Going through this change, I realized that a lot of my poor eating habits could be contributed to sheer boredom. Lately, I'm finding myself wanting, but not acting on the urge to eat because... I'm simply bored. I'm a stay at home mom and I don't get out much due to my son's special needs but I'm not complaining as this experience has not only strengthened my character but it has made me a better person. However, being at home so much does leave me with loads of extra time on my hands and I guess I'm a bit fearful that having these bouts of boredom will trigger bad eating habits again.

Any thoughts or suggestions on ways to beat the boredom beast, and ward off bad eating habits while bored would be appreciated.

at times i have put a physical barrier between me and the kitchen. for example a chair in the entrance that i have to walk around. It helps to physically remind me that if i am not hungry, i don't need to be in the kitchen eating.

good luck, that is a hard habit to break.

I have the "boredom" problem on weekends. The best things I've found are to drink more water/fluids, keep lots of very low cal snacks around (mini popcorn bags, sugar free pudding, sf jello, 100 cal packs), allow yourself to gorge on them on a SCHEDULED basis (ie write down a schedule of when you can snack), and work hard to distract yourself.

For example, if I'm really really wanting something for my mouth to do, I'll try to do something else for a while (like cleaning up the kitchen, or taking the dog out, or playing video games for a while). Watching TV is my danger-moment, so I always give myself a snack when I first sit down to watch a dvr'd show and limit myself to one snack per hour-long show (I don't watch much tv).

Delphi, I too am a stay at home mom, and the mother of a autistic son. I also live on a farm, so there is no reason for me to be bored... If I'm bored, I'm actually just being lazy.

I used my sons autism as an excuse for years to gain weight. I had a little pity party almost daily. I finally figured it out that I was a much better mom when I felt good about myself. Also...KIDS CAN BE CRULE. I think of all the things that kids have said to and about my son...the name calling is bad enough, but to actually add to the arsenal of snot nosed kids by being a "super fat" mom wasn't doing him, or me any good.

If you can't stop gorging for yourself, do it for him. So many times you hear people say you have to do this for yourself...WHY? If you can't motivate yourself enough to do it for you, do it for someone who will appreciate it. YOUR KIDS!

I totally agree. I'm the type of person that would take care of everyone except myself. When I decided that enough was enough, I was feeling physically and mentally sick. I had to step out of that black hole and take a look at my son, who'll take care of him if I'm not here? What if I develop a serious condition? I wasn't taking care of my diabetes, that was lethal. I mean, I have a great husband but my son needs me to be here healthy and confident for him.

Delphi, I don't know the specific situation with your son but maybe a walk, some activity for both that keep your mind busy and out of the food? I hope you can find a way to help yourself.

I think for awhile I did to, as I thought that my life was now his and I no longer needed to take care of myself. Then quickly realized that with his care comes great responsibility and he can only stay healthy as long as I am. So yes, it pushes me daily to remember not only am I doing this for me, I'm doing it to be around for my children.

Canaan (my son) has HIE and requires a feeding pump most days so getting him out in the elements during the day is not easy. But a very good suggestion! Some days are better than others, so perhaps on the good days.

Do stuff round the house. Cleaning and gardening burns loads of calories!

Do a facial, paint your nails, sort all the crap that accumilates in bottom drawers.

Low calories snacks are a great idea. Buy bags of carrots etc already cut up so they're handy for when you're peckish. Little pots of Roundtrees jelly are less than 5 calories each.

Hi there!
The only thing I can think of is to clean up your environment. That is, get rid of all the junk, snack packs, treats, chips, candies, and foods that are bad for you. If they aren't in the house, you won't be eating them. And you won't be struggling constantly with trying to avoid them.
This will make you and your family much healthier in the long run. After a few days, they won't even miss the stuff...
Kira

I don't have a son, but I'm currently taking care of my mom during the day. I have the same problem eating out of boredom, especially at night. What helps me is having a good stock of different teas, I have about 20 different flavored ones now. Sometimes a diet soda helps too (some people say they cause more cravings but for me they help). If you can do some exercise that would help too, usually you don't want to eat back your calories.

I have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, so there is no way to avoid the kitchen at certain times, and I pass by food several times a day... I just try to stay focused on my goal.

I don't have the same situation you have or Lori Bell, but I do understand eating out of boredom. I am so bored at work right now and almost everyday, that I have to keep my hands busy so that I don't go to the cafeteria and get something to eat. At home I'm fine! I hope you find something that keeps you busy so that you don't over eat.

i love regular tea; so when im bored, generally at night, i'll have a hot cup of tea. And maybe read.

I try and keep carrots around(fresh ones they dont go bad fast and you can peel them and your good to go) 100 cal snacks i couldnt do it just to hard to control myself with them. I drink alot of tea and usually boil a couple of eggs for the week and snack on those.

I am in the same boat! I make sure to keep s/f jello, plenty of fruit and full water bottle at all times. If that doesn't help, then I go for a nice long walk.

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

Delphi, I too stay at home, and I stay busy and motivated to stay OP in two ways: Reading and cleaning/organizing. I have a whole collection of weight loss books. I pick most of them up at the thrift store. It doesn't matter what diet they are promoting, because I read them all and then steal their best ideas. I also have at least 3 magazines waiting to be read that have headlines about weight loss. And of course, I love this site (as I know you do too)! I read so much here daily!! As for cleaning/organizing, I've found that if I have an ordered environment, I feel calmer, and when I feel calmer, I'm not as likely to turn to food for emotional reasons, whether it's stress or boredom. I've seen some ladies here mention the Flylady cleaning site. So I went to it and although I don't wish to subscribe (because I like to do things at my own pace and in my own way), I did steal some great ideas (just like I do with the weight loss books)! It's a very motivational site for cleaning! So reading about weight loss and cleaning/organizing keep me occupied!