Anyone else struggle with this?

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I wake up in the morning thinking "I will have a good day because I will listen to my body and I will eat when I need it, and not stuff my face."

I do fine until about 7 pm. I get bored.
I see a box of granola bars or some other little snack and think "it won't hurt to have just one, though."
Like three of them later, plus a banana, I feel extremely guilty.

I *always* eat too much at night.

Any ideas to stop this overeating until I feel sick?

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Are you eating enough during the day? Do you get enough protein and fiber? Your diary is locked - so one would just have to guess on that part.

    If you're eating enough during the day and just bored then maybe you need a hobby or something to do in the evenings....
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    I wake up in the morning thinking "I will have a good day because I will listen to my body and I will eat when I need it, and not stuff my face."

    I do fine until about 7 pm. I get bored.
    I see a box of granola bars or some other little snack and think "it won't hurt to have just one, though."
    Like three of them later, plus a banana, I feel extremely guilty.

    I *always* eat too much at night.

    Any ideas to stop this overeating until I feel sick?

    If you know it's because you're bored, do something else. Fill in your diary when you're done eating for the day, then brush your teeth. When you get bored, do something else.... try a workout, watch a movie, read a book. If you absolutely have to eat something, make it some baby carrots and celery sticks. Leave a little room in your calorie goal for those so you don't have the guilt of going over.
  • rubyrenga
    rubyrenga Posts: 402 Member
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    I have the same issue! I get late night cravings for snacks, and my husband is always snacking in the evening, so that doesn't help. Tonight I'm just trying to chug a ton of water, and it's helping. And I agree about brushing your teeth. It works. Good luck!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Eating when you're bored in the evening is just a habit you've developed, and habits can be hard to break. The best way to do it is to create a new habit in its place. At the moment, the feeling of boredom, and the time of day, triggers a psychological urge to eat. You eat, and feel better in some way, which rewards the behaviour and reinforces the habit. You need to find a new behaviour that also gives you some kind of reward, so that you replace the old habit with a new one. I don't know about you, but brushing my teeth or drinking a glass of water doesn't really give me much reward, so I'd try to think of something you can do when that boredom hits. When you get the urge to snack, (maybe even have a note up reminding you) go and do some already chosen activity that you really enjoy. Do it often enough that it becomes your new habit.

    Another thing to bear in mind is that some people simply prefer to eat more in the evening. If that is what suits you, then allow for that in how you arrange your intake for the day. Eat enough for energy levels etc, but allow yourself enough calories in the evening to have a snack if you want it. This can also be done in conjunction with changing habits.

    Try to ditch the guilt by the way. Boredom eating is very common; wanting to snack in the evening is very common; being less able to resist temptation in the evening is very common (tiredness plays a part) and there is nothing inherently bad about eating food. Overeating is not good for you, but ti doesn't make you a bad person. Stop feeling guilty about it - the guilt actually serves no purpose. Think about it - feeling guilty hasn't actually stopped you doing it, has it?

    ***************

    ETA: ok, should have read your profile page first. You say you have disordered eating, are not in recovery and not seeking help? I'll leave what I wrote above as general advice, but to the OP: please, please please get help for this. Eating disorders are not things to be trifled with. They are very powerful and can consume people's lives. Literally.
  • honkytonks85
    honkytonks85 Posts: 669 Member
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    I have issues with stress and boredom eating too.
    It doesn't matter if I'm hungry or not, when I am feeling restless or worried my first instinct is to start putting something in my mouth.

    What you need to do is re-direct your energies onto something productive. Make a list of productive things you could do instead of binging on food. Have that list EVERYWHERE. Make it things you like to do, that make you feel like you've achieved something. Do those things instead of eat.