Help! I eat when I'm bored.

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2

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  • vhines5
    vhines5 Posts: 63 Member
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    There are some great suggestions! I am a picker too!

    I have read that chewing mint gum or brushing your teeth can help. Brushing sometimes helps me.

    I also don't keep junk food in the house. If it's not there you can't eat it. Look into some low-cal alternatives that you like, such as fruit and veggies.

    Good Luck!
  • fortheheart
    fortheheart Posts: 50 Member
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    I have done that forever. I used to eat a lot just sitting in a chair in the kitchen at the island. Decided that wasn't a good thing, so I left. I try to avoid eating when I am bored by leaving the house. Sit outside on the porch with a book, go to a movie, run errands, go for a drive, go hang out with a friend. Just distract yourself.
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
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    You have some great ideas here. I'm a recovered bored eater, and I do all of the above. You can do it! :happy:
  • tinamwaits
    tinamwaits Posts: 18
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    I have this problem too. When I first started I scrubbed and stained my back deck and scrubbed and painted my front porch among a million other projects around the house lol. There have also been a lot of times when I could not stop thinking about snacking so I get out of the house and take the dogs to the park for a walk. My house has never been cleaner! It's been eight weeks now and it is getting easier because I have changed the pattern of sitting around the house snacking all day on the weekends. Good luck!
  • Mcmilligen
    Mcmilligen Posts: 332 Member
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    I have the same issue. Here is what I found works for me:

    Pack away your baking supplies. Make it clear to yourself that these are for baking, and not snacking. (I love to snack on nuts, chocolate chips, dates etc... And by snack, I mean the equivalent of a full meal)

    I have bins of cut up vegetables, washed fruit, ready to use beans etc on hand and packed up in separate containers in case I want to make a quick meal.

    Most importantly, I have different prepared meals that I've made on the weekend in different containers. I find when I am starving, I'll just go straight to the fridge and don't feel like cooking anything new. That way, I can just plop a serving on a plate, microwave it, and voila.

    Cut up peppers, pre washed and cut carrots and hummus are a great snack to have on hand. I'll snack on those while I'm cooking if I'm super hungry.

    Another tip, put treats in the freezer. I'll make energy date bars, protein bars, healthy cookies or muffins and then throw them in a container and stick them in the freezer. That way if I want one, I'll eat JUST ONE because I have to take it out of the freezer and defrost it before I can eat it. This is also great for chocolate. Somehow frozen chocolate just lasts a million times longer :)

    EDIT: I just realized I misread your post. I eat carrots to curb random hunger, you get full fast. Either that, or go for a refreshing walk. It always gets my mind off of food!
  • LiliWray
    LiliWray Posts: 101 Member
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    I work 40-50 hours a week, and I'm taking 16 units at the University. It is actually very safe to say that school is pretty much the only thing I do outside of work. If I'm not in class, then I'm glued to the computer doing homework.

    Wow, such quick responses! Thank you, everyone, for all of your advice! I'll make a better effort this weekend and I'll let y'all know how it goes... :)
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
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    I realized over the weekend that I eat when I’m bored. During the week, when I am at work and school, I eat better than I do on the weekends. It makes perfect sense: during the week, I am too busy to snack between meals, and at home on the weekend, I am surrounded by food in the kitchen and it seems as though nothing I do at home can distract me away from it.

    So, the point of this post: what do all you MFP-ers recommend to take my mind off of non-stop eating when I am at home? How can I overcome eating out of boredom?

    I too have a tendency to do this...so I find things to do OUTSIDE; take a walk, go for a bike ride, go inline skating, work in the garden, sit out on the back porch and read (it's further from the kitchen), go talk to a neighbor, ....find an activity. I have found that I am less inclined to eat when I'm bored when I am doing an activity and staying busy, even if that is cleaning a closet, cleaning the kitchen, preparing my meals for the week, cleaning the bathroom, whatever it is....find a craft or hobby if you don't like any of the other suggestions.
  • LALOCHA34
    LALOCHA34 Posts: 340 Member
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    Some things that may help:

