Question for People who -WERE- Emotional/Bored Eaters

Options
DatPanna
DatPanna Posts: 59
in Motivation and Support
How did you develop a health relationship with food? Sometimes, I feel so trapped or bored and food is what I turn to. A lot of the time, I feel like I'm obsessed with it... Then I wonder if I should enjoy food so much. How did you handle it?
«1

Replies

  • sola24
    sola24 Posts: 334 Member
    Options
    Well, I go through this all the time. Yesterday I was alone at home and I was bored and feeling like eating all the time. What I do is distract myself.. either start cooking a healthy meal, or start cleaning or start working out.. anything to take my mind off food as I know I am not really hungry..
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    Options
    I find something to distract myself. Failing that.... I just suck it up I guess. I do however drink a whole crap-load of coffee
  • RedHeadDevotchka
    RedHeadDevotchka Posts: 1,394 Member
    Options
    I don't know. I eat when I'm bored and happy and sad too. I still enjoy food probably more than a lot of people I know but it helps if I remember that it's fuel essentially and don't always look at it as an event or occasion and relegate it to that purpose of sustaining me and focusing on that primarily.
  • TheLadyBane
    TheLadyBane Posts: 299 Member
    Options
    There is a really good book called "Life is Hard, Food is Easy" that helps you find out why you turn to food when you have an emotional need or are bored and helps you develop healthy habits instead. I'd recommend it. Reading the book was pretty helpful to me, but I read it so long ago that I can't pinpoint any particular revelations I had. I just know that I don't eat when I'm bored or have an emotional need any more. I've replaced that with healthier habits like reading a book, doing yoga, or getting out of the house and going for a walk. You just have to find something that you enjoy that fills whatever need you are having at that moment.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Options
    Keeping the mind and body busy helps - exercise, cleaning or crafting usually keep me busy and the mind off food.

    Also looking back at what I used to eat my diet was very carb heavy which just didn't satisfy my hunger. When I added in more protein and fibre I found it much easier to go from one meal to the next without wanting to graze.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    Options
    . A lot of the time, I feel like I'm obsessed with it... Then I wonder if I should enjoy food so much.

    I have changed my obsession to trying to make wonderful food that tastes great and keep it withing my calorie range. rewriting recipes, trying new things. I love food and do not ever plan to live off of salad and protein shakes. Learning new and creative ways to make delicious lower calorie meals can really fill that void. Good luck. But remember food is not the enemy.
  • ikearch
    ikearch Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    I hear ya! I get bored and think of all the good things I could eat. The only way for me to stop thinking about food is to eat foods that are high in fiber or drink a lot of water (usually both). The fiber helps you feel full longer and is extremely good for you. Any kinds of distractions help, too. Creating and maintaining an eating schedule can help but require much discipline. If you choose the calendar and follow it, have "fat days," or days you give into some cravings. I have 4 of those every month.

    I prefer starting my day off with stretching and jumping rope then protein shake. Maybe a few hours later I'll have my first food, a baked sweet potato with salmon (if it fits). If I start my day off this way, my hunger goes away pretty quick. My stomach shrinks and the foods I used to eat endlessly are only taken in moderation on fat days.
  • DatPanna
    DatPanna Posts: 59
    Options
    Thank you everyone for replying. This is a really supportive community, and I was actually worried I'd get flack for this question. I'm glad it was taken seriously, because I needed the advice.

    TheLadyBane, I ordered the book you recommended just now. I hope it has something to help enlighten me on my present situation.

    Railr0aderTony, thanks for reminding me of that. That's a really great suggestion, actually. I do love cooking, and I don't want to stop enjoying food. I need to get a little more creative with my meals.
  • Cre8veLifeR
    Cre8veLifeR Posts: 1,062 Member
    Options
    Good morning! I like that you used the word obsessed. I knew what you meant when you said that because I get that - at one point food, eating it and not eating it and how to control it dominated my thoughts completely. I was obsessed and it was very exhausting!

    For me I had to examine the reasons I was doing it. They were emotional. It took a long time to overcome it too, but it happened eventually and I really remember one day it occurred to me that I hadn't thought about food! Which made me think about food lol. I was totally using food as a distraction, as a lover, as a friend, as a companion, as an enemy....ugh. Here are a couple of resources I really like about emotional eating: http://psychologyofeating.com/blog/ipe-blog/ and I also read Geneen Roth's book "When Food is Love" and it really helped a lot. She also has some guided meditations that are good as well.

    There's hope! You can do it with time, patience and work :-) For some of us it's not as easy as "just don't eat that".
  • Lives2Travel
    Lives2Travel Posts: 682 Member
    Options
    I have definitely been in the emotional/bored eater category. After almost 5 months of changing my ways, I'd put myself in the "recovering" category. Here are a few things that have worked for me:

    1. Other than a cup of coffee in the afternoon, I do not snack. I know many people say it's best to eat a snack in the morning in the afternoon, but for me a 100 calorie snack can lead to another 100 calorie snack and another. I just don't do it anymore.

