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Eating out of boredom

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ggl62
ggl62 Posts: 17 Member
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How do you handle eating purely out of boredom? Evenings are very difficult for me. I'm divorced and my 23-year old son lives with me, but I'm practically an empty-nester because he works nights or is out with friends. I eat well during the day and go to the gym after work. Then I come home, have a healthy dinner, but around 7pm when I sit down to the TV and the computer - BOOM - I get bored and start grazing. Or I try very hard not to eat but then I can't stop thinking about noshing on something. I've been wondering if I should take up a hobby that occupies my mind and my hands, like knitting or sewing?

Anyone have any tips that have worked for them? Thanks for your help!!

- Gail

Replies

  • Joanne_happygramma
    Joanne_happygramma Posts: 207 Member
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    What I do for myself is have a mocha (I am not affected by caffeine) and now that I have been doing this thing with MFP I am finding more often than not I no longer desire my "treat".
    I remember reading once some celebrity brushes her teeth after dinner so it keeps her from wanting to mess up her clean teeth.
    Not sure if that would work for me, but anything is possible.
    I also keep my hands busy with needlework at night. I love crocheting baby blankets. I have two on the go for a new baby coming
    in March. But as I was saying to my friend I enjoy doing it so much I might just hunt down some bargain yarn and then donate my
    finished blankets to the Hospice Thrift shop.

    Hopefully these and some other suggestions will help, I certainly understand the night time grazing. My problem is after work between when I get home and waiting for my husband (can be 90 minutes). So I am either staying later at work or going to the gym.

    Joanne
  • ggl62
    ggl62 Posts: 17 Member
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    What I do for myself is have a mocha (I am not affected by caffeine) and now that I have been doing this thing with MFP I am finding more often than not I no longer desire my "treat".
    I remember reading once some celebrity brushes her teeth after dinner so it keeps her from wanting to mess up her clean teeth.
    Not sure if that would work for me, but anything is possible.
    I also keep my hands busy with needlework at night. I love crocheting baby blankets. I have two on the go for a new baby coming
    in March. But as I was saying to my friend I enjoy doing it so much I might just hunt down some bargain yarn and then donate my
    finished blankets to the Hospice Thrift shop.

    Hopefully these and some other suggestions will help, I certainly understand the night time grazing. My problem is after work between when I get home and waiting for my husband (can be 90 minutes). So I am either staying later at work or going to the gym.

    Joanne

    thanks, joanne! some great ideas! i did try green tea with honey, but i didn't work. i recently tried warm almond milk with honey and cinnamon, and that is much more satisfying. thank you for the tips and encouragement!
  • ann121212
    ann121212 Posts: 290 Member
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    I also used to graze of an evening (even getting up in the middle of the night to snack). My weapon of choice was a glass of skim milk and an arrowroot biscuit (which I dont really like, so I KNOW I will stop at one). Eventually to burning desire to graze every single night faded away with the boredom. By allowing myself this treat without any guilt I didnt feel deprived and I didnt feel guilty entering it into my diet diary (unlike half a pack of timtams).
    I would have the milk hot in the winter (with a dash of vanilla essence) and cold in the summer. I found the glass of fluid made me feel fuller.
  • donnymom
    donnymom Posts: 32 Member
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    I find that after dinner, I cannot be in the kitchen area or I will start to graze and look for that "something else" to eat.
    I try to floss and brush my teeth and go to my room to read ....anywhere else....just stay away from the food!
  • Jagreene62
    Jagreene62 Posts: 4,782 Member
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    These are all really good ideas....I have just one more that maybe you could try. What if you saved some of your daytime calories for the snacking at night? The snacks don't have to be "junk" food (more calorie,more fat, etc.). They could be grapes, cherries, 100 calorie popcorn, etc.

    Good Luck!! :flowerforyou:
  • Bubblecut
    Bubblecut Posts: 13 Member
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    My rule for MANY years has been NO eating after 7pm. Simple as that. It's pretty much habit for you--a pattern that you developed and need to break. When you get that feeling, grab a nice tall glass of ice water with lemon. Can you change your workout to a little later in the evening instead of right after work?

