Boredom!

[invalidusername]

Hi everyone, after years (I'm still only 20 though!) of attempting to lose weight or at least prevent myself gaining any more I finally snapped the other week and realised this time I really have to do something about it. I started on June 1st aged 20, 6 foot 1 and weighing a massive 22 stone. I've just finished my first year at uni so thought this summer would be a good time to dry and start the weight loss process, everything is going really well on that front as I have lost 15 lbs in 16 days but I find that having little to do is both a benefit and a drawback, good because it means I'm finding the low calorie expect easy enough as apart from exercise I'm not actively expending a lot of energy and getting headaches etc that some people complain of. BUT it means I spend all my time sat in the house when I'm not exercising and this means I spend a lot of time trying not to give in to temptation of 'bad' foods but also that my motivation is dropping a bit sooner than I would like it too due to the boredom. So, what I'm asking in a very rambly way is: What methods do you guys use for coping with the boredom? Assuming that's even an issue anyway!

[linggirl]

Get a job or volunteer somewhere. Get a very time consuming hobby, I like embroidery and I can't sew and eat at the same time which us a bonus! One of the things i do if i feel like snacking is have a bath. As you said you've got a great opportunity here make the most of it.imagine going back to uni for the next academic year having lost weight- people won't recognise you.

Keep up your good start and don't let boredom be your undoing.

[Hidden]

Good luck! Here are some tricks I find help me:

-I find that posting here helps me lose the desire to snack!

-I drink a variety of herbal teas (I like co-op's Moroccan mint tea especially) to keep my mouth busy when I have the urge to snack. Raw veg sticks are good for this too.

-I have some positive aims for food that apply even if you aren't trying to lose weight - eat 7 portions of fruit and veg, not just 5, eat 2 portions of oily fish, eat really slowly. That way, meeting my goals isn't just about avoiding things or thinking about weight loss.

- I use a goal tracking website - mindbloom or habitrpg.

- I spend more time in supermarkets and markets choosing my food really carefully - going when the fruit and veg is discounted (so I can afford cherries, apricots and tasty things like that). I also eat new foods I've never tried before, as long as they are healthy ones - pigeon, venison, insects (!), fennel, sprouted shoots, sauerkraut, new herbs and spices.

Good luck when you are back at Uni. See if you can plan before you go back for how to avoid food temptations. So much of university social life is organised around food and drink that you have to be a bit creative - plan events like a walk, sport, beauty session, cooking a healthy meal together that will help you stick to your new regime. And see if you can involve one of your friends who has similar aims to you or is at least supportive of yours.

I also agree with the other poster about volunteering. You are a talented, energetic person. Share out those talents! You might be able to help at your ex-school or in a summer project with kids. You will have recent experiences that put you in a special position to inspire and help them. You might also be able to help older people with computer skills. Or help walk the dogs at your local animal rescue centre. All of this can be good for your CV as well as being rewarding in itself.

A quick google suggests this might be a good place to look:

volunteering.org.uk/

[Hidden]

I second the sewing suggestion. I keep things that need fixing next to my couch, so when I'm relaxing in the evening I have jobs there waiting to be done - sewing buttons back on, darning socks, fixing those stretched out seams on my shirts (still trying to wear a size too small!), and I've even started embellishing things a bit with ribbon and sequins You can't eat while sewing that's for sure. I also recommend low calorie hot drinks. I've got into liquorice tea which is naturally sweet. You can also get nice chai tea blends which have a bit of citrus in, that are sweet enough to have without milk or sugar. You can get very low calorie ice lollies too. I have some Iceland rainbow lollies which are 31cals, great for if I'm really just craving something sweet. Also there are places you can go that don't let you eat, such as libraries and museums, spend some time there reading/sketching. Go out without your wallet for a long walk etc. Volunteering is an ace idea too. If you can find a local community gardens there may be a day's work for you there every week, which would be excellent exercise, and you may get the bonus of taking home some of the healthy produce as payment!

[24boredom]

to be honest, i do this too....im bore so i think about eating! ahhh

Ive now got a rule in that after my evening meal i dont eat anything else unless its fruit or veg! i find the best thing in the evening is to just go to bed....!

Be around other people, i feel less inclined to eat if im with others.

Have you tried C25K.....its amazing, its a bit adictive ......im not just saying that i weigh nearly 17 stone through it i ran race for life.

anyway i hope that helps a bit.

[invalidusername in reply to 24boredom]

Haha glad it isn't just me! But on the point about feeling less inclined to eat if you're around others, I find completely the opposite!

[24boredom in reply to invalidusername]

are the people you are around foodies? if so prehaphs got them on board with it

[invalidusername in reply to 24boredom]

No, most of them are those people that everybody hates because they can seemingly eat crap and eat loads of it without putting any weight on! I told one of my friends about what I was doing as I sat there drinking water and he was drinking beer and eating tortilla chips!

[24boredom in reply to invalidusername]

oh those types !

[Hidden]

Also WELL DONE! You've lost a lot of weight already. So you must be doing something right already.

[24boredom]

hows your week gone, did you solve your boredom /eating prob