How to Avoid Chowing down when You're Bored ...

One of the first things you should do if you want to learn how to avoid eating when bored is to make a hunger diary where you write down how much you eat every day, your daily intake of calories and the times you feel hungry. Do you notice a pattern? Do you tend to eat only when you are stressed, tired or bored? Is there a time of day when you are more likely to be bored?

If you feel like eating something, even though you ate a couple of hours ago, try to identify if you are really hungry and you are not just feeling this urge because you are tired or bored. Just ask yourself, on a scale of one to ten, how hungry you actually feel and if your answer is seven or more, then you should probably eat something. First though, drink something. It is so easy to mistake hunger for thirst.

If your answer is lower than seven than you are probably only bored and you should refrain from eating until you reach the point of actual hunger. Instead, you could try satisfying your feelings with other interests that are just as rewarding. For example, you could have fun with a good friend; you could read a few pages of your favorite book or you could even listen to your favorite tunes.

A very good idea you could use every time you feel like eating something, even though you’re not really hungry is making an activity hat. You could simply fill that hat (you can even use a box if you want) with different activities and then pull one out to do. This should help you get rid of that urge to eat and it will relieve your boredom.

One of the best things you can do to avoid eating when you are feeling bored is to try to find an activity that occupies your hands. You could try typing or writing something, needlework, give yourself a manicure or if you play an instrument, then this is a good time to start practicing. Just remember that you can do only one activity at a time.

In order to get rid of that annoying hunger sensation, try to do something that occupies your hands and most importantly, concentrate on what you are doing. Just force yourself to become preoccupied with that thing until the hunger subsides.

When you are feeling hungry but you know that you are feeling this way because you are bored or tired and not because your body needs nourishment, simply go for a walk because this will take you away from your kitchen and once the scenery changes, your cravings should subside.

If you are trying to avoid eating when you are feeling bored you could also avoid buying certain foods, you should avoid having food in your bedroom and you should always choose nutritious foods over processed ones. Do you know any other tips on how to avoid eating when bored? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section!

Sources:
wikihow.com
womenshealthmag.com