There’s nothing worse than having food on the brain constantly, especially when you’re not hungry. You want to eat because you’re bored, to forget your troubles, to just numb out…and on and on. But what are some alternatives to eating when you’re not hungry, but really want to eat?
The following are some alternatives to eating when you’re not actually hungry.
The action of doing something, anything, is an alternative to eating when your body doesn’t need food at the moment.
1. Call Someone
Pick up the phone and call someone. Even better, call someone you haven’t talked to in a while.
Ask that person what they’re up to and how they’re doing. It can open up the conversation to focus on someone other than yourself. Maybe even plan a get together soon to reconnect.
Related: The 5 Best FREE Apps For Eating Disorder Recovery
2. Go for a Walk
Get out of the house! Even going for the slowest walk will get you away from food and into the fresh air.
Walk around the block, or walk around town- it doesn’t matter! It’s something to do to help your body and mind, no matter how far you go.
3. Read a Book (a REAL Book)
Do you have some books lying around that you’ve always wanted to read (or read again), but you just never seem to have the time? Now is the time! Instead of spending time eating, spend time reading!
4. Play a Game
Ask your kids or partner to play a board or card game with you.
If your kids are in their teens, they might like to rekindle old memories of playing games. It’ll also get them off their phones for a while!
If no one else is available to play or if you live by yourself, play solitaire or another one-person game. If you use real cards it’ll occupy your mind even longer.
Related: Are You a Compulsive Overeater?
5. Do Housework
Cleaning is never a favorite pass time, but doing one small chore at a time can be very productive.
Make a list of all the chores that need to get done and choose your “favorite” to start. You could also make a job jar for everyone in the family. Just cut up the list and throw it in the jar.
Even if you live alone, the excitement of not knowing what you’re going to get could be fun!
6. Groom Your Pet
Scrounge up your pet and get out the dog/cat/other critter comb or brush and give <insert pet’s name(s) here> a good grooming.
When you’re done, you can cut their claws and save yourself from a few scratches.
Grooming my cats always makes me feel more productive and good about what I can do for them.
Related: 11 Tips for Compulsive Overeaters
7. Write in a Journal
Getting your feelings out on paper can be very liberating!
Using an actual pen and paper has been proven to be more therapeutic than just typing it up on a computer.
Write down what’s going on in your head. Don’t hold back. If it’s embarrassing or something you don’t want anyone else to accidentally see, just rip it up when you’re done. Either way, it’ll feel good to get out of your head.
Related: What Is Your Reason For Recovery?
8. Find a New Hobby
This one is HUGE!
Finding a new hobby will definitely keep your mind busy, providing it’s the right hobby for you.
What’s your passion? What makes you happy? Shoeshining? Blacksmithing? (Is that even a word?) Maybe something from this century?
9. Paint Your Nails
Do something nice for yourself. Painting my finger and toenails always makes me feel a little more put together. Even my 6-year-old son likes to have his nails painted!
10. Sort Through Old Mail
Do you have stacks of old mail just sitting around, and no time to sort through it? Now is the time!
11. Mow the Lawn
Even if you have a riding mower, it will still pass the time without eating.
12. Make a List
There are plenty of things to make lists for (just skip the grocery one for now!)
Make a list of chores that need to get done, home repairs, errands to run, seeds to buy for your garden this year (ok, that one was a reach).
One time I actually made a list of all the NFL teams I could think of. Too bad it was during a work meeting…
13. Run Errands
Put your list into action!
14. Start a Blog
If you want to take up a new hobby, why not blog about it as you go? You can blog for free, or pay for hosting if you think you might want to make money from it in the future.
15. Color
While you’re running errands, get yourself a coloring book. Coloring has been shown to reduce stress and create an overall feeling of well-being for most people.
16. Fix Something
Leaky faucet? Wobbly shelf? Don’t know how to fix it? Find out how! You’ll be proud you figured it out yourself!
17. Shop Online
Do you need something that is available online?
Do some shopping around and compare product reviews. That always diverts my attention from whatever it is I was doing before.
I love comparing items and looking for the best deals.
18. Organize Your Bathroom Drawers
If you’re like me, my bathroom drawers are NEVER organized!
We don’t have a linen closet or much cupboard space in our main bathroom, so it’s usually a disaster in there.
Expired cold medicine, cotton balls everywhere, and don’t get me started on the flossers that always seem to escape their bag!
19. Write a Letter
Go old school and write an actual letter with pen and paper. (Gasp!) I love it when I get mail that isn’t junk or a bill. Catch up someone on your life. Give those postal workers some money and use an actual stamp (or add the post office to your list of errands)!
Related: The Incredible Benefits of Writing a Letter to Yourself
Final Thoughts on Alternatives to Eating
There are a lot of activities to do to get your mind off of food. The problem is, when you can’t get food off the brain, there’s not much room in there for anything else.
The next time you need an alternative to eating, why not just pull up this post and check off a few? You could also sign up for the complete list of 50 alternatives to eating (above)!
Do you have an idea or 2 for alternatives to eating when you’re not hungry? Leave it in the comments!
Read next:
- 18 Life-Changing Lessons Learned From My Eating Disorder
- The Truth About Binge Eating Disorder
- Improve Your Body Image and Mental Health: Take the Challenge
- How To Stop Being A People-Pleaser
- How To Develop A Food Plan You Can Live With
- Giving Up The Scale: One Small Step Toward Recovery
- How To Deal With Food Addiction Relapse
- 36 Extraordinary Quotes For Eating Disorder Recovery
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These are some great tips! I have a problem with eating just to eat and if food is around me I will continue to eat it. I have to take some of these tips into consideration and start doing something other than eating. Great article. Thanks for sharing!
Kendra🌸
I know exactly what you’re talking about with food being around and eating and eating and eating some more! Thanks for your feedback!
Sometimes when I think I’m hungry, I’m actually thirsty and water takes away the craving for food. I also like #19 letter writing because if something is bothering me eg a conflict with someone, I write a letter and spill it all out on the page. Then I burn the letter. These are all great tips, thank you.
Great! I’ve done the letter thing before and it feels SO much better than having those thoughts in my head just making me angry and eating over it.