the conundrum of boredom and why its making you fat

So you are sitting in class, or at your desk....and you just finished a yummy sandwich nearly half an hour ago. All of a sudden, you find your stomach grumbling...giving you all the common signals that you are umm...HUNGRY AGAIN. This unfortunate event happens to me far more than I would like to admit, but I have also realized a very common pattern as to how and when these hunger pains start to kick in.

This little matter of contention is otherwise known as boredom eating. And it is absolutely awful.

This spark of hunger tends to almost always happen when our bodies are not in a physiological need of food. Rather, it comes up when we are in a state of feeling blasé. Our mood state influences how an event is being perceived...and if we are are experiencing circumstantial reactions that are just not pleasant...we literally become compelled to find ones that are.

Food is the quickest way to get some type of instant gratification...and who doesn't love a quick and easy fix? I mean why else would I consider getting a bag of chips such an amazing thing to look forward to when I've been staring at a computer screen for 3 hours? When I am active on weekends, I barely have time to think about food....and I don't ever feel hunger pains until my body literally tells me its time to eat. This just proves that most of the time hunger isn't a physical need, its an emotional one. 

I am no dietician, but I have managed to come up with a list of things that may help curb your boredom eating habits. 

1) drink a lot of water. like a lot of water. 

2) go workout. it actually helps curb your appetite. 

3) switch up your scenery. if you are stuck in an office, take a quick break..or a short walk outside. fresh air always seems to feel amazing.

4) do something that literally makes you want to vomit. like cleaning a toilet, or smelling your garbage before taking it out 

5) drink something caffeinated. caffeine has been known to curb an appetite. (this does not include fraps)

6) paint your nails. that will give you at least 45 minutes. 3 coats...one solid hour. 

7) create things to look forward to. make plans with friends. plan a random weekend somewhere. the anticipation of something fun can definitely help aid momentary boredom. 

8) open up a fashion magazine, or watch an episode of Top Model...self-loathing ain't always so bad...

Kate knows whats up (drug problem not included) 

9) try and get a couple more hours of sleep. this gives your body natural energy, which will definitely compensate for your cravings the next day. 

10) eat really small portions, and frequently. this way you can almost trick your mind that you are eating all the time....but really its just training yourself to spread out the actual consumption of your food intake. 

Boredom is a bitch, and unfortunately reality can't always be a day at an amusement park (actually, I loathe amusement parks...but you get my point.)

Summer is right around the corner, so hopefully just the idea of looking good in a bathing suit should be motivation enough not to eat when we aren't really hungry. yeah...good luck with that.

"i feel like such a heifer. I had two bowls of special K, 3 pieces of turkey bacon, a handful of popcorn, 5 peanut butter M&M's, and like three pieces of licorice"