Take a Power Nap to Avert Boredom Eating

When you are bored, it is easy to find yourself in the kitchen cupboard or refrigerator. Although it may seem logical, mindless eating provides little reward and may leave you feeling less satisfied after a misplaced snack. When your brain is not being stimulated, it is easy to become bored. Once you begin to rely on food to relieve boredom, you have to find other activities, so you are not deriving the most pleasure from mindless eating. Since boredom drives you to participate in behaviors that result in pleasure, it isn’t difficult to see how easy it is to make a tendency for bored-eating to become a bad habit. Some people reach for a cigarette but for others food does the trick.

Knowing when to expect hunger allows you to create a plan…

Addressing your true feelings about your diet, your emotions, and your behaviors can help you manage boredom eating. Listed below are some simple strategies for managing boredom eating:

• Take a Power Nap – A study at Stanford University concluded that a lack of sleep can increase ghrelin production (fullness hormone), while suppressing the release of leptin, which can lead to overeating.
• Plan for Distractions – When you’re mindlessly working on a task at hand and have a food craving, try brushing your teeth. It supports good dental hygiene and will serve as a distraction and the fresh taste will make you less likely to snack.
• Hydrate Your Body – Watermelon is low in calories and high in water content. It is a refreshing snack that can help you manage a sweet tooth without adding a lot of empty calories to daily intake.
• Healthy Snacks – Most often, portion size is the biggest problem people have with boredom eating. If you bag your own 100-calorie snacks ahead of time, you can choose to eat healthier foods and your snacks will be accounted for as part of daily food consumption.

How to distract yourself from the munchies…

Staying busy and approaching your day with some purpose will help keep boredom at bay, so consider the strategies discussed above for ways to distract yourself from the munchies. A proven way to better manage boredom eating is make sure you keep healthy foods and snacks in your refrigerator and pantry. Adopt a habit of grocery shopping from a list and prioritize the purchase of healthier foods, such as proteins, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Water is also a critical nutrient that often gets overlooked when someone is planning their daily intake of food and drink.

MRC programs are easy to follow. You eat real, nutritious foods that you purchase at your local supermarket or order out at your favorite restaurants. Moreover, you have an experienced team of coaches to help you establish your healthy new lifestyle.