Anyone successfully stopped boredom/comfort/emotionl eating?

[Nowillpoweratall]

I cannot stop. I enjoy eating, I love food and I'm always really quite bored. Food makes me happy. I also have terrible hayfever at the moment which is making me feel dreadful but the eating was still an issue before that.
Everyday I say to myself I will sort my eating but I don't then I so cross with myself.
There must be a way to overcome this without only relying on willpower?
If I have something nice to eat I tell myself I deserve a treat but I'm going to end up with diabetes so it's an absolutely ridiculous and wrong mindset.

That doesn't work unfortunately as I just go out and buy it! Or pinch kids or husbands stuff!

Cleaning teeth and chewing gum are good ideas though. I chew gum in the car.

@Highlyquestionablehoumous if someone can eat a packet of biscuits in 15 minutes, which would pretty much be 80% of their daily calorie allowance then how does no restriction eating within a 8 hour window help?

I could probably do that in less than 15 minutes!

I hear you, OP.
I found the prospect of insulin resistance and early onset type 2 diabetes a very powerful motivator.
And remembering how great I used to feel.
Then:
-really reducing processed carbs.
-intermittent fasting (16:8 or 18:6, for instance)
-an initial period of a few 'habit-breaking' days which was essentially just one major distraction: chewing gum, cups of tea, tooth brushing etc: anything to interrupt the continuous sugar-fuelled treat-seeking I'd gotten myself into.

So much better for it.

Honestly @Nowillpoweratall it is willpower. Fuck it's hard to get started though. This is the first time I've managed it. I had to go completely cold turkey - so NO snacks, rather than telling myself as I bought the packet biscuits that I would just have one, bought none. I knew I wouldn't have 'just one' as I put them in the trolley. Don't buy alternatives either - too tempting (and full of shit to make them seem lower calorie or whatever).
If you want to scare yourself shitless about type 2 diabetes, watch Supersize v. Superskinny. Hugely disordered eating at each end of the spectrum, and the bit where the UK-based over-eater is taken to the US to show them what will become of them if they carry on is very sobering. You don't want to go there - or not if you want to live a long life with your limbs, kidneys and eyesight.

STRONGLY recommend going seriously low carb, as mentioned upthread. You'll feel better, get your cravings under control, and lose weight. Winning all round.

Sugary crap food isn't a treat for your body. It's abusing your body. These foods are doing the opposite of what good nourishing food is meant to do.
I watched YouTube videos by reputable people about what too much sugar does to us. That really helped to shift my thinking.
Sweeteners don't help. Apparently (a theory I heard) it makes your brain prepare your body to deal with sugar and then keeps waiting for the sugar to arrive hence the cravings.
If you really want to treat yourself, eat lots of natural healthy food that's going to help your body stay healthy and functioning well.

some great ideas on here . I went back also to my wow 12 weeks gastric band hypnosis last night too . Hopefully we all have a better day . Would it help op to pop in here when you feel you want to snack .

The YouTube videos about sugar sound interesting, @Charles11 could you mention a couple of names so I can search on them ?

OP you sound very like me - same life style, same boredom issues. I do bootcamps which I've grown to love but they make me fit and strong not slim due to my overeating although I've not gained weight since starting them, despite not changing my eating habits, and I did lose a stone initially but then plateaued.

I agree with PPs that we need more stimulus - dopamine hits from other sources. Can you get out in the evening a few times a week or do you have DC to look after?

If you can't, try listening to fitness podcasts and affirmations. Even watching fitness videos without doing them stops you wanting to stuff your face.

You could also try some immersive mood experiences, like listening to Beethoven's 5th in the dark or taking a blanket into the garden to stare at the stars or having an epsom salt and essential oils bath by candlelight - that sort of thing.

For me the danger is trashy TV. I get up every ad break to stuff my face. Better off tuning into a film that has no breaks and is so engrossing you don't pause it.

If I remember to, I pre-empt the boredom binges by laying out big mugs with fruit tea bags in so every time I come to the kitchen I make a fruit tea instead of food.

I do also do lots of micro workouts like high knees or jacks while waiting for the kettle. That gives you a bit of a dopamine hit too.

The other thing I do is try to have some snacks in that hit the spot but aren't too high calorie - Fibre 1 brownies work if you are craving chocolate, and they're only 100 cals. Same with mini packs of jaffa cakes (I know they are empty calories and give a sugar rush but if you are being honest with yourself it's better to go straight for the 100 cal chocolate sugar rush than have a banana, then a bowl of muesli (about 500 cals) and still want that bloody chocolate.

