Alternatives to Food

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Forum -> Health & Wellness -> Healthy Lifestyle/ Weight Loss/ Exercise

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View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

OP ↓

Yesterday at 2:59 pm

I eat when I'm hungry
When I'm not hungry
When I'm bored
Stressed
Overwhelmed
Lonely
Procrastinating
Filling voids
You get the idea...
What can I do during these times instead of eating food?!?!
I know some people smoke- not gonna do that
Don't like gum

What can I replace this satisfaction with?

If you say I have deeper issues I need to deal with, maybe you're right, but in the meantime there must be some healthier way to fill my emotional needs

amother

Blueberry

Yesterday at 3:30 pm

amother OP wrote:

Same.

Tzutzie

Yesterday at 4:23 pm

Read a book.
Music
A walk
Loud music and dance
Warm tea
If you must eat have baby carrots or celery sticks.

amother

Aster

Yesterday at 5:06 pm

I relate so much. I am a small (not heavy) person and I feel like I just want to eat and eat all the time, especially night time.
I have a reasonable amount of self control, but the cravings are CONSTANT!!
it is so disturbing to me.
No matter how much cake and candy I eat, I still want more. I feel like I never feel full.
The thought of breaking the sugar habit is terrifying to me.
Being without sugar feels like a terrible punishment.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 5:30 pm

They call this " food noise" nowadays, which is so true because sometimes it's all I could think about and the only thing that can make me feel good. It's becoming an addiction and it's getting out of control. To those of you who have had this and have learned to control themselves or redirect themselves or find other ways to soothe yourself , how did you do it? What thoughts do you have? What philosophy do you keep in your mind to resist the urge?

amother

Maple

Yesterday at 5:37 pm

Look up the DBT skill self-soothing. It's a list of like 40 alternatives and one or two of them got to speak to you.

Aster, you sound like you have a medical problem of some sort. If everything looks healthy then you're addicted to sugar. Being free of sugar cravings isn't the punishment, it's a new lease on life.

giftedmom

Yesterday at 5:38 pm

For me it’s Netflix and social media. I was never a foodie.

amother

Winterberry

Yesterday at 5:43 pm

I brush my teeth A LOT!

SingALong

Yesterday at 5:45 pm

I started drinking different flavored tea. It really helps. It tastes good and gives you a full feeling.

amother

↑ OP

Yesterday at 6:07 pm

Amother maple, I just looked up DBT skills and the third one was " Taste- enjoy your favorite foods" lol!
But I definitely will look at the other ones, thank you!
Drinking tea is definitely helpful but sometimes I feel like I need something to go along with it Wink

amother

Bottlebrush ↓

Yesterday at 8:14 pm

amother OP wrote:

Food noise is real. If I take lunch to work, I don't stop thinking about it until I can eat it. It is terrible. It's not a craving it's just constantly on my mind. I know that ozempic is supposed to help for that but I'm breastfeeding. I wish I can somehow ignore these thoughts.

BmoreBubby

Today at 9:41 am

I personally fill that void with coffee and water.

amother

Burgundy

Today at 10:01 am

This is me exactly. Like rhe thinking about lunch until I eat it. Sometimes I eat everything straightaway thinking that will perhaps calm my brain so I can focus on everything else. I go through stages of better self control but still the thoughts are constant it makes me crazy. I've tried all the tips mentioned and more but the background noise will never go away.

Till I tried mounjaro. It was like my brain just stopped, quiet. It was amazing, more than the losing weight was the peace I finally felt. And then I had so much more brainspace for all the other things in my life, all the things that usually were so much effort for me to do became so much easier. I had more time, more fucus. I was literally a changed person and I felt normal for the first time in forever. I'm not even so overweight I took it just for a few weeks before a simcha. but I told dh I need to stay on the injections just for that peace. Alas I can't afford it so much so I've been off for a month and now all that food noise is right back there. Ita awful. Honestly I thought I was the only crazy one

amother

Clover

Today at 10:07 am

Just coming to say hi I totally get you cuz I'm exactly the same....one thing I do is imamother...but that is also not a healthy addiction....following for ideas!!

amother

Babypink

Today at 10:22 am

Chew gum
I chew on straws but I don't recommend the habit

dankbar

Today at 10:48 am

amother Aster wrote:

Sugar makes you crave more sugar.

When you stop the sugar, the cravings should stop too.

I know it's murder hard.

Aurora

Today at 10:58 am

Keep carrot sticks, string beans, and celery in the house. If I'm hungry enough to eat veggies, then I'm actually hungry.

Drink water or tea.

Otherwise, find an activity.

Deep Blue ↓

Today at 2:17 pm

I read "The Glucose Revolution" per a suggestion on this site.
It has 10 simple rules to break cravings and feel full based on science. The main one is always eat a vegetable before the rest of the meal.

↑ Deep Blue

Today at 2:17 pm

zaq

Today at 2:48 pm

I knew s/o who put cinnamon sticks in her mouth to satisfy oral cravings. Everyone thought she was trying to quit smoking (the stick does, after all, look like a cigarillo) but she was actually slimming down. It was less bovine than chewing gum, less childish than biting nails, healthier than smoking, and easier on the teeth than chewing ice cubes.

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