A whole Saturday at home can be a scenario for a diet disaster.  A lot of us end up eating out of boredom instead of true hunger. This may not pose as much of a problem on busy days, but when you are just hanging out around the house, it’s easy for your mind to drift to food. It can be easy to find yourself eating out of boredom when you are at home.

Here’s the thing…there is no magic remedy or piece of advice that can forcibly prohibit you from raiding the refrigerator at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. But, maybe instead of an all-out attack, you could establish a battle plan before you get out of your chair.

What are you going to eat if you walk into the kitchen? This is not the time for a foraging expedition; those usually end up badly. However, a conscious, well-thought-out plan may just get you from now until dinner time.

One suggestion would be to reach for some nuts: almonds, pistachios or a tablespoon of peanut butter (if you don’t have any of those around). While nuts are not typically the lowest calorie option, they pack a punch when it comes to satisfying hunger and they are fiber-rich, so they will stick around for a while.

Ultimately, it comes down to a simple decision.  Who or what is in charge of the food I put in my mouth today? Am I in charge or is the food making the decisions for me? Eating out of boredom at home can be avoided with a little preparation and a plan of action.

Foraging Expeditions Printable For Fridge

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The post Eating Out of Boredom When You Are At Home appeared first on Shellie Bowdoin | The FABulous Journey.

If you are anything like me, you have been lured into buying a magazine because the front cover offered the key to unlocking the secrets of weight loss. You have most likely tried countless approaches to shedding the pounds. Personally, I have done calorie counting, diabetic exchanges, low carbohydrates, frequent small meals and no sugar to name a few. Admittedly, each diet method worked for a season. In fact, I can think of multiple diet scenarios that culminated with a big smile and a satisfactory number on the scale. However, as soon as the diet was “over” it was only a matter of time before my weight began creeping up once again.

Your Mind Is The Key To Your Weight

This time, I took a completely different approach.  I decided to record my thoughts along the way through journaling. I wrote about my frustrations and small victories. I noted when I felt the hungriest and I paid special attention to the foods that were the most difficult to resist.  Most importantly, I recorded my self-talk; the internal dialogue that bounced around in my head when I was faced with temptation.

Quite frankly, I didn’t know what to expect from this exercise, but I was fed up with my inability to manage my weight and I decided it was time to get to the bottom of it. Slowly, an epiphanic thought began taking shape in my head after the first week of journaling. Ah yes, I just said, “epiphanic!” Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines this as the adjective form of epiphany:

epiphany : a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way 

My weight gain was a symptom of some seriously flawed thinking about food. Now, I am truly convinced that your mind is the key to your weight loss and management.

“It all begins in your mind. What you give power to, has power over you.”

(Matthew Hogan, http://www.movemequotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_5651.jpg, Moveme Quotes)

I have come to realize that I have always felt powerless with food. Honestly, I truly believed that I was unable to resist food and its draw. In retrospect, others who so confidently choose the most sensible menu items or pass on the yummy desserts have always perplexed me. I guess I just figured that my willpower was either broken or misaligned.

Finally, my eyes have opened to the reality that weight gain is a symptom of my flawed thinking about food. Food can only exert power over me if I allow it to. Ultimately, I am the one who chooses what, when and where I eat. I want you to have your own epiphanic thought! It’s time, past time, to get this weight thing under control so we can go on with the business of living fulfilling lives. Are you with me?

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