Good intentions turn bad when boredom hits.

santje00 · November 2016

Hi guys and girls,

A problem I've been struggling with lately, and I could really use some advice for, is what to do when I get bored. My situation is this, I am a translator and work from home. However, that does not mean I don't do some serious hours, because I've been averaging on 14 hours per day over the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I've notice that when I hit my tenth hour, I get really bored and am more prone to head to the fridge and have something I shouldn't have. Today I went 100 calories over again and I feel really crap about it. A lot of people told me make some time to do something fun, or make time for some exercise to break down the boredom. While this is not a bad idea, I am working with some serious deadlines for various companies, so if I don't make that deadline, my livelihood is on the line. By the time I finish working, it is usually 1 or 2 am in the morning and I'm so exhausted I don't feel like exercising no more. I've also tried getting up earlier to exercise, but then couldn't concentrate because I didn't get enough sleep.

Now my question is the following, does anyone find themselves in a similar situation and found a solution? Please no responses like "make time to exercise", because even though I get it, it's not possible this week, unless I only sleep for five hours. The remainder of my time goes into cooking healthy, which is mess up later by snacking on things I shouldn't be eating. Anyway, next week I get back to my regular exercise routine, since my hours are reduced then for a little bit. However, my real problem is the cravings I get when I have been working for so long. Even as I'm eating things I should not be eating, I keep telling myself "you should really stop", "you have a genuine problem if you cannot put this food back right now", but still I keep eating until I feel absolutely *kitten* about myself. I've had an eating disorder before, so I'm scared to go back to purging to solve my issue. I feel I have no self-control when I'm tired and overworked... Help?!

distinctlybeautiful · November 2016

Is this all the time that you're going over or just this week since you haven't been able to work out?

If it's just this week, honestly I probably wouldn't worry too much about it. A hundred calories over a day for a week is really nothing in the grand scheme of things.

What I find is helpful is to plan out what I'm going to eat ahead of time and to include things I'm going to look forward to eating. So my breakfast is usually small and plain because I don't need much when I wake up, but then my morning snack is a chocolate protein bar that I really like. Lunch has something most people would categorize as healthy and something people might consider less healthy, so it doesn't feel like a chore to stick to what I've planned. (The truth is that a wide variety of foods are valuable for health, but that was the easiest way to explain my thinking.)

ladyteapot · November 2016

Planning is key!! Know what you're gonna have and make sure you have healthy low cal snacks rather than a fridge full of goodies lol it's tough to avoid temptation!
Best of luck

KeshiaV · November 2016

Can you pace/walk around your home while you translate? Keep a small cup of water on your desk so you have to make frequent trips to the kitchen to refill? Take the stairs (if you have them) twice every time you go to the bathroom? Leave a yoga mat out near your desk and do a few poses or exercises anytime you're in between calls? Are you allowed to dress however you'd like? Maybe wearing exercise clothes while you work will help because you're already dressed to be active whenever you have a free moment. I don't know if any of these things are possible for you, but maybe a moment to reevaluate you few minutes each day of spare time and think about how to use those moments.

santje00 · November 2016

KeshiaV wrote: »

Can you pace/walk around your home while you translate? Keep a small cup of water on your desk so you have to make frequent trips to the kitchen to refill? Take the stairs (if you have them) twice every time you go to the bathroom? Leave a yoga mat out near your desk and do a few poses or exercises anytime you're in between calls? Are you allowed to dress however you'd like? Maybe wearing exercise clothes while you work will help because you're already dressed to be active whenever you have a free moment. I don't know if any of these things are possible for you, but maybe a moment to reevaluate you few minutes each day of spare time and think about how to use those moments.

I love the idea of the yoga mat. I already have one next to my desk, so I would not take to long to only do a couple of minutes every now and again. Great tip for busy weeks, thanks!

santje00 · November 2016

distinctlybeautiful wrote: »

Is this all the time that you're going over or just this week since you haven't been able to work out?

If it's just this week, honestly I probably wouldn't worry too much about it. A hundred calories over a day for a week is really nothing in the grand scheme of things.

What I find is helpful is to plan out what I'm going to eat ahead of time and to include things I'm going to look forward to eating. So my breakfast is usually small and plain because I don't need much when I wake up, but then my morning snack is a chocolate protein bar that I really like. Lunch has something most people would categorize as healthy and something people might consider less healthy, so it doesn't feel like a chore to stick to what I've planned. (The truth is that a wide variety of foods are valuable for health, but that was the easiest way to explain my thinking.)

These weeks happen from time to time, but it is mainly this week I'm struggling. The hours are literally draining all my energy, and sitting on my desk all day not exercising does not help whatsoever. Still, the little binges in the evenings are the worst problem at the moment. Next week should be easier, since I won't be working for that long.

I like the idea of planning, but I don't have that much time to do it in the morning. I just get down, put the computer on and go straight the work, usually because I have dozen's of emails waiting for me already. I usually scan my food in when I'm preparing it with the barcode app on my phone. Due to the lack of time, my lunch usually consist of something I can chuck in the microwave (usually with quite a high salt content). It's not ideal, but my goal is staying within the calorie range for now. If it takes too much time, I know I'll revert back to take-aways and fastfood, which is definitely worse.

jenhitt · November 2016

I struggle with getting snacky when bored too. I either drink a cup of herbal tea or brush and floss my teeth. Those usually stop the snacking. Good luck!

distinctlybeautiful · November 2016

santje00 wrote: »

distinctlybeautiful wrote: »

Is this all the time that you're going over or just this week since you haven't been able to work out?

If it's just this week, honestly I probably wouldn't worry too much about it. A hundred calories over a day for a week is really nothing in the grand scheme of things.

What I find is helpful is to plan out what I'm going to eat ahead of time and to include things I'm going to look forward to eating. So my breakfast is usually small and plain because I don't need much when I wake up, but then my morning snack is a chocolate protein bar that I really like. Lunch has something most people would categorize as healthy and something people might consider less healthy, so it doesn't feel like a chore to stick to what I've planned. (The truth is that a wide variety of foods are valuable for health, but that was the easiest way to explain my thinking.)

These weeks happen from time to time, but it is mainly this week I'm struggling. The hours are literally draining all my energy, and sitting on my desk all day not exercising does not help whatsoever. Still, the little binges in the evenings are the worst problem at the moment. Next week should be easier, since I won't be working for that long.

I like the idea of planning, but I don't have that much time to do it in the morning. I just get down, put the computer on and go straight the work, usually because I have dozen's of emails waiting for me already. I usually scan my food in when I'm preparing it with the barcode app on my phone. Due to the lack of time, my lunch usually consist of something I can chuck in the microwave (usually with quite a high salt content). It's not ideal, but my goal is staying within the calorie range for now. If it takes too much time, I know I'll revert back to take-aways and fastfood, which is definitely worse.

I plan the night before. Could you use the time you're having these little binges to plan for the next day instead?

Good intentions turn bad when boredom hits.

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