Do you want to learn how to stop overeating when you aren’t hungry at all? Nod your head for me if you tend to eat food when you are bored, or just can’t find anything to do. Is eating sort of like a hobby for you. Where when you don’t find anything to do, you raid your kitchen and start eating everything you can find. In this post I’m going to teach you an easy way to stop yourself from overeating.
If you want to stop yourself from over eating when you are bored then you have plan what you are going to do instead of eating. For this exercise I want you to take out a paper and pen. I want for you to make a list of activities to do instead of overeating.
One thing to keep in mind when making this list is to choose activities
that are inconvenient to do while eating. The reason why making a list works is because next time you feel that urge to eat when you are bored, you can just choose an activity from the list instead of eating. You will have a go-to list of things to do.
Just in case you have a hard time creating that list of activities to do, I’ve made a sample list. You can take the list I created and use it as your own.
List Of Activities To Do Instead Of Overeating
• Go take a bubble bath
• Go for a walk outside
• Take a nap
• Dance to your favorite song
• Learn a new language
• Go for a nature walk
• Take dance classes
• Go meet up with your best friend
• Clean out your closet
• Go bike riding
So take any activity from that list of 10 I just gave you and do them when you feel an urge to eat when you are not hungry.
So here are some action steps to take.
1.Take out a paper and a pen
2. Make a list of activities to do
3. Write as many as you can think of
4. Make copies of the list and place them in all the places you spend a lot of time in.
Some key points to remember.
If you overeat while watching TV don’t write that as an activity on your life. You want to stop overeating not encourage it.
The purpose of the list is to remind yourself of things you can actually do.
In the moment when you are tempted to overeat you won’t remember to do that so the list will serve as a reminder.
Let me know what you think of this post and actually take action that is the only way you will see results
Luis
Last edited by luis137abe; 04-04-2012 at 10:13 AM.
Luis, thanks a lot for your contribution. Let me tell you that you make it sound very simple, but bingeing is an eating disorder and it is far from easy to get better. You say:
"The reason why making a list works is because next time you feel that urge to eat when you are bored, you can just choose an activity from the list instead of eating."
You were right to choose the word "urge". It is a very strong urge, and it stems from deep psychological roots. During the "urge" we turn into practically different people. So, though thinking of alternative activities may help while the "urge" is not yet strong, your post seems to suggest that you see bingeing as a "badly chosen activity" and not as an eating disorder... It is as if you were telling a bulimic person "next time you want to puke, go for a walk and don't puke", or an anorexic "next time you feel like skipping a meal, go to a restaurant and order food." See what I mean?
Luis, thanks a lot for your contribution. Let me tell you that you make it sound very simple, but bingeing is an eating disorder and it is far from easy to get better. You say:
"The reason why making a list works is because next time you feel that urge to eat when you are bored, you can just choose an activity from the list instead of eating."
You were right to choose the word "urge". It is a very strong urge, and it stems from deep psychological roots. During the "urge" we turn into practically different people. So, though thinking of alternative activities may help while the "urge" is not yet strong, your post seems to suggest that you see bingeing as a "badly chosen activity" and not as an eating disorder... It is as if you were telling a bulimic person "next time you want to puke, go for a walk and don't puke", or an anorexic "next time you feel like skipping a meal, go to a restaurant and order food." See what I mean?
Agree 150%. I appreciate the "advice" also, but Binge Eating Disorder is much more complicated than writing a list and thinking about or doing alternative activities. If that were the case, Binge Eating would be NON-existant. No offense intended, but it's also hard (read: I would never) to take this advice from someone who has no first hand experience with BED.
Thank you for appreciating my contribution. I completely understand what you are saying. You are saying that suggesting alternative activities won't be helpful because the urge to binge eat will be there. Therefore you will binge eat. Did I get it right?
My hidden goal within most of my posts is to help you gain more awareness. Becoming more aware of your emotions and learning how to manage them. I personally believe you can solve it using the tips I give in my posts because that was what worked for my two female friends that I helped with there binge eating.
I also completely understand that these tips may not work for some people. But I would like for you to actually try it and tell me your result. Thank you for the feedback I really appreciate it
I know solving binge eating is way more complex than picking an activity and doing it.
Although I've never been a binge eater. I have greatly immersed myself in the topic and learned so much about it. To the point where I feel very confident that I could help another person improve their binge eating.
If you don't want to use the tips in my posts because I've never experienced binge eating personally, I completely respect that.
But the goal of these post is to help you build small successes so it can help you build momentum.
Luis, thanks a lot for your contribution. Let me tell you that you make it sound very simple, but bingeing is an eating disorder and it is far from easy to get better. You say:
"The reason why making a list works is because next time you feel that urge to eat when you are bored, you can just choose an activity from the list instead of eating."
You were right to choose the word "urge". It is a very strong urge, and it stems from deep psychological roots. During the "urge" we turn into practically different people. So, though thinking of alternative activities may help while the "urge" is not yet strong, your post seems to suggest that you see bingeing as a "badly chosen activity" and not as an eating disorder... It is as if you were telling a bulimic person "next time you want to puke, go for a walk and don't puke", or an anorexic "next time you feel like skipping a meal, go to a restaurant and order food." See what I mean?
Exactly! Thanks for this. The whole "you need an activity to take your mind off eating" never fails to annoy me esp the "go for a walk or do your nails instead". When the urge hits, it doesnt matter what I am doing, I have to eat!
Luis, thanks a lot for your contribution. Let me tell you that you make it sound very simple, but bingeing is an eating disorder and it is far from easy to get better. You say:
"The reason why making a list works is because next time you feel that urge to eat when you are bored, you can just choose an activity from the list instead of eating."
You were right to choose the word "urge". It is a very strong urge, and it stems from deep psychological roots. During the "urge" we turn into practically different people. So, though thinking of alternative activities may help while the "urge" is not yet strong, your post seems to suggest that you see bingeing as a "badly chosen activity" and not as an eating disorder... It is as if you were telling a bulimic person "next time you want to puke, go for a walk and don't puke", or an anorexic "next time you feel like skipping a meal, go to a restaurant and order food." See what I mean?
Thank you Luis for your contribution, but I have to agree with Inglesita, I am diagnosed BED and getting a pen and paper out or going for a walk is useless and I am sorry, but I do find it annoying to be told to find another activity to replace it. We are not just people who eat a little too much, I can't speak for anyone else but for me it is very deep rooted. I have had this since I was a child and taking up another activity certainly will not cure it - I feel a little sad that you think that the condition is so simplistic -even the qualified psychologists who I have seen tell me that it is a complex disorder which will
not go away.
How To Stop Overeating With Pen And Paper
