When you're not really hungry..

cuteaintfit

I struggle with disordered eating and binge eating so I'm in the midst of tackling those issues and wanted some ideas for things to do INSTEAD of eating when you know you're not actually due for a meal or hungry.

Any input welcome- thank you!!

spectralmoon

I'm a habit snacker, and chewing gum works for me. I LOVE Quenchers (I found it at SportsChalet) because it is a LOT of flavor and only 5 calories for a pretty big piece. It isn't bubblegum so no one at work gets annoyed by the temptation to make that sucker go, and it doesn't reek like some gums tend to (I'm sorry, but Big Red smells awful in your mouth).

My second go-to is water, but the gum fills in where water doesn't quite cut it (yet).

lizzybathory

Becoming a tea fanatic has done the trick for me! I've gotten to the point where I crave a cup of tea when I'm getting bored or would otherwise have reached for a snack. I keep a bunch of delicious varieties on hand and drink without cream or sweetener, so it's more or less just like drinking water. I go through several cups a day. I try to mostly drink herbal tea, too, to keep my caffeine intake down.

CindyMarcuzAdams

I play on the internet. Mfp, pintrest, Facebook. I read the forums, look up recipes. I go for walks, or ride my exercise bike. Not too interesting or exciting but it works for me.

cuteaintfit

Great idea! I wasn't really specific in my post so I'll edit but I was looking for actual things to go DO instead of eating.

Such as:
Take a walk
Journal
Pin motivating images on Pinterest

etc

cuteaintfit

I play on the internet. Mfp, pintrest, Facebook. I read the forums, look up recipes. I go for walks, or ride my exercise bike. Not too interesting or exciting but it works for me.

I apologize I responded to the other posters right before I saw yours This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for, though I don't have FB I will add it to the list for others!

dancegirl0316

Call a friend
Read an interesting article
Watch a Ted Talk
Plan your outfits
start a new hobby like knitting, painting, or beading

Aemely

Good topic. I'm interested to see what others say. I tend to find watching TV is my trigger for mindless eating, so, here's what I do.

→ I do NOT buy very tempting snack food (e.g., foods that I cannot help but eat entire bags of, like pretzel chips).
→ I do buy portion-controlled snack food like air-popped popcorn, nuts, yogurt cups, cottage cheese cups, thin sliced provolone (40 cals. a slice), and crunchy peanut butter. I try not to eat them unless I'm actually hungry, but, I don't wait to get hangry. :happy:
→ I put an exercise mat and weights near the TV. If I get tempted to eat, I do situps, curls, squats, various mat exercises...
→ I do laundry, vacuum, wipe down the counters, and browse MFP forums.
→ I drink fancy tea that makes me feel like I'm not "missing out" on something.
→ I leave the house and walk around the Target, Walmart, PetSmart, etc. while browsing and people-watching.
→ I stopped drinking during the week because it sucks up calories and reduces my self-control.
→ I walk/run around the neighborhood.
→ I take my Nook outside on the porch and read.

cuteaintfit

Call a friend
Read an interesting article
Watch a Ted Talk
Plan your outfits
start a new hobby like knitting, painting, or beading

LOVE these- thank you!!!

cuteaintfit

Good topic. I'm interested to see what others say. I tend to find watching TV is my trigger for mindless eating, so, here's what I do.

→ I do NOT buy very tempting snack food (e.g., foods that I cannot help but eat entire bags of, like pretzel chips).
→ I do buy portion-controlled snack food like air-popped popcorn, nuts, yogurt cups, cottage cheese cups, thin sliced provolone (40 cals. a slice), and crunchy peanut butter. I try not to eat them unless I'm actually hungry, but, I don't wait to get hangry. :happy:
→ I put an exercise mat and weights near the TV. If I get tempted to eat, I do situps, curls, squats, various mat exercises...
→ I do laundry, vacuum, wipe down the counters, and browse MFP forums.
→ I drink fancy tea that makes me feel like I'm not "missing out" on something.
→ I leave the house and walk around the Target, Walmart, PetSmart, etc. while browsing and people-watching.
→ I stopped drinking during the week because it sucks up calories and reduces my self-control.
→ I walk/run around the neighborhood.
→ I take my Nook outside on the porch and read.

These are wonderful suggestions!! Thank you so much for your input. I look forward to what other people suggest as well.

bwogilvie

Read a book. Or work on your hobby. I enjoy bicycling: not just riding, but also keeping my bike in good working order. If you take lots of photos, go to your computer and catch up on labeling or tagging them, so that 10 years from now you'll know what the hell they are and why you took them. Get a mokka coffeemaker and have an elaborate espresso ritual. Basically, you want anything that will capture your attention and distract you from the sense that "there's nothing to do, why not fill that emptiness with food." But because we don't know what captures your attention, all we can do is throw out ideas.

Whatever you do, though, don't waste too much time on Internet forums. That way lies madness (he says, backing away slowly from the keyboard...).

cuteaintfit

Read a book. Or work on your hobby. I enjoy bicycling: not just riding, but also keeping my bike in good working order. If you take lots of photos, go to your computer and catch up on labeling or tagging them, so that 10 years from now you'll know what the hell they are and why you took them. Get a mokka coffeemaker and have an elaborate espresso ritual. Basically, you want anything that will capture your attention and distract you from the sense that "there's nothing to do, why not fill that emptiness with food." But because we don't know what captures your attention, all we can do is throw out ideas.

Whatever you do, though, don't waste too much time on Internet forums. That way lies madness (he says, backing away slowly from the keyboard...).

LOL Thank you for your input! Yes, too much internet (or anything) can be a bad thing. That's why it's nice to have certain things to choose from so you aren't doing the same thing in little moderation!

headofphat

I like to run into the woods and wrestle a bear.

angela233Z

I like to run into the woods and wrestle a bear.

thank you for the laugh

i love all of these ideas - here's the ones that work for me
go for a walk ( hard to eat while you are outside)
or even a drive
call/visit a friend
go shopping
come to MFP - read stories of successful people and ones that are regretting their lapses
clean your house

VeryKatie

Some people start crafting too - like cross-stitch, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, drawing, painting, jewelry making, pottery, stain glass, candle or perfume making...

You could also learn a new skill... like.. wood or metal working, gardening, languages, doing fancy make-up or hairstyles...

pleasepleaseno

I like going through clothes to see if I wanna donate, walking to a shop, doing my makeup, doing my nails, organizing stuff, coming up with tattoo ideas, arts&crafts, making jello lol

kitsune1989

Knitting is a favorite of mine. Some times I just need to do something with my hands.

Tora32

Here's some of the stuff I either already do or keep intending to do next time I need something to do.

Watch a favorite movie or tv show (water or tea help fill the need for a movie snack for me)
Do something crafty
Start an art journal
Scan or scrapbook some of your old photos
Play computer/video games (either free online/facebook games, or paid stuff like WoW, Sims, Minecraft, etc)
Do some cleaning
Read a book (I'm a huge reader, so I tend to have several go-to books at any given time :P)
Go somewhere fun like the library, park, or whatever else you have in your area
Get a camera or video camera and take pictures/shoot video
Experiment with editing your photos or videos
Write poetry or a story
Browse the internet, of course
I also might use a boring period as a chance to try a new yoga or other routine I found on youtube
Consider if there's some task or new skill you've never gotten around to accomplishing in the past, and get started on it (I suspect most of us have a bunch of these handy :P)