Summarize the following:
One study found that a stationary activity, like knitting or crocheting, can help you stop obsessing about food. Focus on a simple hobby you enjoy doing, like gardening, sewing, or even painting. Using a hobby as a distraction can lead to improvement in your skills or abilities and a shift in focus. Don't keep your hunger pangs to yourself. Instead, call up a friend and go for a walk together or go see a movie. Focus on spending time with friends or family, instead of on your hunger. Schedule a routine meet up with a friend during a diet so you have a guaranteed distraction for a certain day and time. This may help to motivate you to get through the day without succumbing to hunger and give you something to focus on instead of your grumbling stomach. Take a walk around your area or go for run or jog to help you unwind and re focus. According to researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, exercise strengthens your brain's powers of executive function, including your ability to think ahead and control your inhibitions. This will then make it easier to stop thinking about your hunger pangs. Try taking up a yoga class. Yoga can help you deal with temptations and be a more mindful eater. Focus your thoughts on the events of the day or a list of ongoing goals you keep in your journal. You may also want to record your eating habits and the times of day when you feel hungry, as well as how you feel emotionally during these times. Writing down your eating habits will help you distinguish when you're feeling physically hungry and when you're feeling emotionally hungry. Physical hunger usually has symptoms like a growling stomach or lightheadedness. Emotional hunger is when you want to eat but you do not feel physically hungry. Writing down your emotions towards food will help you identify your triggers and prevent them from happening. For example, you may find you get hungry in the afternoon, when you begin to get bored with your work and are looking for a snack. You may then want to change up your routine, like exercising or going for a walk in the afternoon, to prevent emotional eating. Be proactive with your time and complete one item on your to do list. Or look over any chores you can do at home and get them done. Rather than reach for food, reach for the broom, the duster, or the sponge and do your dishes or clean your bathroom.
Focus on a hobby. Socialize with friends. Do light exercise. Write in your journal. Solve a problem or complete a chore.