I came on to say the same. It’s made such a difference to me not being ‘allowed’ to eat after 6pm. Even though it’s my own self-imposed rule! Also that when I started doing it I lost weight and kept it off so it’s a good motivator to keep going.

If you can't, try listening to fitness podcasts and affirmations. Even watching fitness videos without doing them stops you wanting to stuff your face.

This also works for me. I listen to a podcast on my way to work like Doctor’s Kitchen, Adrienne’s Power Hour, Feel Better Live More etc, and it sets me up in the right mindset for the day.

I too eat (sugar stuff, pastries, cakes, cream cakes) when i’m bored, low, stressed is a big one (very easy with 2 arguing non stop bickering kids) and tired. Also if celebrating/ happy although I will stop at one thing when happy. I can binge eat, eat in secret and feel very ashamed after.

So far i’ve found for myself the following does help-

1. Eating from 11-7pm only. Easy in weekdays when busier with manic school mornings and drop offs/ pick ups/ chaos of after school. Exhausted at kids bedtime like me? Go to sleep super early. I make sure i’m asleep for 9pm even 8.30pm some nights when i can. If you can!
2. A small banana/ small breakfast never fills me up, it just makes me crave food even more hence delaying breakfast.
3. Cups of fruit tea during homework time (bored just sat there so i would usually get nuts, crisps while kids read to me)
4. Clean the house, quite therapeutic for me that I can transform my dirty windows/ toilet into sparkling fresh masterpieces quite easily. Mind is focused on that.
5. Put favourite songs on esp from childhood to lift mood
6. Gym is good but i never get that high others talk about afterwards, i feel tired and the more cardio i do the hungrier I am in the evenings. I stick to no more than 1 hour 10 min at the gym, which includes stretches.
7. Get out of the house in the day. Run errands/ work/ meet a friend for a tea / breakfast to set up happy self for the rest of the day. I’m alone too much in daytime and look to food. If i’m making more effort with friendships i feel better.
8. Do not go to any supermarkets at all. no will power to not buy chocolate bar or pastries (the smell !) use online shop only. Or find a small local shop that has very minimal tempting stuff if you just need to run in for milk for the kids. But generally i plan as so i only use ocado once a week, and make do with that. I work around it if I have run out out something rather than go to the shop to get it.
9. Go to gym to work out yes but you can also just do very light work outs/ treadmill walk to be around other like minded people , people all trying like us and get out of the house. Gym is only 40% for the actual work out for me. Find a lovely gym you feel comfortable at which can take a few viewings to do. Mine is full of nice mums, dad business people, it’s not full of 20 year old posers and young men staring.
10. Absolutely no junk food in the house. Replace with good quality cherry tomatoes, cottage cheese, ryveta, light protein shakes, those john west tuna ready salads that are 250 cal. No low sugar diet food as i find i over eat those and then crave even more sweet, until i finally succumb and get in my car and drive to nearest store for a big cream cake.
11. Try cutting out gluten and dairy - made a big difference to weight loss friends sister. I’ve cut out bread, pasta and dairy- but my down fall in cakes, pastries still. Rather than find gluten free i’d just cut out all gluten containing items as all is usually stodge.
12. Bed as early as possible to stop snacking and get more sleep and rest for the next day.
13. Weekends are a HUGE willpower test when kids want to go to the cinema/ pizza hut/ pizza express. This morning i’m at the cinema at 10 with my 6 year old. I’ve already planned ahead as before for a kids film if but a medium sweet popcorn and a bag of chocolate munchies. Today i’ve accepted my breakfast will be at 10am rather than usual 11. Will get an extra hot fruit tea there to sip on and bring my own breakfast in a small tub. Avert eyes from pastries at the coffee shop when getting my tea, don’t even look.

It’s a massive struggle daily for me and i fail a lot. I have a big beach holiday planned for august and panicking slightly as i know if i feel big, sluggish and crap about myself i’ll ruin my holiday which i’m so looking forward to! And won’t be able to wear all the nice clothes i want to. I’ll be miserable covering up in the heat.

I had hypnotherapy which was partially successful. But then I had the DC and I've slipped right back into my old ways. I just hoover up all their leftovers (even ones I don't like!!) because I can't stop eating. I live rurally, so not having things in the house was a good solution for me as I'm miles from a shop. But can't have nothing in when there are toddlers living here! Anyway I'm placemarking so I can read this thread later, thanks OP

i don’t think it’s feasible in most households to simply not have bread, or crisps or whatever. What about kids that need packed lunches? Kids just in general?! I don’t want them to grow up in a house where bread can’t be present because mum is on a low carb diet….. I think because of this, it makes it harder. And more reliant on willpower…. It’s tough.

