Have you experienced the COVID 19-19? If you have found yourself gaining a few extra pounds over the course of stay home orders you are not alone!
I admire people who can practice self control and in stressful time not feel urge to over indulge. There is such a thing as boredom eating and this is something I struggle with every day. So when COVID hit and I was resolved to staying home I found it quite difficult not to enter my kitchen and pantry throughout the day. I am hugely motivated by food in both positive and negative ways. I fell victim to the pressure of stocking up the freezer and pantry so I bought extra of everything and had stashed of peanut butter, rice, and flour. When I was bored I baked a cake or pie. Boredom cooking is a classic behavior that I engage in usually with the purpose to share the food. This is how I rationalize still playing with food and being in the kitchen.
I have met with nutritionists and dietitians over the course of my adult life I have worked on a variety of strategies for improving my eating habits around food choices, meal prep, low carb, high protein etc. The one thing that gets me more than anything is boredom eating... it is probably my biggest problem! So as a social worker I study human behavior, triggers, wellness, and I know better then to spin my wheels intellectualizing how to loose weight and dig in to the deeper issues. In my intellectual research I read that "The root cause of boredom isn’t empty time, or repetition, or having to do any one particular thing. The real cause of (most) boredom is a feeling of meaninglessness." and also "Emotional eating refers to consumption of food for the purpose of regulating one's emotional states."
Common reasons for why we eat:
Physically hungry—you may feel your stomach growl, have a headache or feel shaky
Stress/emotional eating—turning to food to cope with emotions
Boredom eating—turning to food when bored
Mindless eating—eating without awareness of what, where or how much you're eating
Craving—eating because you are craving something specific
So I check pretty much all the boxes. I do tend to skip meals due to fast pace work schedule and miss a meal therefore become physically hungry. I also eat my feelings...definitely turn to food to cope with my emotions. Boredom...check. I walk into the into the pantry for no reason and some false hope that I will find my purpose in life near the almond butter and dark chocolate. Mindless eating...yup a handful of nuts while watching Netflix turns quickly into 3 servings! Craving I would rate the least of my eating habits concerns. There is a rare occasion I want a specific dessert or homemade dish, but it is more directed at comfort and the idea that I ate that as a child and it made me happy.
The list of suggestions by both my dietician and nutritionist include 1. Detox carbs by not buying them or hiding them for a week. 2. Create quick grab portion controlled snacks. 3. Stack up on protein with each meal 4. More Water. More Water. More Water. 4. Keep to a schedule and stay busy! 5. Prioritize exercise first then eat.
Tomorrow I turn 45 and with that I feel compelled to take on my health back. The COVID -19 19ibs will not get the best of me.