Emotional eating and eating out of boredom

nicole2675

Hello this is my first post on here. I have started fasting this week. I haven't done it since i was a teenager. Anyway doing this made me realize that now that I've stopped eating all day long my boredom is driving me crazy. When i stay busy im fine but when i run out of things to do i have been pacing the floor bc i dont want to eat out of boredom anymore. The reason im writing this post i guess is looking for some support and maybe some ideas on how to stay busy.

L1zardQueen

Do you have a hobby?

MichelleSilverleaf

Find a hobby you like, or find a new one. Tackle some projects around the house. Go for a daily walk. Volunteer somewhere.

Fasting isn't necessary to weight loss. If you find you're snacking just for the hell of it, consider adjusting your macros. My snacking goes all the way down when I get proper amounts of protein.

JBanx256

You don't have to fast to lose weight; you also don't have to swear off snacks to lose weight!

If you need to fill up some time though to take your mind off of food - read, go for a walk, take care of stuff around the house, whatever hobbies you may have (art? music?).

dippy_duck

I haven’t really got any tips for fasting as I’ve never done it. I know that I always want an evening snack after dinner so I save calories for it. I tried cutting out my ‘treat’ altogether but I found myself getting hungry in the night so now I just make room for it.

In my previous life my ‘treat’ would have been chocolate or ice cream but now its stuff like bliss balls or low cal ice cream. Still similar flavours but fits my calorie goal.

If you find yourself getting hungry could you budget for a snack at those times? Not sure if that goes against the point of fasting but yeah?!

hypocacculus

I agree that you need a time consuming hobby which keeps your hands busy and your mind off food. Trying to come up with clever eating routines only keeps you thinking about food and reinforces your desire to eat. Thinking about something you can't have is very depressing - you need a distraction!

Doing something that gets you out of the house is excellent, anything from walking to skydiving will do. If you are stuck indoors, consider learning a musical instrument (best if you can afford lessons), or handicraft such as knitting or embroidery, or model making. Or take up photography (you don't need a fancy camera). Or painting. Or doll making. The only limit is your imagination. You don't need talent to do these things, just time and practice, and there are clubs you can join. Then not only do you get thinner, you have a new thing!

psychod787

Stay busy... find work to do...

Orphia

De-cluttering/recycling objects and/or tidying in the house is a constructive way to rack up some steps and improve your home environment and feeling of well-being.

Likewise, gardening and tidying outdoors.

Also +1 for walking. Add in extra walks wherever you can. Walk to the shops if you need a couple of things, instead of making a long list and using the car.

Search the forum for NEAT tips (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) - ways to increase your daily activity without doing formal workouts.

But I'll add, don't punish yourself in the process. You'll only be able to stick to fasting and being busy if it keeps you happy and feels sustainable.

If you're rushing and starving yourself to lose the weight fast so you can go back to sitting and eating all day, well, hello yo-yo dieting!

Think about how you can eat the foods that satisfy you at the times of day that let you function without stress or being grumpy to others while sticking to a calorie deficit that won't cause you to crash and burn.

Unknown

This content has been removed.