Yes in this case I agree it’s then much harder. However, not a bad time to get kids to start eating healthier too. Swap their white bread pasta etc to whole meal brown. Buy more fruit and veggies for their daily snacks too. I’m lucky as my kids still at an age they love mini packs of gingerbread men, pom bears, certain crisp flavours and sugary cereals i won’t eat at all. If we loved the same snacks that would be very hard as i’d have to have them in. Currently the soft scoop is nicely tucked away in freezer so i don’t see it, if they want any they get it themselves or DH helps them i stay away, don’t look. However, i have used my situation to at the same time improve the whole households diet by about 70% too. Son is a keen footballer and needs to stay strong and fit too, are those cornettos really benefiting anyone in the house at all? I don’t think so. And they eat one and are straight in the snack cupboards looking for crisps! Next weekend i’m going to make a massive colourful fruit salad for us for the weekend instead of kids reaching for the crap too

I love cakes and biscuits and always have a treat mid morning and in the evening . Fruit, yoghurts and savoury snacks are no substitute for me and anything with artificial sweeteners make me feel
ill. I work really hard in two jobs and see it as a treat to me. I want to be thinner and fitter but don’t have the motivation.

You need to follow Emma Story Gordon on FB or Instagram. Her mindset insights are brilliant. I tend to eat pretty healthily but definitely have a snacking problem and I've learnt so much from her.

Just to say I have teens so we are always going to have sweet stuff, bread and crisps in the house.

@ThePenIsBlue having a crap-free pantry and having kids aren't mutually exclusive! Kids don't need sweets and crisps and lots of biscuits. There's no need for crisps and chocolate biscuits in a packed lunch. Less junk doesn't mean deprivation - far from it.

Bread is slightly different - if we have it, it's multi-grain or similar. DD's desire for toast is minimal when the bread has seeds, or grains, or is wholemeal, but if it's more processed, she'll eat it when she's not hungry because it's there. In two slices of bread, there's the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of sugar. Bread isn't absent because I'm not eating it - it's absent because it's empty calories that provide little benefit. DD doesn't actually like sandwiches; sometimes has a wrap. Currently lunchbox has a couple of cold sausages, yoghurt, apple, sometimes some slices of salami, cheese, crackers, veggies (some of cucumber/carrots/cherry tomatoes/capsicum). Full disclosure: DD also has T1 diabetes, so we have to count the carbs in everything she eats and drinks so that she takes the correct amount of insulin to match the food. This makes you far more aware of just how much sugar (carbs break down to glucose) there is in SO MANY everyday foods.

Well for me, it's largely because the time which I would boredom eat is in the later evening, so outside of my eating window (once dinner is done I don't eat again). Also I have found it has made me less hungry generally, and also as PP said because I have lost a little bit of weight it's motivating me and mentally that helps as well.

Another big thing, and it really is doable with kids, is to just not have crap in the house. I don't have restrictions on what my kids eat in general, but in the weekly shop there are no crisps, biscuits, chocolate so none of us eat it regularly. I have to do this because otherwise I would just eat it all, and I would be the person eating a packet of biscuits in one sitting. My kids don't really mind, it's just always been that way for them, and they seem to be able to control themselves ok when we do have junk stuff so it works for us.

Educate yourself on what junk food does to your body.

do you have a fear you can connect it to? 70% of cancers are caused by our diet, due to inflammation. Inflammatory foods like sugar being the main culprit.

once you’ve cut it out, the cravings disappear. You need to just go cold turkey.

its an addiction and you need to treat it as such.

‘treat’ yourself with a face mask, doing your nails, a good book. Not food.

Why? Don’t let your teens have that shit either. Bread yes, but that’s it. We are breeding a new generation of overeaters by our diet choices. Biscuits and crisps should not be a staple part of our diets.

This is me too OP. I am a shocking picker more than snacker but also use food as a treat.

At the moment due to stress/peri/laziness I am big again after years of being pleasantly plump. I maintained my lower weight by a lot of investment into it and I got resentful that it's not just easy for me.

So things I do that help:

I don't snack in the day much but I love pudding in the evening. So I have greek yoghurt and my favourite fruit (frozen black cherries usually!)

Teen dds are eating too much crap so we are going to stop buying it. That will help me.

I need to plan lunches better. I wfh most days and go into office once or twice a week. I need to start packing my lunch up everyday again (used to happily do this pre Covid and ut was very helpful.

Have easy dinners. For various reasons I don't usually eat with the family in the week. I need easy single servings of stuff like curry/stir fry/Tagine etc. not bread.

Less but not no carbs. I am veggie and no carb is hard to be varied. But smaller/better carbs.

Thank you for this.