Stay Well Hydrated to Control Boredom Eating

Whereas boredom is sometimes caused by simply having nothing to do, that will not always be the case. You can be busy doing repetitive tasks and misinterpret you are feeling as hunger false hunger signals. To reduce the tendency for your attention to become fixated on what your next snack is going to be, try eating more lean protein and healthy fats at meal time.

Since the same area of your brain (the hypothalamus) interprets signals for both hunger and thirst, countless people confuse symptoms of dehydration with signs of hunger. A protein drink or handful of nuts are also a healthy treat. Having pre-measured healthy snacks available is prudent if you are having problems with boredom eating.

Enjoying time alone is contrary to today’s lifestyle…

If you are snacking too much between meals due to boredom, or another stressor, you are most likely consuming more food than your body needs. Try one of the strategies below to better manage boredom eating:

• Practice Mindful Eating – One of the best safe guards against eating out of boredom is to be more conscious of what you are eating and how many empty calories you are consuming by practicing mindful eating.
• Plan Your Snacks – Bored eating is an emotional eating pattern that serves as a temporary solution to often negative feelings. If your prepare properly proportioned protein snacks ahead of time, you can plan for a well-timed snack in your overall dietary intake.
• Get Plenty of Rest – Since you can’t expect to always get a perfect night of sleep, it is important for maintaining your energy levels to stay well rested. A brief nap can help fuel your vitality to manage whatever the cause of your boredom.
• Move, Move, & Move – Bedding down and watching TV is linked to increased snacking regardless of whether you are really hungry or boredom eating. So, take a break and go for a walk, ride a bike, take out the trash, but get the blood flowing.

Don’t impulsively give way to food cravings…

Whatever emotions cause you to overeat, the end result is often the same. For instance, when you’re stewing over a conflict, you might knowingly turn to comfort food, but when you’re bored, you can impulsively give way to food cravings. Boredom is not pleasant and create feelings of frustration that can lead to anger.

People who suffer from ADHD get bored faster and may have more difficulty than others tolerating monotony and are more susceptible to academic failure, poor work performance, and feelings of isolation. Although it can trigger creative thinking, it also can influence negative behaviors, such as a false sense of hunger that leads to overeating.

Staying busy and staying positive in the moment are great ways to combat the ill-effects of boredom eating. At Metabolic Research Center, we have over thirty years of experience in helping clients manage the emotional side of food consumption.