    2. Pre-log at night what I'm going to eat the next day. This removes the what to eat decisions from a higher stress time (the work day and dinner time) and moves it to a calmer, more relaxed time. The next day, I just consult MFP for what to fix for meals. Less thinking about food is good for me.

    3. I set up a Pinterest account and made a board called "Thinspiration". Cheesy, yes, but on this board I've posted things that I want to wear or do when I lose all this weight like clothes I love, activities or sports I want to try and especially trips I want to take. When temptation strikes, I take a look at this board to remind myself of why I'm doing this and what I stand to gain.

    I know it's hard to break old habits, but it's worth it. For the first time, perhaps ever, I feel like I'm controlling food instead of it controlling me. It's kind of amazing.

    Best of luck.
  • sjaykay13
    sjaykay13 Posts: 74
    Options
    I plan my meals and snacks in the morning to make sure I stay on track. If I change something from that plan, I immediately track so I can see how it affects the rest of my day. I also have a list of things to do in my apartment if I'm bored, it's actually on a big poster board in my living room so I am constantly reminded that there are so many other things than eating and food.

    Ideas for ways to distract you from cravings, binging, emotional eating:
    - jounaling
    - going for a walk
    - checking the mail
    - re-organizing a closet, room, cabinet
    - making tea
    - looking through cookbooks for creative healthy recipes
    - taking a bath/shower
    - arts/crafts (sounds silly but it's a great outlet)
    - catching up on email
    - calling a friend/family member to chat
    - read a book/magazine
    - post on message boards!!!
  • BeccaSusanna
    BeccaSusanna Posts: 10
    Options
    Bump- thanks for this topic.
  • TheBackStory
    TheBackStory Posts: 263
    Options
    I find something to distract myself. Failing that.... I just suck it up I guess. I do however drink a whole crap-load of coffee

    ^^^ This exactly. Coffee addict here.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Options
    I try to keep myself from being bored. The worst thing I can do is sit around all day in a house filled with food. So I don't.
  • ShaSimone
    ShaSimone Posts: 276
    Options
    Oh man I am so the same as may of you. Once I get that thought into my head sometimes it seems to become an obsession. And then...I have to eat the ENTIRE: bag, carton, box, bar...must finish the entire thing. It's not a good place when I go there so any type of distraction really does help, currently I take my dog for a walk and play outdoors with her.
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
    Options
    I'm not much of an emotional eater (though maybe an emotional pop drinker? Just as bad XD), but I definitely was a bored eater. Some of the things that I've found out were helpful were mostly activities to try to keep me from being bored. I started knitting so if I'm watching a movie I can knit instead of munch, and I try to keep water or Crystal Light nearby if I'm starting to feel that urge to snack. Also, keeping light snacks can help a lot. I got 94% fat free popcorn at the store. I think it tastes fine, but it's only 20 calories a cup. If I absolutely have to snack, I go for that. Because sometimes it's just hard to resist.

    Also, try to figure out some of your triggers for bored eating. As I said before, I did most of my bored snacking while watching TV, so I learned that I needed to stay busy while watching it. Sometimes you just need to add an activity.
  • DaniellaB1995
    DaniellaB1995 Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    I've also struggled with this quite a lot, when I don't have a particular thing to do i'd just go to the kitchen and grab some food.
    What i've found has worked for me is just trying to distract myself, if I'm not hungry and going to eat then I'll just start doing whatever task I can think of.

    If you have any hobbies you do at home try just start working on it whenever you're about to eat out of boredom. I'm currently learning korean through some audio lessons i have, and so whenever I'm about to go grab food i'll stick one of them on :)
  • ideang
    ideang Posts: 95
    Options
    I am a boredom eater. I find I just have to get up and moving when I feel like snacking. I clean, walk, or exercise when I get the munchies. I have found over time I boredom eat less if I stay busy. I spend little time watching TV or playing on the computer now days as those were my triggers to munch. I preplan a lot of my daily eating and leave room for healthy snacks.
  • FitCowgirl8
    FitCowgirl8 Posts: 175 Member
    Options
    Thank you for posting this topic OP. I am definitely a bored/emotional eater and I find myself eating even though I know I am not hungry and don't need to. The suggestions given on here are great and I think can help me get out of this bad habit.
  • hmjohnson25
    hmjohnson25 Posts: 100 Member
    Options
    I distract myself with doing dishes or laundry or something semi-productive at home. There's always something that needs to be done. This has also cut down on how much TV I watch, so two good things came of that.

Categories