    Or, like previously mentioned, brush your teeth or chew gum. Keep busy--take online classes, read, write, go for a walk (mall walk if it's winter where you live), call a friend. You just need to break the pattern and after a few days you won't get those cravings anymore.
  • Aspieb
    Aspieb Posts: 26
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    That's my grazing time, too. I am truly tired and hungry when I get home, so it's not totally boredom. The trick for me is eating enough - without eating too much and 'spoiling my dinner'. (How Mrs Cleaver does that sound?) I usually eat whatever it is I want, but the thing that works best is a hot drink.

    I am fortunate that nighttime eating isn't an issue for me. Unless I stay up too late, and in that case I just do what I should have done already and go to bed!
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
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    Yes, I don't eat in the evening. It was hard to begin with. I find being in a room I don't eat in like my bedroom or office helps. I do allow drinks like tea, decaf, or plain ole water if I'm having a hard time. I do slip, but it's far fewer than I use too. I use to be an ice cream every night girl. Like they said above it's a habit and one needs to replace it with a new habit.
  • SkagitYogini
    SkagitYogini Posts: 112 Member
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    I go to bed super early, so this isn't generally a problem for me. I do keep a toothbrush in my desk at work so I can brush my teeth in the afternoon when I start feeling snacky. It helps.

    I also did (until I got lazy) teeth whitening. Got the trays from the dentist. I applied the gel after dinner, and considered my mouth "closed for the day" at that point.

    I agree that keeping busy is a good idea, too.
  • RobinCT821
    RobinCT821 Posts: 26 Member
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    The teeth-brushing helps me for sure.

    Maybe you should do something totally different instead of watching TV. That's a passive activity that just begs for snacking! When I get involved in one of my "hobbies" that uses my hands, I get totally lost in it and I don't think about food at all. I do a lot of drawing, doodling, calligraphy type stuff, but you could learn digital scrapbooking, organize your photos, get into rubber stamping and make cards...
  • ElizabethFuller
    ElizabethFuller Posts: 352 Member
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    Paint your nails, it's almost impossible to open packets with newly-painted nails. I also find cleaning my teeth helps, we're all trained not to eat once our teeth are clean.
    Failing that graze on veggie sticks, carrots and celery are sooo good for you.
  • KerryITD
    KerryITD Posts: 94 Member
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    For me it's work boredom/frustration that gets the munchies going. Hot tea (plain as well as various herbals like mint or cinnamon) works great, as well as making sure I've had enough protein during the day. Low protein/higher carbs will always set me grazing, but high-protein snacks work well (almond milk, yogurt, devilled eggs, nuts, etc).
  • nmiller0813
    nmiller0813 Posts: 109
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    Paint your nails, it's almost impossible to open packets with newly-painted nails. I also find cleaning my teeth helps, we're all trained not to eat once our teeth are clean.
    Failing that graze on veggie sticks, carrots and celery are sooo good for you.

    Wut she said^^^^^
  • ggl62
    ggl62 Posts: 17 Member
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    great ideas, ladies - thanks so much!!! i've actually started a project making a scrapbook for my boyfriend for our 5-year anniversary, so i'm hoping that will distract me. i appreciate all the great ideas!!! merry christmas and thank you!
  • Jagreene62
    Jagreene62 Posts: 4,782 Member
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    great ideas, ladies - thanks so much!!! i've actually started a project making a scrapbook for my boyfriend for our 5-year anniversary, so i'm hoping that will distract me. i appreciate all the great ideas!!! merry christmas and thank you!

    MERRY CHRISTMAS to you too! :flowerforyou:
  • gaylergreene
    gaylergreene Posts: 4
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    I have the same issue. Employ nest and my husband goes to bed early because of work so I am alone. What I try to do is after y last snack, which I log in, I take my medication and brush my teeth. This gives me the sense I am "done" for the night. It works well. I also don't keep trigger foods in the house which are things I could graze on without control. Hope this helps :)
  • BOC57
    BOC57 Posts: 44 Member
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    Great thread! Lot's of good ideas and a really good illustration of both boredom eating and habit eating. It is a nearly mindless move for me to grab food when I sit down in the evening in front of the TV. I'm tired, not necessarily bored but, too tired to read or become involved in some kind of project. So if I"m in front of the TV or computer I eat.......need to change that, using some of the very good ideas expressed here.

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