Hydrate to Better Control Boredom Eating

Boredom eating functions in many of the same ways as eating when you are anxious, angry, or stressed. It is easy to understand your actions, as food triggers the release of feel-good brain chemicals, but so does exercise. When you are having a bad day, it can feel like food is your only friend. However, it is crucial that you don’t overeat in an attempt to manage negative emotions.

When you are stuffing your face with food, you can avoid uncomfortable emotions that you would rather not feel. Understand that eating is just a temporary way of silencing feelings of boredom. When you are stressed, you enter a survival mode where it is easy to over react to triggers.

Guilt-free options for managing boredom eating…

The moment you notice a food craving or desire for boredom eating, minimize multi-tasking or distractions while eating, and make sure you enjoy every bite. Here’s some guilt-free options for managing boredom eating:

• Make Sure You’re Hydrated – When you begin to feel hunger, your first impulse is to find food. Mild dehydration is often mistaken for hunger pangs, so stay hydrated.
• Do Something Fun – Since your home or office environment can sometimes fuel boredom eating, get out of your house. Take your dog for a walk, run some errands, do some window shopping, or simply walk around the block.
• Brush Your Teeth – Sometimes a little boredom can trigger an oral fixation that can lead to unwanted food cravings. The action of brushing your teeth or chewing a stick of gum can exercise your jaw muscles about the same as scarfing down a fast food snack.
• Add a Protein Snack – If you eat well throughout the day, it may be easier to spot when you're eating out of boredom. You can always avoid a mid-afternoon crisis by planning for a healthy protein snack. Protein and healthy fat can help you manage any type of hunger.

Being bored is a natural way to replenish your mojo…

Basically food cravings only exist because you are imagining them. A key in combating boredom eating is learn how to redirect your thinking whenever cravings for unhealthy snacking are initially felt. Neuroscientists say the brain has a default network mode that turns on when you are disinterested in what you’re doing.

As a positive note, it is a natural function for replenishing your mojo by providing time for creative ideas to hatch. Being constantly hungry can be caused by a lack of protein, fiber, and fat in your diet. When you notice a food craving or suddenly feel hungry, it is important to know which foods to consume to feel full for longer periods of time.

When it comes to managing daily stress, you cannot always control the stressor. At Metabolic Research Center, we have over 30 years of experience in helping clients manage negative events like eating mindlessly, or boredom eating.