Stave Off Boredom and Stop Overeating

Wed, 03/07/2012 - 13:24

Hey, you. Yeah, YOU! Did you really just spend the last three nights in a row mindlessly munching in front of the television? Well, unfortunately, you're not alone.

Boredom is one of the most common causes of overeating. SO many of us are drawn to the fridge the minute we have a little downtime. But if you eat because you can't find anything else to do, then you're sabotaging yourself.

So, what's the good news here? Well, part of your work is already done — you've identified boredom eating as a problem. But that was the past. Focus on the present — take the time to think ahead and come up with ways to combat every potentially sabotaging situation. For example, if food commercials on television make you hungry and/or drive you to snack uncontrollably, DVR your shows so that you can skip those tempting commercials. Or, keep a few magazines close by so that you have something to zone out with until the commercials are over.

Losing weight isn't about making willpower an overwhelming new personality trait; it's about changing your everyday behavior. You can do this.