
    ElvenToad Posts: 644 Member
    If its not time to eat yet I will find something to do. There's always a drawer or a closet that could be sorted and organized. Chores that need to be done, etc. It's really hard to eat while you are jogging in front of the TV too. Time flies by and then whoo hoo time to eat!
  • creativecritters77
    creativecritters77 Posts: 19 Member
    Distraction helps me as well, especially keeping my hands busy. Knitting is always good for that, and if I'm following a pattern that helps distract my mind as well as keep my hands busy. I tend to get the munchies late at night, especially if I'm having trouble sleeping, so that's when I turn to knitting or sculpting (and I'm accomplishing something while NOT adding extra calories to my diet). It's not always easy, but with practice the habit of mindless munching can be overcome.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Get out of the house and do things which do not involve food/where there are no snacks around.

    Live a life that is interesting enough that you don't need to fill up the empty holes with food.

    When you have the urge to snack, drink instead--water, coffee, herbal tea with no sugar...
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited April 2016
    Pre-log your day in the morning and stick to it.
    Also, when I feel the hunger pangs in the afternoon a hot cup of tea or coffee with milk helps.
  • ajsawrie
    ajsawrie Posts: 38 Member
    maea5040 wrote: »
    I always want to snack on something, even when i'm not hungry. I already traded my chips in for veggies, but I want to keep snacking on something throughout the day, especially when Im bored. What do you do to stop this feeling?

    I use green tea. I drink iced, unsweetened green tea all day long. It's a natural and healthy source of caffeine to keep me awake and focused, and it doesn't have sugar or calories. It's also chock full on vitamin C! I have a dietician friend who told me that staying hydrated is the best way to keep yourself from snacking all day, because many people mistake thirst for hunger and eat when they should be drinking. If the caffeine bothers you, you can always buy decaf!
  • eatmorepaleo5
    eatmorepaleo5 Posts: 4 Member
    I feel like eating right now...but I'm out of calories for the day...so I'm having a mug of hot water. It's helping.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,069 Member
    I'm a boredom eater, especially at work when there are not a lot of meetings. That's how I packed on the pounds. Constantly snacking on calorie dense foods. Since I do like to eat frequently, but can't eat a lot at once, I do 6 smaller meals. I basically eat every 2-3 hours with low calorie, nutritionally dense foods like meat, veg and complex carb. I also try to drink 10 glasses of water a day. You stay so full, snacking is not an issue, and if the urge hits you are usually pretty close to your next mealtime so you can just grab your next scheduled meal. Takes a lot of planning and prepping however.
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
    Just because you want to do something doesn't mean you have to do it. I want to sleep until noon every day, but I don't, because if I do then I can't meet my goal of remaining employed and paying the rent. What's more important to you, your weight loss or eating whenever you feel like it?
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  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Larissa_NY wrote: »
    Just because you want to do something doesn't mean you have to do it. I want to sleep until noon every day, but I don't, because if I do then I can't meet my goal of remaining employed and paying the rent. What's more important to you, your weight loss or eating whenever you feel like it?

    Lol true! Priorities OP :smile:
  • Linzon
    Linzon Posts: 294 Member
    edited April 2016
    Lots of great suggestions already, so I'll add that I play a video game that requires two hands. Lately my game of choice has been Stardew Valley, where I grow virtual food and seduce potential mates with my home-made pickled parsnips.
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I pre-log my meals and have a rough idea when I'll be eating them. If I'm hungry before meal time I'll make some coffe, have a diet soda, try to keep myself busy or just have my food a bit early. Or ill change one of my meals and have a snack and a smaller meal. I never pick at food. I cant when I know I dont have the calories for it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Linzon wrote: »
    Lots of great suggestions already, so I'll add that I play a video game that requires two hands. Lately my game of choice has been Stardew Valley, where I grow virtual food and seduce potential mates with my home-made pickled parsnips.

    That's awesome!

  • evastar
    evastar Posts: 32 Member
    Diet pop can do the trick for me!
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    Figure out why you want to snack. If it's boredom, distract your hands and brain. If it's stress, try to get rid of the stress. If you can't do that, find another way to deal with the stress. Meditate, take a walk, read a book, etc.

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