How To Avoid Eating Out Of Boredom, Loneliness & Stress
By: Suzanne Kvilhaug
When you’re spending a lot of time at home, the kitchen can become the most popular room in your house. Somehow, mysteriously, your pants start getting a little tighter. Even though this is one of those chapters in life where it’s completely understandable to eat more and no one should feel bad about gaining a little weight. But if you’re trying to avoid it, there are several different strategies that can work.
Don’t keep a lot of unhealthy options in the house
If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it. Especially when it isn’t so easy to run out out and grab something whenever the mood hits. In this case, a strong offense really is the best defense. Deciding to limit your junk food intake while you’re stocking up at the store, is the best way to eliminate temptation. You can’t overindulge on calories, if your kitchen is full of low-cal, whole food options.
Never restrict your favorite foods
While buying a lot of unhealthy foods at the grocery store automatically sets you up for failure, being too limited may backfire too. Often, when you tell yourself you can’t have something you can’t stop thinking about how much you want it. Don’t put yourself in that position either. If your meals are super bland and your snack choices are celery sticks and apples, you could easily find yourself back in the store splurging because you’re not just bored by sitting around, you’re bored with your diet too. Allow yourself to have some of your favorites and let go of any guilt for indulging in moderation.
Choose Healthy Desserts and Snacks
When you’re bored, stressed, or lonely, turning to cookies, cake, and ice cream is a classic move. You don’t have to give up sweets to be healthy, you just need to learn how to choose (or make) healthy versions of them. Fro-yo isn’t ice cream, but it’s a viable craving compromise. There’s also tons of great dessert recipes out there that are flourless, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, and more. The best part is that baking is a great way to spend some time alone or as a family. As someone who has a sweet tooth and bakes a healthy bread daily, I personally find that this strategy really works.
Get creative with fun healthy drinks
Calories don’t just come from what we eat, the things we drink are loaded with them too. If you’ve had enough plain water, or are drinking extra sugary or alcoholic beverages, replace or balance those with other options. From infused water recipes to simple healthy smoothies like purple berry or Pina Colada. There are a number of creative options you can try. Specialty drinks can be healthy and easy to put together, plus making a delightful concoction will give you something to do and something to look forward to.
If you’re an emotional eater, learn how to work through it
Whether you’re going through something difficult or you are just feeling a wave of anxiety or sad emotions, you may find yourself “eating your feelings”. It happens to the best of us. If you find yourself burying your emotions with food, it helps to recognize that you emotionally eat and start learning how to work through it. It’s not easy and you should never be afraid to talk to others or ask for help.
Be mindful of negative eating patterns
Do you skip eating during the day and then binge at night? Do you eat dinner really late? Do you find yourself snacking right before bed? The first steps to breaking bad habits is to recognize them. Granted, your current “normal” may be anything but. However, it’s still important to be observant of your eating patterns so you can start creating better ones.
Start writing in a food journal to help make better choices
Sometimes writing things down in a food journal can really put things into perspective. When you see a few donuts, 2 slices of pizza, chips and ice cream all written down for the same day, it can really wake you up to the reality that you aren’t eating healthy. If a journal isn’t for you, a food tracking app may be more convenient and help accomplish the same goal. These methods may not be necessary long-term but if you find yourself fed up with your food choices, documenting what you eat may be exactly what you need to get on track.
Choose mood-boosting foods
There is a major correlation between food and mood. Because of certain vitamins and minerals that foods contain, they can help you feel better by boosting your mood. And what better time than now to start actively looking for foods that make you happier! If you’re looking to add some uplifting snacks to your grocery list- chickpeas, bananas, oats, berries, and dark chocolate are all considered mood-boosting foods.
Visualize great health and the body you want to have
It can be easy to get caught up in the moment and throw all of your goals out the window. But that’s when it’s the most important to reconnect with your long-term goals. When you think about what you really want for yourself down the road, it can help you recognize what the consequences of certain actions could be. By thinking of how something will make you feel in a few hours or visualizing yourself in something you want to wear, it can can give you the motivation to decide against eating counterproductive foods.
The right mindset can go a long way when it comes to making healthy choices during tough times. A great motto to keep in mind when you’re struggling to stay healthy is - this will pass and you don’t give up what you want in the future, for what you want right now. If you think you need a little more structure to keep you on track, compare diet meal delivery plans to see if one will work for you!
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