Eating sugar out of boredom??

PWR36
PWR36 Posts: 8 Member
edited August 2020 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all - anyone else feel like they are great all week food wise when they're busy at work.. but the moment it gets to the weekend and there isn't much to do you fall back into old habits of binging on sugar? Feel like i do it out of boredom, old habits, sugar addiction maybe?? It's so annoying! How does everyone else deal with this?

I am really trying to find more things to do as food is the only pleasure right now.

Replies

  • AwesomeSquirrel
    AwesomeSquirrel Posts: 644 Member
    Maybe you need to find some new weekend activities to reduce the time available for boredom snacking? I know for me watching Netflix was a passive activity that triggered my sweet tooth so I had to make a conscious shift to less snacky pastimes.

    I try to go for a long walk (1+ hour) each day on the weekend. Quite often this involves walking to a bakery in order to buy a treat but there is nothing mindless about how I enjoy that 😊

    Another thing is finding a hobby that uses the hands. I’ve recently done a Macramé project and now I’m planning to buckle down and figure out how to crochet once and for all.

    I’ve even had success replacing Netflix with computer games, because I don’t snack by the computer even if it’s just as sedentary on the whole!

    How do you occupy yourself on a typical weekend day?
  • Geneveremfp
    Geneveremfp Posts: 504 Member
    I know not everyone will agree but I cut refined sugar out for a month (February) . I didn't go mad about it so I'd have like Yoghurt with berries - which is quite sweet and we eat a lot of stuff like teriyaki Tofu with noodles and that has some sugar in the sauce. I found it really helped me reset my sugar habit and stopped those times that I had sugar when it was just because I expected sugar rather than I wanted it. I find it much easier to resist sugar now and I will reach for dark chocolate over milk chocolate and have a piece or two.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    The problem for me was eating too much of everything that I like. I handle sugar, the same way I do all foods. Eat a lot less, stay in a calorie deficit and move more. No food is off limits. It works for me, but I realize everyone is different, so finding what works for each of us is key.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    Eat and/or do something else.
  • TayaCurragh
    TayaCurragh Posts: 709 Member
    I do this. I'll walk past the kitchen and come back with a chocolate bar just out of habit. I've found what helped for me was moving my treats to an awkward, less accessable part of the kitchen so I can't just grab something without thinking, I have to go out of my way to get it. For me this was the top shelf of my cupboard as I'm short and need to either climb or get a chair. I also replaced my snacks for lower calorie versions - if I accidentally eat 3 85 calorie mini brownie bars it's less damaging to my goals than eating 3 full size chocolate bars.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,160 Member
    Exercise, or hobbies. Hobbies that require clean hands (needlework, sketching, playing a musical instrument, etc.) or create dirty hands (carpentry, painting, gardening, etc.) are particularly useful.
  • Pittgirl3
    Pittgirl3 Posts: 69 Member
    TayaCurragh wrote: »
    I do this. I'll walk past the kitchen and come back with a chocolate bar just out of habit. I've found what helped for me was moving my treats to an awkward, less accessable part of the kitchen so I can't just grab something without thinking, I have to go out of my way to get it. For me this was the top shelf of my cupboard as I'm short and need to either climb or get a chair. I also replaced my snacks for lower calorie versions - if I accidentally eat 3 85 calorie mini brownie bars it's less damaging to my goals than eating 3 full size chocolate bars.

    I do this as well. Most of my snacks take actual physical work to get to. I have to rearrange things. It does help to dissuade me when I want something extra for the day.
  • Pittgirl3
    Pittgirl3 Posts: 69 Member
    PWR36 wrote: »
    Hi all - anyone else feel like they are great all week food wise when they're busy at work.. but the moment it gets to the weekend and there isn't much to do you fall back into old habits of binging on sugar? Feel like i do it out of boredom, old habits, sugar addiction maybe?? It's so annoying! How does everyone else deal with this?

    I am really trying to find more things to do as food is the only pleasure right now.

    Have you tried gum? Gum is sweet and makes me feel like I’m eating something.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Are your weekend breakfasts and lunches different?

    I found upping my protein really helped cut down on boredom eating.
  • RockingWithLJ
    RockingWithLJ Posts: 243 Member
    I totally understand where you're coming from. Just last week I binge ate two mini cakes and two cooked cans of cinnamon rolls. Not in one sitting, don't get me wrong.. I had one thing each day from Monday to Thursday..
    Acknowledging that these things happen is half the battle. What happened to me last week was due to my depression kicking in and I tend to binge eat when that happens. What has helped me crave sugar less is restricting my diet to fruits vegetables proteins and healthy fats for a period and sticking to it.. The one thing that helped me deter my sugar Cravings when doing that is protein shakes. It's sweet enough to give me that fix. If i need more energy, ill blend some fruit into it .. seems to do it for me.
    At the end of the day though you have to have the willpower to say no. Find something else that gives you pleasure. Good luck

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