Boredom is a really overlooked one.

If I’m outside and doing something all day, or I’m really involved in reading a book or painting something, over half a day will pass before I realize I forgot to eat breakfast.

But if I’m relaxing, wasting time on the internet, or not really doing much, I get an urge to grab a snack or have a glass of milk that’ll hit me once an hour.

"Dopamine boredom" is a thing. There's a pasticular qualia associated with my ADHD meds wearing off that feels not unlike a combination of tired and hungry, even after I've eaten. What clued me in was my go-to binge in this state: chocolate (xanthines, fat a sugar). I wonder how easily others can learn "I'm not hungry, I'm understimulated"

> Multiple day fasts every few weeks

Beware: I did it for a few years, but it burned all my motivation. I can't even fast a day now.

Can you expand on that? r/fasting is a good resource if you want to get back into it.

Electrolytes seem to be key. Plus keeping distracted.

A couple years ago I did multiple days fast for about a year then I did a 15 days fast.

My stomach wasn't hungry but my brain wanted to eat. This experience burned my motivation to basically starve myself and now I can't even do a one day fast, the mood isn't just there.

> keeping distracted

This is probably the key. I was bored to death and was watching YT cooking videos.

What did you do for the sleep? From everything I've been reading lately that surely must've helped a lot.

Absolutely, that’s a big one. I remember when the kids wouldn’t sleep through the night I would randomly grab four or five donuts in the morning and I could completely override any thoughts that it was a bad idea.

I guess for me, improving sleep involved lots of small changes:

Consistent bed time.

More exercise and sun exposure during the day.

Black out blinds at night.

The kids started sleeping in more so I can wake up naturally.

Cutting back on caffeine.