4/29/20
Nutrition

Stop eating when you are bored!

You're bored, not Hungry.None of us need a pandemic to remember or realize we wander to the kitchen when we have nothing better to do. Maybe right now, it's all just exaggerated! For some....some of you are busier now than before so maybe this does not happen.

For the rest of you, follow these tips to keep the sticky food fingers at bay.

1) Schedule your meals

This can be a simple timer, to adding an event to your phone calendar. This mealtime could include the entire meal prepping...but if you have been with us for a while (or are tight on time), you know we are fans of meal prepping 2x per week. Sunday, for MTW, and Wed for ThF. Weekends generally equal more time to prepare a meal on the spot.

If you have a specific time, you can shut off work, school, playtime, etc...just like a normal day, and eat! If you are getting hungry, not bored, but actually hungry between meals, then talk to your coach about how to eat foods to keep you more satiated...or fuller longer.Protein is the most satiating macro-nutrient. Plan your meals around it.

2) Drink more water!

I'm betting most people still do not drink enough water in a day. Half your body weight in ounces? Either way, this should be a win.

Downing a large (8-12oz at least) glass of water will help fill you up and push off those hunger feelings. It can also help with numerous other things from your skin, your energy, and your workouts!

Don't be afraid to dress it up a bit with slices of lemon, a healthy water additive like Mio if you need something a bit more exciting than just water.

3) Plate it

If you deem a snack necessary, pull out what you plan to eat and put it on a plate, in a bowl, etc.

When you are eating out of a large bag of something, it's difficult to estimate how much you have consumed. Pull something out, put it in a container, stop when you are done.

4) Find a distraction

Let's be honest, because boredom is the culprit here, it should be easy to find a distraction to overcome the urge to check the fridge for the 5th time this hour.

Read a book. Pull out your kid's Legos. Work on that project you have been putting off. Take the dog for a walk. Paint your nails. Built a fort (kids or not!). You get the idea....one more episode of Netflix is not distracting enough. Find something else.

Or, call someone! How many old friends could you follow up with? When was the last time you called your Mother or Father, if you can?

5) Curb the cravings

The right way! Same as number 3...if you need something to tide you over, find a healthier option.Craving sweets? Make up a protein shake or blend a fruit smoothie. Eat a protein bar instead of a Snickers.  Eat Halo top instead of Ben and Jerry's.Craving salty? Find some healthy popcorn or at least eat Blue Corn Tortilla chips instead of Doritos.

Side note: this is not to detract from having a Treat once a week. We have ice-cream every Sunday night but it's only once a week...not every night!

6) Set a 30min timer

At the end of 30min, are you still hungry? Pretty simple.

7) Lower your stress

Easier said than done, of course. We've written a few blogs covering this, so this is just a reminder that it's very easy to stress eat with or without boredom.Let us know how we can help but it all goes back to a routine. Keep your healthy habits going strong and some* of your self-induced stress can be lower. If we only had a way to help the "working from home with little kids in school without hiring a full-time nanny" solution!

See you all soon I hope!

Coach Ryan