Lonely, Bored, Overeating?

When you find yourself with nothing to do and no one to do it with, it’s very easy to just sit around and eat, even though you’re not really hungry. Sometimes all you need to do is buy time and get
through it with a distraction until the craving passes. Maybe old tricks like chewing gum, drinking a glass of water, or gargling with mouthwash are enough to prevent you from random eating and help hold you over until your next meal.
But if the urge to eat is very strong, and you don’t want to give in, you may need to find better and more time-consuming distractions. Here are a dozen simple suggestions to get you thinking about alternatives activities to get involved in without having to leave or go far from home. It won't hurt to hang the list on your refrigerator door to remind yourself there is always something else you can do instead of eating when you’re not really hungry.

• Search for health and fitness websites to build up your motivation.
• Work out with an exercise DVD or YouTube video.
• Install a fitness app on your phone. And use it.
• Thoroughly clean one room in your house. If you need more of a distraction, clean another.
• If you can knit, sew, or create something, make a gift for someone; if you have a lot of time to kill, make several gifts in advance of upcoming birthdays and holidays.
• Call, text or email someone else who could also use a distraction.
• Got out and wash your car.
• Walk your dog, play with your dog, brush your cat or clean the fish tank.
• Learn another language; purchase or find a free download for a language-learning program.
• Sort through old photos.
• Take a shower and do some extra grooming, like a shave or a mani-pedi.
• Add a few ideas of your own to this list. Think about things you would like to accomplish, or activities you often postpone or procrastinate about, and then forget to do. Add them to the list and save the list for the next time you find yourself in the same situation.