Do You Eat Because You're Hungry...or Bored?

I've brought this subject up a few times in the past - in particular when I encourage you to keep a detailed, day to day journal in which you record what you eat, when and why.

A lot of people eat too much not because they are hungry, but because they are bored or because it's become a habit.

That was my own problem a few years ago, when I found it necessary to cut down on my Pepsi consumption. After over 30 years of drinking a lot of Pepsi, I had developed certain habits. Just as most people drink coffee to wake up in the morning, I had a Pepsi. After I went out for a bike ride, I'd sit down at my computer with a Pepsi. Whenver a favotite TV show of mine was scheduled to air, I'd sit down with a Pepsi, and a snack, to watch it. It was just tradition...and habit.

I had to break all of these when it became necessary for me to stop drinking over 800 calories a day. (Like I said, I drank a lot of Pepsi.)

It was difficult, I dont' deny it, the more so because I resented having to do it. But there's nothing you can do about it...as you age your metabolism starts to slow down, especially after you hit the age of 40. There's a lot of things willpower can do for you...but reying to will your metabolism to stay fast doesn't work!

So the next time you get a snack between meals, or have a snack after 8 or 9 o'clock at night, try to analyze why you're doing it. Are you really hungry, or are you just bored and trying to find something to do to fill up ten to thirty minutes of your time?

I'm a reader, and I confess I don't understand people who don't read. What do they do with their time? Of course, young kids play videogames. Lots of adults do too, of course. Other folk watch TV. But other than that, what do you do to fill an evening? Sew, knit? Actually...sewing and knitting might be good hobbies...if you've got your hands full with knitting needles or fabric in one hand and needle in another...you can't be snacking at the same time.

But remember...if you do feel like snacking, try a banana.