Boredom eating

Katrob9

Hi all,

I have been a bit rubbish at changing my eating habits so far. I have only just started eating breakfast since starting MFP (didn't have time for breakfast this morning though - oops) but I am still eating cr*p that is not good for you like crisps, biscuits etc. I also eat when I am bored and not hungry even though I know that they are empty calories.

I come under my net calories all the time but not in the good way I don't think. Any advice/kick up the a** so that I stop being a greedy guts?!?!

rachel871

I eat when I'm bored too, it's terrible, because I know I'm not hungry and I don't need it.

The only way I've stopped doing it is stop buying junk. I don't buy chocolate or crisps, or anything that I can just eat quickly (without cooking or preparing).

My cupboards look terribly boring and empty, but it stops me snacking!

Good luck!

onlyJoanna

I used to boredom eat so much too!

Drinking water? I always find that helps.

I also have an elastic band round my wrist that I snap when I get tempted/cravings.

A combination of the two seems to work for me. Maybe also lower your calorie limit? (I don't know what it is now). I find if I have a harder target to aim for I'm more sensible with my eating.

Good luck

Aesop101

I went on a binge today myself. However, all I had was fresh fruits and healthy stuff. LOL So it twern't bad.

May I suggest an activity to replace the boredom. Pick up needle point or painting etc.

Katrob9

Thanks guys. My fiance isn't going on the health kick with me and is terrible for junk food so I know it is in the house and it calls to me! I've recently started jewellery making so am hoping to use that when I get a craving. It is so odd how your body wnats something even though you're not hungry. It is just habit I think.

JennyGA

Hi, I was the same with breakfast so now I make a smoothie night before to take with me in the morning.so many different things you can put in a smoothie, smile "not full cream ice cream".

celestialpocky

Yeah it gets hard at times.
Try to invest in healthy options instead of the regular ones, to ween your wanting of the bad stuff.
Like "lean" labeled dinners and cottage cheese and fruit instead of chips or whatever you'd like.

Terri73

When a craving hits i get out the toners, cleansers and moisturisers and have a pamper session. Do my nails etc takes my mind off eating plus my skin is lovely lately.

xxrainxx

i always used to eat while bored but now instead when i fell bored i get up and do some exercise and then i feel way better and dont eat, if im working and im bored then i just grab a cup of green tea try and take my mind off food ) ( easier said than done tho i think) )

xshotgunshowdownx

i absolutely feel your pain, i get tempted so easily. my house is not the problem however its work, theres a whole drawer here full of goodies that are so tempting and constantly have people offering me snacks etc.

ive banned snacks from my house but i cant do that at work. i try and focus on my work and ignore it also eating a decent porion of food for breakfast and lunch will stop you wanting to snack in between. also drinking water helps.

bonjour24

if i'm feeling munchy, i eat frozen blueberries. they're great, and pretty cheap. and you can always have them in because they don't take up much room. also, i get my hubby to put all the crap on the high shelves where i can't see them. hubby isn't coming on the health kick with me either.
i also keep ice blocks in- there's some lovely ones for about 70cals each - fruju sorbet ones. super! they're good to eat at night. but be sure to monitor everything- that really keeps me on the straight and narrow. i haven't gone over on my cals once yet, and that's only because i know that if i eat something that will take me over the limit, i'll feel terrible with myself. so i try to load things as i go.

missy1970eb

drink lots of water, and dont buy the junk food

HettaBrown

I've not long started using MFP - what a great tool. I used to try and keep a spreadsheet based on the same principle, but this is so much easier and more accessible on the smartphone too.
My downfall is snacking in the evening and probaly stress eating as well, although I would never admit to colleagues that I am stressed. I am going to try some of the suggestions people have made and see if that helps. Good luck everyone.

fitnessjch

Just dont have crisps and snacks in the house, but make sure you have something like fruit etc.

Also, drink a glass of water when you're bored, and it may help stop any cravings

jenhargreaves1

I know exactly what you mean... I sit in a quite office on my own most of the time and it gives me time to get bored. When I'm bored I need something to nibble or snack on. I have tried to switch what I snack on from crisps and biscuits to blueberries, grapes, ryvita thins that sort of thing. Also, I have invested in a radio to keep me entertained!

I also think that it helps to have something you are aiming for. For example, I am getting married next year so my mantra at the moment is 'teeny tiny wedding dress' everytimr I crave something to eat just because I'm bored.

Don't get me wrong I still have weak moments where I have a blueberry muffin instead of blueberries but nowhere near as often!!

Good Luck

J

MinnieInMaine

This is exactly why weekends are tough for me - I've either got nothing to do or I don't want to do what I should (cleaning, filing, etc) and so I decide eating would be fun. This time of year is a little easier - as long as it's nice out, I'll just go for a long walk and kill an hour or two. That way too, at least I've earned some extra calories if I still want a snack. And my DH isn't exactly joining me on the healthier eating either. I just make sure I have my own snacks and keep them separate from his - like we have our own cupboards. He's got regular popcorn, I've got 100 cal snack bags. He's got cookies, I've got snack bars.

I say tackle one problem at a time. First work on NOT eating when your bored. Then work on cleaning up your diet a bit more. Baby steps...

LP135

I eat out of boredom too...it's amazing how many reasons there are for why we eat, that have NOTHING to do with being hungry or actually NEEDING calories.

Have any of you read any of Genene Roth's books? The one i'm on right now is called "Breaking Free From Compulsive Eating" right off the bat she gets to the issue of hunger and retraining your body to remember what pure hunger is like.

I haven't tried her exercise for relearning hunger because i worked so hard to get on a regular eating schedule (breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, evening snack) I used to only eat lunch, dinner and evening snacks - you can guess this lead to WAY too many calories before bed, so i had to change.

Now i'm thinking of trying Roth's exercise and actually allowing myself to get hungry and feel hunger. I'm hoping it will help with being able to identify when i'm hungry and when i'm just bored, or emotional.

Thanks for posting this topic it's a good one!

ms_debbieg

I could be a olympic gold medalist in BOREDOM EATING!! Nothing makes me happier then to snack on a little this & that!! I have found since I joined MFP I have to keep myself busy in the evening as my husband works nights. We eat dinner at 5 and by 8:30 I'm ready for a snack.

Also I am a unemployed student right now so I stay up really late which means I am hungry again around 2 a.m. All of these factors set me up to snack, snack, snack!! I am working really hard to be more disciplined and allow myself a healthy snack in the evenings. If I'm going to be up studying really late I split the snack so I don't go to bed hungry.:flowerforyou: