How to avoid eating out of boredom?

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minijoanna
minijoanna Posts: 27 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm stuck at a desk at work all day during the week so I can't just go out for a walk or to the gym or some other fun activity that could distract me. I'm stuck at a desk all day and throughout the day I'm thinking about little snacks here and there to make me happy and entertain me for a few minutes. I know the solution would be to simply not have those little snacks around, and lately I haven't been bringing any. My coworkers frequently bring in candy and baked good from home. I know all I have to do it "just say no." But I just find myself thinking about eating and counting down the minutes until I can eat lunch, or justify an afternoon snack. I know this in itself is not good thinking but these little "food rewards" are sometimes what keeps me going through the day.

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  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Can you bring healthy low cal snacks so when you eat you are at least eating healthy, or plan all of your snacks with MFP so that they fit into your calorie goal?
    Also are you eating enough for breakfast and lunch so your'e not starving?
  • minijoanna
    minijoanna Posts: 27 Member
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    I've been pretty strict with portioning these last few weeks so even though I'm eating high nutrition, lower cal foods and feel technically satiated, I'm having a hard time breaking the old behavior. In other words, even though I think I'm eating enough, I still have a hard time not wanting to reach for that snack (healthy or not) in order to battle boredom. I used to do the same thing with cigarettes when I smoked years ago... it was a way to kill five minutes. Now that I'm typing this all out I suppose the key to all this is changing my mindset.
  • GrinnyMae
    GrinnyMae Posts: 55 Member
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    Since you know you tend to eat these snacks when bored, can you do something to distract yourself. Can you get up and go to the restroom? I would go brush my teeth--not likely to want to eat after that. I know it sounds silly but it's something to break the habit of snacking at your desk.

    Also, snacking is not in itself a bad thing. I eat three meals and two snacks a day. So instead of trying to forbid yourself from snacking--bring snacks from home. Choose things you like and can look forward to eating.
  • jaynee7283
    jaynee7283 Posts: 160 Member
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    I live on water and sugar-free mints while I'm at my desk. The mints are <5 calories each, and I suck on them until they are gone (I don't chew them). Then once the taste is gone (takes about an hour), I pop another one.

    Result is I have about 8 mints a day, give or take, which at MOST is 40 calories. I eat less if my day is particularly busy.
  • kandell
    kandell Posts: 473 Member
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    I know the struggle, and it is so real...

    Eating out of boredom is tough to overcome. One thing I've been doing lately is if I want a snack, but I'm not hungry, I have a glass of water. This gets me up and away from my desk for a minute or two and gives me something else to focus on. You could always try deskercising, too. There isn't a lot you can do without looking like a huge dork, but isometric exercises or leg lifts under your desk can help keep your mind off snacks.
  • smit7633
    smit7633 Posts: 182 Member
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    I snack all day long, just make them healthy!
    Nuts, fruits, veggies, yoghurt, and wheat thins!
  • CrabNebula
    CrabNebula Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I chew gum and drink a lot of coffee or Crystal Light. I've made it a habit of not snacking at work. Lately, I have been eating a lot of raw berries and salad on top of a generally protein heavy diet of grilled chicken, egg whites, and Greek yogurt. I feel bloated a lot and am not really looking forward to 30 minutes from now when I have to start eating a grilled chicken salad. It isn't that I don't like it, I do, it is just I'm not sure how to cram it into my digestive tract right now. It also takes me an hour to eat these things. I didn't think it was possible to eat so frickin slow. Things I do for vanity. Bleh.
  • phsst
    phsst Posts: 28 Member
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    I drink endless cups of herbal tea throughout the day :).
  • MegMalin
    MegMalin Posts: 29 Member
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    kandell wrote: »
    I know the struggle, and it is so real...

    Eating out of boredom is tough to overcome. One thing I've been doing lately is if I want a snack, but I'm not hungry, I have a glass of water. This gets me up and away from my desk for a minute or two and gives me something else to focus on. You could always try deskercising, too. There isn't a lot you can do without looking like a huge dork, but isometric exercises or leg lifts under your desk can help keep your mind off snacks.

  • MegMalin
    MegMalin Posts: 29 Member
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    All good ideas! And remember why you want to lose weight before you eat. Stop and write it down!
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
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    Keep your hands busy doing something. Knit or do an adult coloring book (it will look like you're working, anyway.) Brushing my teeth helps me, too, because once my mouth is clean I don't want to mess it up with food again for a while.
  • lisalewis7588
    lisalewis7588 Posts: 76 Member
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    Brush your teeth or have a 3-calorie breathmint! I, for one, hate eating when my mouth is minty clean. I pop a breathmint every time I want to eat. It ends up being 4-6 mints per day, usually, and I'll gladly take the 12-18 calories of mints compared to 300+ calories of snacks I would otherwise have....

    I would also recommend chewing gum if you don't have jaw issues (I have TMJ so no gum for me) :(
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
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    Why not just bring in some healthy snacks and keep them on hand? Drink more water? Sometimes we can mistake hunger for thirst. Just drinking 8 oz of water will fill you up. Maybe keep some chewing gum at work as well. That gives your mouth something to do and might take your mind off food.

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