How can I stop myself eating rubbish when I am bored or miserable? I find it hard to to not buy occasional bars of chocolate or have peanut butter on toast when I get in from work.

Don't buy them! find a hobby to do? or eat a small handful of nuts instead. Not the roasted, salted types though. Go for a walk with some up beat music?

I used to snack on rubbish, particularly when I was commuting on the train! Hard habit to break but it can be done.

If I get the munchies now, I snack on a piece of fruit such as an apple (have to cut up into chunks!) or a handful of grapes. Alternatively, I'll have a drink of water and the urge will, most of the time, go away. The occasional bit of chocolate won't go amiss but after a while you won't feel the need so much!

Ask yourself how much you want the chocolate or whatever and how much do you want to achieve the new target? Will teh chocolate make you happy or more miserable in the end - that's the theory!!!

That's absolutely my problem.. and when you feel a craving for chocolate, an orange or piece of fruit just won't cut it.

I'm replacing the chocolate craving at the moment with a cup of tea or a yoghurt, which might just be replacing one bad thing with another. I've been "good" enough at the supermarket not to buy any chocolates or biscuits and when I need to pop to the local store for milk, the best thing for me to do is to take the exact amount of money for milk so as not to be tempted to "add a little something".
So far it's worked (only a couple of days, but hey you have to do it step by step!)
I'm keeping a food diary also in the idea that I have someone "to answer to" if I snack. I live alone so there is no-one around to act as my conscience but me. If I eat something then I have to write it down and the diary admonishes me!!
The other thing I'm trying is to allow myself something only at the weekend, but I'm hoping more to get rid of the craving for sweet stuff.

Good luck, let me know if you find the magic formula!

I do the everything in moderation. I don't realy like the sweet stuff but love savoury foods, beleive me pate and cheese are just as bad! So I've decided to allow myself a small piece of (very good) cheese (or alternative) an oat biscuit and a small glass of port when I get that craving; rather than putting out a range of cheeses and the bottle.
Arrange it on a small plate and enjoy and savour every mouthful. You can do the same with sweet things.
I gave up smoking last year by saying to myself I could have a cigarette any time I felt like it but each time I had that craving I chose not to. Made me feel in control and 1 year later no regrets! By the way still say I am not smoking "today".

low calorie hot chocolate drinks are my saviour. I love chocolate and don't eat it when I'm hungry but when I want it - bad combination. Hot chocolate drinks can satisfy that craving because they're warm and sweet.

I had this problem! I found that taking up a hobby helped, it kept me focoused and entertained! (The hobby is cross-stitch, just in case you were wondering)

I am the queen of boardom eating I am sure (maybe not) but I have the most boring job! I am interviewing to get away from it, However I sit at a desk most days not really doing much, the occasional typing now and then, so anyways I get board and eat... pop tarts and sweets and my lunch and its gotten out of control, I have stopped buying anything and taking it to work and as I work near no shops I have not eaten snacks in a while, but I still suffer from bordom munchies and feel really down if I dont nibble some thing. Can anyone suggest something other then nuts and dried fruit (I dont really like them much) for me to nibble on?

My couple of tips are - clean your teeth, it puts you off or dip carrot sticks in marmite (if you can stand it!) and the sweet cravings disappear!

Go for a run!! Per half hr you will burn 300 kcals - do you really want to eat that in chocolate in 3 minutes when it will take 30 mins of sweat to work it off?!

Failing that get a cup of tea and a diet book (not one of those "I lost weight eating grapefuit and cabbage" books) but a motivational one written by someone that has lost a shed load of weight the hard way - really good for resolve!

Good luck!!

I sniff vanilla!! Really it hits the senses without the need to munch.
If really hungry I have a Kello savoury rice cake.

Take pictures of yourself in a bikini from the front, back and side and pin them to the fridge. Seriously! It worked for me - every time I thought about eating something sinful I was confronted with the flab.

For those times when you really can't help yourself, have a supply of crudites on hand - v. low cal!

Write down everything you eat. That always makes me think twice about snacking!

Have some boiled sweets to suck on -- they're obviously not GREAT for you but definitely better than munchy-type snacks as they take a while to finish.

Gayle -- I quite like cereal bars for middle-of-the-workday snacks, and fruit works well. I've got a pageful of suggestions for snacks for office workers on my site at: http://www.theofficediet.com/articles/snacks/

Bethany -- I love cross-stitching too! It's great because it keeps my hands busy and I don't want to snack and get greasy finger-marks on the fabric...

Best,

Ali

Have a stick of sugar free gum - I find this helps me!

Fruit, nuts, seeds such as sunflower, and glasses of water often help, note often, but not always.

Also to only have things such as oat cakes, instead of sweet biscuits can take away the craving.

I use the "if it's not in the house I can't eat it" principle, though I must agree that bored and miserable times are the worst by far.

try India Knights Idiot proof diet, see www.pig2twig.com. I have been a terrible snack addict, even when doing weightwatchers for years, but have been doing this for three weeks and its really really helped me. It is a bit strange at first but you soon get used it it. I think the reason it helped me was that I was constantly craving sugar and this is a low carb diet. Its easy to eat when you are bored and perhaps you are restricted as to what you can do during the day, but fitting in the odd walk, or even listening to a good radio show on an ipod when you are doing boring stuff like housework, can make all the difference.

The pig2twig site is actually at:
http://www.pig2twig.co.uk/

Marshmallows!!! Totally fat free but very sweet so one or two of those can work for me......I realise they're probably not good for you but they're less fattening than crisps or chocolate. Sometimes an apple or a vegetable stick just doesn't work and you do need something to take away the craving for something sweet!

Celia-Marshmallows sounds great but how do you only have one or two??

Or is that packets??

Naughty! You should be posting on Ab Fab U Less where we're all naughty all the time!

We have the same problem with snacking. Any excuse will do for a naughty nibble.
We have learned to not have the treats in the house, at all. If you see them, you want them! the fridge is stocked with apples, carrots and yogurts now. And soup in the cupboard. If we want a treat, we have a healthy thing first, then if we REALLY REALLY still want a naughty, we have to go out and walk to the shop for it. That's enough of a demotivator in itself.