Ugh controlling eating out of boredom...

Famof72015

Why do I want to eat when I'm bored, or have nothing to do? I have 5 kids I should always have something to do..... they snack I want to snack. I just always want to be eating

L1zardQueen

Pick up a hobby like crochet or learn to play the ukulele.

yogswife

Just wanted to say you are not alone. I also tend to find myself eating when I am bored also when watching TV. I find myself thinking I am hungry when I really probably am not. I just try to get up drink a glass of water and make myself find something else to do. Usually easier said than done. I too should not be bored lol I have 4 kiddos.

TimothyFish

I find that riding a bicycle helps. It is far from boring and I have to eat more than I would out of boredom to keep from losing weight.

GottaluvFood

You're probably a binge eater. We eat when we're not hungry. We sneak food. (I hid eating from my kids & husband--especially their Halloween candy!) We eat beyond comfort. We eat even beyond enjoying ourselves. We eat in a zombie state.

Eat when bored? I do that all the time. It's not that I'm really bored. It's that I don't want to do what I should be doing...something monotonous & tedious. So I take a "break" by eating. Most non-bingers think we only binge 'cuz of depression, but emotional peaks/valleys are not necessary for binging. If my goal is to take a break, then I need to find something to do while I break. I've drink way too much green tea, to alleviate this problem. It gives me a hand-to-mouth motion without the calories.

Some of binge eating can be controlled by using boundaries. Weight Watchers is good about teaching these boundaries. Only eat at the table--not over the sink, not in front of TV or computer, not in car, not grabbing a mouthful from bag whenever you walk by. Eat only at the table from a plate that you pre-determined the amount served. Even serving large portions can be substantially less food than grazing.

I understand snacking when they snack. That is a powerful force. Eating should be social. Allow yourself to still sit with them & snack, but choose wisely what you put in your mouth. Maybe just tea. Maybe just whatever fruit or veggie that is available. OR, have substantially smaller meals knowing you've got a snack in a few hours.

KM0692

I'm also a boredom eater. Chewing gum helps - a little. :-/

tomteboda

My house got very, very clean when I started cleaning instead of eating.

zyxst

praykathy wrote: »

You're probably a binge eater. We eat when we're not hungry. We sneak food. (I hid eating from my kids & husband--especially their Halloween candy!) We eat beyond comfort. We eat even beyond enjoying ourselves. We eat in a zombie state.

Eat when bored? I do that all the time. It's not that I'm really bored. It's that I don't want to do what I should be doing...something monotonous & tedious. So I take a "break" by eating. Most non-bingers think we only binge 'cuz of depression, but emotional peaks/valleys are not necessary for binging. If my goal is to take a break, then I need to find something to do while I break. I've drink way too much green tea, to alleviate this problem. It gives me a hand-to-mouth motion without the calories.

Some of binge eating can be controlled by using boundaries. Weight Watchers is good about teaching these boundaries. Only eat at the table--not over the sink, not in front of TV or computer, not in car, not grabbing a mouthful from bag whenever you walk by. Eat only at the table from a plate that you pre-determined the amount served. Even serving large portions can be substantially less food than grazing.

I understand snacking when they snack. That is a powerful force. Eating should be social. Allow yourself to still sit with them & snack, but choose wisely what you put in your mouth. Maybe just tea. Maybe just whatever fruit or veggie that is available. OR, have substantially smaller meals knowing you've got a snack in a few hours.

Just because someone eats when they aren't hungry or sneaks food doesn't make them a binge eater. It's a lot more complicated than that. I eat when bored, stressed, depressed, because food is there, and I sneak food. I'm not a binge eater.

