We’ve all said it at one time or another: I’m bored.
When we are bored we may not be in a good nor a bad mood. We are most likely in “I don’t think there is anything to do so I will fill my time by eating mood”. Boredom can be one of the greatest challenges on the road to a healthy lifestyle. So how do we break the vicious cycle of standing in front of the frig and allowing a gallon of ice cream to entertain us?
There are two types of boredom. The temporary boredom where there is no other outside pleasure and enjoyment that creates interest, so we use food as something to do. Where if your friends called you and asked you to come over and play a game of Pictionary, the ice cream goes back in the freezer and hence boredom is resolved!!
The second type of boredom is where we use food as a coping mechanism. We crave more and more sugary and high carb foods to feel the reward of pleasure in our brains. When we experience boredom we are actually triggering the need for pleasure. It’s a vicious cycle, the more we eat the more it takes to feel the pleasure. Like it or not, this is why our favorite comfort foods are an addiction.
The ways to overcome boredom and activate the pleasure center in our brains while traveling a healthy path:Bottom of Form
- Be aware of what foods you constantly go to as your comfort foods. Ask yourself, “Am I eating this because I want the taste of it or is it because I have nothing else to do? High sugar foods bring on the binge.
- Have a game plan of things to do. We all have goals. Put a post-it note in your frig that says” What have you done today to get you closer to your goal.” If you haven’t done anything this is the perfect time to do it. If watching TV is the main time you find yourself binging, replace the TV time with something else to stimulate your brain. This will not only break the binging habit, you may actually find you have more time in your day J
Mikki St. Germain is an Author/Speaker/Radio Host. Her passion for the past 20 years has been to help others transform their lives. She is the creator of the Got Baggage? ™ Series. Her new book Got Baggage? –“Unpacking the Pounds”, offers insight and the tools to overcome emotional eating. She is the founder of Circleofgood.org, – Kind Words CAN Make a Difference! www.MikkiStGermain.com 949-429-3438
Just an ordinary gal trying to live a extraordinary life!! 