I figured my overeating might be caused by my undiagnosed inattentive ADHD I have been suspecting to have it.
Like with other habits I try to make any plan or strategy falls apart in max few weeks. But I need a long term solution. However I have never thought about it as caused by ADHD. But When I think about it, I overeat only when I am bored.
During meals I eat normal portions. But when I am bored I will be eating small chunks of food every time I visit fridge. I do not stop that because of my inattentiveness I do not even know I ate a lot. While watching a movie I get bored - even if it is interesting and I am very invested in it. I get some snack and I will eat a whole bag not even knowing when that happened. This happens even if snack was some special offer that tasted bad.
Few examples I get bored and overeating:
- watching a movie - somehow movie is not enough stimuli for me
- after I eat my meal and I wait for others to finish (I eat exactly as twice as fast as my wife)
- when I am visiting someone and there is a food in front of me (conversation somehow is also not enough stimuli)
- random parts of the day - usually if I have to wait.
No standard recommender diet practices worked in the long run (portion control, mindful eating, intermittent fasting, healthy eating, building a healthy lifestyle/routine…) Especially those based on building routine failed the most.
Do you have similar issues? Do you have a strategy that works in the long run? Have you successfully substituted eating for other stimuli?
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The most useful thing has been grocery shopping. If you don’t have calorie dense foods at hand then you won’t eat them. Sure you can mindlessly eat an apple or two, but you will probably be full by that point. Also 2 apples is way less calories than any junk food.
Want stimulus when watching a movie, sit down with a big bowl of broccoli. Even if you eat all of it, that’s like 100 calories.
Carrot sticks and hummus are my go-to for this situation. It might not be the lowest calorie option, but still healthy without at all feeling like I’m torturing myself in the process.
Like so many things, there are degrees. Yes you can sit down with a big bowl of celery, but making yourself miserable isn’t going to help you keep up the good habits.
Well the problem seems to be eating without actually experiencing the act. So either that keeps going and they don’t care or they start paying attention to what they are doing. It’s a win either way.