As for OP, you're not alone. For me, I eat when not hungry to give myself the dopamine response because food = enjoyment/happiness. I do drink more water instead of eating and I pre-log small snacks (chocolate coffee beans and a flavored rice cake). For me, I try to minimize the calories sine I haven't found a way to stop myself from eating without bringing in other bad habits (smoking).

estherdragonbat

I budget for snacks that fit my calories. Right now, my 'go-to' salty treat is Skinny Pop popcorn (depending on flavor, 80-86 calories for 2 cups) and for sweet, Quaker Corn Squares (110 calories for 30 grams). Otherwise, fruit, string cheese, veggie dogs.

sexymamadraeger

I second the crocheting! When my cravings were worst I would crochet. Just giving your hands something to do helps. After a few min your brain will forget.

kommodevaran

You have to want to not eat all the time, and then stop eating all the time. You have to define yourself as someone who doesn't eat all the time, who doesn't eat to pass time or ease emotions or just because there is food around. Emotions and boredom and food are around us and in us all the time. Eating has its place and its time. Maybe it's time to reintroduce meals for the whole family and stop "snacking" altogether?

vivelajackie

I was really, really bad at sneaking food when I worked around it. I would snack, all of the time...

It got to a point where I would take a sip of water every time I found myself wandering closer to food, which filled me up and also made me more aware of my awful snacking.

JeromeBarry1

Maybe this can help: I have a category of meal I call "Snacks". I don't start my day planning to have snacks, but rather I start my day planning to log enough exercise to earn or pay for any food that I put in "Snacks". This makes your decision a bit more complex in that you have to decide how much you will work for that treat.

setzerfan

I agree with crochet or whatever hobby you like that keeps your hands busy (knitting, woodworking, etc). I snack way less when I pick up my embroidery projects.

PinkamenaD8

Replace the unhealthy foods around you with filling healthy options, if you don't feel hungry you won't have as much carvings and eat our of boredom.

Scandinavianblonde00

Don't be bored. If that doesn't work drink a lot of zero calorie drinks. They fill me up.

Lovee_Dove7

Maybe this will work for you, it works for me: macro goals. I weigh and track my intake, making it my goal to eat 120g protein or more, keep my carb and sugar intake low (fat intake is high), 35g or more fiber daily.

It surprises me how effective this is, it's like playing a game. For example, if I don't want more carbs/sugar that day, I'll eat some veggies and meat. Or if I want a treat, I'll make my own homemade "cookie dough protein bars" using nut butter, whey protein, chia seeds and other ingredients (high protein, low carb, high fiber).

This keeps me calculating what I will eat (what will satisfy me and the macro goals), instead of impulsive or thoughtless eating.

AnnPT77

+1 to new hobby (especially one requiring clean hands, like sketching, knit/crochet, musical instrument - easy to pick up & put down would be a plus in your situation).

Also, I'm suspecting you're finding yourself in spots where snacking was a habit, so the habit part may be part of it. Think about possible new habits that will distract you, and they will substitute in your mind for the old ones once you practice them intentionally for a while.

A few possibilities: Cup of tea (regular or herb) or glass of water, stretches (toe-touch, side bend, calf raise - something quick & easy), quick chore (wipe the kitchen counters, dust a shelf), look out the window and find some bit of nature to appreciate, take a few slow/deep breaths and consciously relax your body, apply some hand lotion, mini-calisthenics (few jumping jacks, body weight squats, etc.), . . . .

Wolfger

Boredom eating is my #1 problem. I have conquered it in 3 ways:
1) I simply recognize that I'm only "hungry" because I'm bored and refuse to give in (maybe get up and go grab a bottle of water instead)
2) If I can't successfully refuse to give in, I've made sure to have something low in calories but satisfying to munch on available, such as a 100-calorie "snack pack" of microwaveable kettle corn. There's a large volume of kettle corn to 100 calories, so it feels very satisfying and is easy to work into my daily goal.
3) plan on rewarding yourself with a treat at the end of the day for being good. In my case, I make an effort to save up enough calories that I can have a beer (and not that Michelob Ultra crap... a GOOD beer). If I boredom snack, that usually takes away my end of day treat, so... incentive to not give in!

cbihatt

I am a boredom eater, as well. I mostly manage it by not having snack foods in the house. When I do buy snacks for the kid or my husband, I make sure it is something I don't like or won't be tempted by. I also drink a ton of tea. I make it hot and sweet, so it takes me longer to drink than water and it tastes like a treat.

Sp1tfire

I found that increasing my protein intake helps with the snacking. I feel so full I don't even want to think about snacking.