Eating when bored

madisonelenaa
madisonelenaa Posts: 8 Member
edited 4:19PM in Health and Weight Loss
Suggestions to get out of the mind pattern of eating when I’m really just bored. It all seems mental but I don’t know how to break the mental patterns

Replies

  • XxQueenMxX
    XxQueenMxX Posts: 683 Member
    I chew gum lol.
  • SteamPug
    SteamPug Posts: 262 Member
    Personally I just refused to give in to the eating when bored habit for long enough that it went away.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,073 Member
    Keep a bottle of water or fizzy water in front of me at all times. I did gum for awhile too, that helped.

    Still a struggle sometimes, but I don't keep too many "snacky" foods around the house just for that reason other than baby carrots LOL
  • teeenabeana
    teeenabeana Posts: 92 Member
    Drinking tea has helped me!
  • RunStart34
    RunStart34 Posts: 164 Member
    I would drink hot teas. For some reason it helped when I was sipping it bit by bit. I usually want to eat (not because i was hungry) when i was watching TV or lazying around so a nice hot tea helped. But a tea that you really like. My favorites were limon & orange tea or just green tea.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,817 Member
    gum, tea, coffee, water, paint your nails lol. I struggle with it too.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,073 Member
    Oh, I have found air popped pop corn (or a "light" kettle corn) as another alternative. Easy munchie with pretty low calories!
  • BexB42
    BexB42 Posts: 32 Member
    Have the conversation with yourself: is this necessary? will I have earned this? I used to find myself finishing bags of chips at my computer, not even TASTING them. Water definitely helps me, and I have my phone to distract me when I am bored now. Angry Birds is terribly addicting.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,817 Member
    HoneyBadger155 wrote: »
    Oh, I have found air popped pop corn (or a "light" kettle corn) as another alternative. Easy munchie with pretty low calories!

    The brand jolly time makes pretty yummy snack sized kettle corn. I snack on that a lot.
  • Frankie_Fan
    Frankie_Fan Posts: 562 Member
    Try chewing gum. I think it helps when I just want to eat but not hungry.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Find something to do!
  • olyamhc
    olyamhc Posts: 60 Member
    I have the same problem. Mindfulness has helped a great deal! Notice your craving, ask yourself if you're really hungry (...what are the real hunger cues that you have? Stomach grumbling? Feeling weak? etc) or just bored or upset, think if you'll truly feel better if you eat now, weigh in pros and cons. Substituting mindless eating with other mindless calorie-free things you can do can help as well, just like people here already suggested. Every time you get a boredom eating urge, play a favorite game on the phone, read an article, get up for a short walk around the house, do 10 jumping jacks, etc.
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    While at work, I go for gum or maybe some popcorn.

    In the evenings while watching TV, I go for a cup of tea or keep my hands busy with crafts. Or at other times go for a walk or do some other task.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Walking is always a great option. If for some reason that’s not an option for me (like on a long, boring conference call) I also rely on hot tea and gum.
  • Jenniferakajacel311
    Jenniferakajacel311 Posts: 160 Member
    Distraction is my key, and changing up the nigh-time routine where I would mindlessly eat in front of the TV. That was my "bored" time. Now I do a lot on MFP, sip my herbal teas, and honestly go to bed earlier.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Rocksoul28 wrote: »
    Keep some fruits and vegetables around. Try not to have junk food available in the home. It’s ok to snack if they’re healthy snacks. I read people say chew gum, but gum allow air into your stomach and cause bloating plus most gums are filled with sugar. I know there’s sugar free gum but that just makes the hunger worse. Stay hydrated with water and grab the fruits and veggies. But not too many fruits they have natural sugars. For as been bored, we have to train our minds not to always associate fun and food together. But train our mind that we can have fun without the junk food. So when you’re bored our mind tells us the we’re bored because we’re not eating because food makes us happy and less bored. Just my opinion

    Food makes me happy. I just don’t eat more than I need.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    Find something to do!

    This! Learn to crochet, or find a good book or comic, or go clean something.
  • makinemjellis
    makinemjellis Posts: 91 Member
    Make sure you're drinking enough water! I use the app Plant Nanny to help track water.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    Sign up for a Lynda or Udemy or Khan Academy or Coursera or one of the dozens of other online learning sites and expand your skills/knowledge base.

    Grab Duolingo or Memrise or Busuu or one of the other language learning sites/apps and start learning a new language.

    It may sound silly but one of the best distractions for me is a youtube/wikipeda hole. I'll pick a topic to read/watch and follow the suggested related links. Next thing I know it's an hour (or several) later and I'm watching/reading about something that has absolutely nothing what-so-ever with where I started.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Danp wrote: »
    Sign up for a Lynda or Udemy or Khan Academy or Coursera or one of the dozens of other online learning sites and expand your skills/knowledge base.

    Grab Duolingo or Memrise or Busuu or one of the other language learning sites/apps and start learning a new language.

    It may sound silly but one of the best distractions for me is a youtube/wikipeda hole. I'll pick a topic to read/watch and follow the suggested related links. Next thing I know it's an hour (or several) later and I'm watching/reading about something that has absolutely nothing what-so-ever with where I started.

    So, in other words, take up surfing! I do this too!
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    When I'm bored, I drive to local hiking trails or the park and take a walk. Or I weigh the snack I'm about to stuff into my mouth and decide whether I can afford the extra calories that day. Sometimes having that information encourages me to choose a lower calorie option. An apple with an ounce of cheese usually does the trick, or some popcorn. It's a challenge to break a habit, but if you substitute something else for the comforting action of bringing food from bowl to mouth, you'll eventually be able to do it.
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