How to Avoid Eating When You're Bored

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Keep a food diary.

   Keeping a food diary can help you learn what you eat every day.
   
   It can also help you take control of your eating habits because you pay more attention to them as you note them in your diary.Write down everything you eat and drink in a journal.
   
   Include a list of calories, if desired.
   
   You can use a paper journal to keep track of your intake or you can use your phone or computer.
   
   Consistency is very important.
   
   Include the time and how much you ate.
   
   For example, 9:45 a.m., 2 handfuls of M&Ms.
   
   Note what you were doing at the time.
   
   Also note how you were feeling.
   
   For example, 9:45 a.m., 2 handfuls of M&Ms.
   
   I ate them at my desk while I was browsing online.
   
   Felt stressed over this project at work.
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   Step 2: Review your food diary weekly.

   Once you have a week’s worth of diary entries, look back through them.
   
   Look for any patterns.
   
   For example, did you feel sad or stressed often when you ate? What activities were you doing (or not doing) when you ate? Also notice any variations in your patterns.
   
   For example, if you notice that you snack a lot at work but not much when you’re home in the evening, it might be because you don’t find your work stimulating.
   
   Or it might be because you feel more stressed at work and you use snacks as a coping mechanism. , What foods do you choose to eat when you feel bored? Many people gravitate toward greasy, sweet or carbohydrate-laden foods when they feel upset, bored or stressed.If you tend to eat whatever is around you, you can help yourself out by purchasing only healthy snack foods when you go shopping.
   
   If you go to the vending machines at work or school, try packing a healthy snack to take with you so you aren't tempted to visit the vending machines.
   
   Do you feel better after you eat outside mealtimes? Do you have more energy? Or do you feel tired? , A variety of triggers make people feel like they need to eat, even if they don’t feel physically hungry.
   
   Some of these are mental and emotional, such as boredom or anxiety.
   
   Others are related to situations.
   
   For example, some people may find that they snack more when they watch TV.
   
   Maybe it feels “wrong” to see a movie without getting a popcorn and soda.
   
   Perhaps you feel pressure to eat when you’re at a party.
   
   Or maybe once you eat one doughnut, you feel like you have to eat them all.
   
   Whatever your triggers are, learning them can help you avoid mindless eating.
   
   Many people find themselves snacking when doing other activities (e.g., reading, watching TV).
   
   In some cases, you may eat 71 percent more calories if you eat while watching TV., Research shows that a lot of people don’t accurately recognize when they are thirsty.People often confuse symptoms of thirst for symptoms of hunger.
   
   Drinking more water may help reduce the urge to snack.High levels of anxiety may also cause you to feel thirsty.
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   Step 3: Think about your snack habits.

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   Step 4: Learn your triggers.

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   Step 5: Check your fluid intake.

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