    1. Post your goals on the fridge
    2. I try to stay busy and outside when possible
    3. Avoid lounging on the energy sucker aka couch all weekend
    4. Keep healthy snacks around and don't buy junk for the house.
    5. Drink more water
    6. When in doubt and I think I want those unhealthy snacks I remember how good it feels to put my clothes on in the morning and they aren't too tight! That feeling stays with me for a long time
    7. When I workout first thing in the morning, I am less likely to snack on everything in sight..try that
    8. When you feel the need to eat mindlessly, try on your goal pants, shorts, dress hiding in your closet
    9. Go shopping! 3 WAY MIRRORS always remind me to focus on what I want, even if you don't buy anything.
    10. Put socks over your hands...idk I ran out of ideas. LOL
  • LiliWray
    LiliWray Posts: 101 Member
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    School cannot be the only thing you have going on in your life? Get out, go for a walk, earn those exercise calories! Boredom should not be an option, squeeze in some exercise!

    I meant to quote you for my last response :)
  • FungusTrooper
    FungusTrooper Posts: 227 Member
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    You realise it's a problem, so it should be easier to deal with now. Just ask yourself why you're eating, whenever you get up to get some food. If it's boredom, don't eat it.
  • jzaz903
    jzaz903 Posts: 306 Member
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    I learned to knit.
    Having something to do with my hands other than chip-to-mouth helps me a lot. Plus, I get cute scarves out of it.
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
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    I understand what that is like - I found, even at work sometimes if I am not doing something interesting I get bored. I don't have the option of going for a walk or finding something else to do so I heat a cup of herbal tea up and use a Tbsp or two of honey to sweeten it. I drink it slowly and it helps to take away the senseless munchies. If you don't like herbal tea you can try hot coffee, hot chicken broth (watch the sodium content), etc. Heck I have heard some people even just warm up water with a lemon wedge. I am also a gum chewer - but you have to know yourself - some people find chewing gum makes them hungrier while others, like me, can use it to focus on something else. Also, make sure you are getting your water in. Just in case, your body may be saying it is craving something because often when we eat we drink!! Good Luck:flowerforyou:
  • Nyeemwong
    Nyeemwong Posts: 19
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    I have a major problem with that. Try to drink green tea and do mini-exercises whenever you're bored! :D
  • _Wits_
    _Wits_ Posts: 1,286 Member
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    I find an excuse or reason to leave the house and GO! Usually, just a quick trip to a local store gets my mind off teh food and by the time I get back, I'm focused again.
  • Goal_Driven
    Goal_Driven Posts: 371 Member
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    Just try to keep busy.. find something to do. I always wanna snack whenever I relax and do nothing.. cleaning, exercising, shopping ;) lol, just anything. And try to only keep healthy foods and snacks on hand. Get rid of the junk food :)
  • nooodll
    nooodll Posts: 38
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    I usually want to snack before dinner, so I try to drink water (like everyone else says) or eat a vegetable snack like peppers, carrots, cucumber that doesn't have too many calories. A glass of tea usually works, too. Takes time to sip it and it usually distracts me. As someone else said, not having bad snacks in the house is a great way to avoid it, too. If it's not there...you can't eat it!
  • Jxnsmma
    Jxnsmma Posts: 919 Member
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    chew gum
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
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    WOW...this could have been written by me. Looking forward to the replies.
  • jmeyer925
    jmeyer925 Posts: 326 Member
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    Many people link eating when bored to an oral fixation (you always feel like there should be something in your mouth) Example: Smokers may actually be more hooked on the oral fixation than the tobacco.

    I like hard candies, and just a different selection will make you keep wanting to try new ones (and not reaching for the bag of chips).

    Weekends are always a difficult time, because during the week with your schooling and work schedule, any time you have to "rest" you HAVE to eat, otherwise you may not have the time. So on the weekends when it's only resting time, your brain is telling you that it's that eating time (when it's really not).
  • jamers3111
    jamers3111 Posts: 495 Member
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    Get outdoors in the fresh air. Walk, ride a bike, some sort of exercise. Then if you do eat at least you will have burned off some extra calories.

    I totally agree! If you find yourself reaching to eat when you're not hungry, go for a walk and drink water. Good luck :)

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