Hobbies instead of eating?
 

I am a binge eater and am desperately trying to stop. I get home and just plop down and eat all night. Does anyone have any ideas of things they have replaced their binge eating with? (Inexpensive)

Thanks!

I do stretches while I watch TV. I play with my shedding dog (who can eat with fur on their hands!) I play on the internet. I read books. Some people knit. I'm going to start making my own kitchen aprons, so that my hands are full of sewing. I start projects (right now (I'm a kitchen nerd) it is a recipe book. Anything to keep your hands busy!

I dont eat while I read a book or magazine. If I'm on the computer I usually dont snack. I know what you mean though there are days where I get home and just want to eat everything in sight! When that happens I try to get up and do some housework, keep my mind and hands busy.
Hope this gives you a few ideas.. :)

I think your idea to get other things going besides eating is SO, SO spot on. I think this is paramount. You just gotta find something else to do. In the beginning I cleaned house. This was actually a great alternative. As my weight went down I had to buy some new things so I started shopping--way too expensive, especially since I needed new pants and tops every few weeks. I started hitting the thrift stores of which, I am now addicted. Honestly with spring coming on, I would like to get back into my house cleaning again. My house is straightened up but there are lots of little things I could be doing every day to burn calories and make my home more enjoyable. I am a social creature though and get lonely doing it.

Knitting or crocheting is a great pasttime that keeps your mind and hands engaged. And you don't have to make huge things like sweaters or afghans; you can start small with pot holders or scarves. You can find free patterns on the internet, and many times you can go to your craft shop and there will be free, simple patterns hanging right next to the yarn. You should be able to get a skein of yarn, a hook and a pattern for under ten bucks. I usually knit dishrags in the winter and give them to family as little gifts; it gives me something to do while watching TV and the rhythmic motion is really soothing.

The thing I do to keep busy is creating quilts, but that's not really an inexpensive pasttime unless you have a good source for inexpensive fabric!

housework.... my house is never cleaner than when I'm on a diet!

Great thread topic. I could use some new ideas. I tend to eat more when I watch tv than when I do other things. I've been trying to watch less tv.

knitting, embroidery, playing nintendo ds, doing puzzles. Those keep me busy while watching tv. some nights I'll pick something to organize. Like my kitchen drawers or a closet. I clean out my daughter's dressers sometimes, looking for items that no longer fit or that they never wear.

Yes, while you are hanging out watching tv, try to do some other thing where you can't eat at the same time. I like to paint, both pictures and my toes! However, sometimes I know that if I'm at home, I will not be able to NOT snack. That is when I take 10 bucks and go to the mall. I get a little exercise since I'm walking around the mall for an hour or 2, but it doesn't get expensive, since I am limited to my 10 bucks. I will usually get a pretty scarf or a new lipgloss - something to make me feel pretty! Another thing you can do is join some type of club and keep yourself busy in the evenings. Good luck!

I do my housework when I need something to do. Fold laundry, clean the floors, organize the bathroom cupboards....ANYTHING to get me past the urge.

I think the strategy of replacing the desire to binge with alternative activities is a great one, and I find chewing gum, doing my nails, working on the computer, reading a good book, brushing and flossing my teeth for the night, going upstairs (away from the kitchen), and exercising all good alternatives; however, the thing that works the absolute best for me is to get my head in the right place first. When that happens, no temptation in the world can be stronger than my desire to "be good."

Getting that feeling and keeping it is like finding and keeping gold. Sometimes it's fleeting and other times, it hangs around for weeks and weeks.

The one phrase that seems to work best is something I read in a book called 100 Days of Weight Loss by Linda Spangle. In her book, the author asks, "Are you interested in losing weight or are you committed to losing weight?" I find that to be very powerful! Being interested means that you're there until it gets hard or until something that sounds better comes along. Being committed means that no reason is stronger than your desire to reach your goal! You can read more about it here if you want: http://www.easy-weightloss-tips.com/...ight-loss.html. I hope this helps...Gail

I am not a crazy clean machine unless I am on a diet.I really clean a lot when I am trying to lose weight.My husband loves it.LOL

I read, draw, or go on the Internet. Also, I talk on the phone quite a bit and do more cleaning when I'm on a diet than otherwise, which looks to be a common dieter behavior. If I could afford to shop ALL the time I wouldn't be fat at all, I swear, because I lose all sense of time and sensations of hunger.

I like the idea of doing a few light toning moves..such as crunches, squats, and such..then getting busy on something else..

if you are eating due to stress about something or just plain worry..you need to get the adrenaline out...

yes, yes, yes...HOUSEWORK..it is great...to get your mind off binging...and it is a alternate form of something you can control...plus you are doing a mini workout...

I fought through anorexia and bulemia due to control issues...we CAN control what we eat...for me the bulemia resulted from being an out of control eater and wanting to control how it affected my body..once I realized I could eat like that AND stay thin...by purging..I was hooked. The anorexia was a control issue too--I denied my body sustenance and expected it to continue as if it were getting nutrients..

OMG! I think I'm a binge and purge shopper. I love acquiring new things and I love giving away things I'm over, and I'm over things pretty quickly. I have a shopping/house purging disorder. I'm just being silly, but, really there is probably an interesting psychological connection between the housecleaning and purging behavior in connection with food.