I have been dating 18-21 hours a day for the past four to five weeks. However I have not seen much weight loss, and this is because I snack out of boredom, not hunger. Does anyone else do the same thing? What activities or strategies do you use to avoid getting bored and snacking?
I had the same issue in the beginning - the urge to snack out of boredom and old habits, not hunger. What has been a game changer for me is picking up a new hobby. I taught myself how to crochet from YouTube videos. Now when I feel snacky I just pick up my hook and work on my project. It definitely keeps my hands and mind focused on my work and not food. It’s very satisfying and I’ll have all these great scarves, blankets, etc. to show for it!
Write my IF goal down. Pin it to the fridge/food cabinet if I need to.
Have a big tumbler of water near me and when I get bored, I drink water instead.
I’ve stopped buying junk food when I do the grocery. I put healthier snack alternatives in the fridge so when I do feel like snacking, I still eat something good for me.I pick stuff that I still like (e.g. fruit, sweet corn, boiled eggs, etc.)
I keep busy. Hobbies are good. Stopped watching food videos when bored. I find active hobbies (moving, creating something) helped compared to passive hobbies (watching, consuming content). This helped me get away from the consumption mindset.
I use an app to track my clean fast. It motivates me to reach my target.
Track what I eat. It’s burdensome to input every calorie at first. But it helped to build discipline and understand my nutrition better in the first 6 months. And now that I’m maintaining, I know how much is reasonable to eat and I dont track anymore.
Set a goal, then set the environment for you to be successful.
Good luck, OP!