I need some serious help with food at work

GBrady43068

And I also agree that if you're eating out of boredom rather than hunger, try and find something you can do other than eat in between mealtimes/snacktimes..reading/knitting/plyometrics (those hand-squeezer things), whatever...

lemurcat12

The question about sleep is a really good one. I find I'm MUCH more inclined to snack when I'm low on sleep, as it's a natural way to try to keep yourself aware (probably also related to boredom eating).

scraver2003

Break that habit! I started by telling myself that I was no longer a person who ate out of boredom. No pressure - I just said "Ok, I just don't do that any more." And each day that I did not snack out of boredom, it got easier. Now, after a year or so, I can honestly say, when I do get bored, food is not my first thought. When I feel like having a snack, I take a minute to stop and think about why I want to eat something: Bored, hungry, stressed - and then go from there. Bored = no eat. Hungry = yes eat.

daw0518

I agree about not taking a bunch of food to work - just take enough for dinner and a snack or two, or skip the bigger 'meal' & just take a bunch of smaller snacks to keep you satisfied through your shift. If you have access to hot water, I would also take tea bags & sip on that all night. I have to similarly limit myself when I have a full day on campus. It'd be easy for me to load my bag with food, but if I only take what I really need then I force myself to stay on track. Actually, I think you probably have it easier than I do since I have access to restaurants, coffee shops, & convenience stores on campus that I have to avoid!

I keep lean cuisines and lean pockets on hand for situations like this. Sandwiches also make a good, low cal on-the-go meal depending on the bread & toppings. Some of my favorite snacks are pretzels, fruit, veggies and hummus, and string cheese.

I think once you start limiting what you take to work you'll actually find that you're thankful for the job keeping you busy and on track! I enjoy when I have full days on campus because it structures my day & I'm stuck eating what I brought, rather than being tempted to munch all day if I'm home! Good luck!

GreenValli

I agree with many of the other suggestions, but probably stick mostly to protein and vegetables. Plan ahead and take just the amount you need, not more. Don't forget to drink water.

You mention boredom eating. Are you bored? Maybe you are turning to food and need something to occupy your mind during the quiet times. What work do you have that you can do? If you are not busy with job related tasks, would it be permissible to do other things? What do you like to read? Do you have any craft work you like to do? Do you knit, crochet? Would some relatives appreciate letters you could write?

Hope that helps. It is so easy to gain weight with a new job. It has happened to me, too. But congratulations on your weight loss and good for you for tackling this before it went too far. You can do it!

WhizGidget

Almonds. Just a handful - full of good fats and proteins. Hard boiled eggs, chopped up into a spinach salad. Tablespoon of peanut butter. Another vote here for hummus, or using salsa with your celery and carrots.

And add me as another voice to the knitting/crocheting group. I knit. It keeps my hands busy and quiets my brain to focus on other things (when I'm knitting something particularly easy, or have done several times - like socks)

2snakeswoman

Are you missing any meals during the day? If so, only take enough food to make up that meal. Otherwise, don't take food. You can't overeat if extra food isn't there. I have no experience with the type of job you're doing, but try to find something else to do instead of the hand-to-mouth food thing.

nstock

You've lost 109lbs so you obviously know something about leading a healthier lifestyle. If you're bored, find something to do... read, do lunges, squats, stay active. I'm assuming there's lots of walking involved in your job, maybe less when the inmates are asleep, so take that time to do some body weight exercises.

Healthy snacks (for when you're hungry, not bored): bananas, hummus and veggies, apple with peanut butter, berries and yogurt, turkey pepperettes

kamakazeekim

I always cut up fresh fruits and veggies that I keep in zip lock bags in my desk. I also eat nuts, beef jerky, cut up chicken breast, and browned hamburger mixed with canned diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning and maybe some melted mozzarella.

That's awesome that you've lost 109 pounds! That's a huge accomplishment!

Cindeeee

I eat when I'm bored, and I love sweets. I understand the urge to eat when you're bored. If I were in your place and I didn't take a bag, I'd give into the vending machine.

It's not nutritious, but I've been eating pickles as a snack. It helps. I also find that a spoonful of Peter Pan whipped PB helps a lot. It's lower cal/sugar and tastes better than regular PB. I always see recommendations for PB2, but I wouldn't buy it because it takes out all of the good fats and oils that make PB filling and a diet food. It also helps me to constantly have water or tea around me. I love my sweet tea, but since I can't have it I have to use Splenda. I know there's a lot of controversy around artificial sweeteners, but I can't drink unsweet tea so that's my only option.

Read all of the labels on everything you buy taking careful notice of the serving size. It might help to prepare your nightly bag with a calorie limit. That way you don't stress too much when you eat everything in it.

Knitting is also a good idea, but you probably don't want to do that in front of inmates, right?. Maybe knit some skull blankets? Definitely find something to do with your hands as Katiebear_81suggested.

gramarye

People have already given advice for snacks to eat -- but I want to echo people that I don't recommend snacking at all if you're only doing it out of boredom. I lounge snack a lot -- if I'm reading a book or just sitting doing something that doesn't keep my hands busy, I'll snack even when I'm not hungry.

Cross-stitching is an easy task to pick up/put down if you need something to keep your hands busy. Or you might just need to constantly check-in with yourself. I have to basically say to myself out loud, "Hey, are you actually hungry, or do you just want to eat?"

adventrgrl

I know you asked for food suggestions, so forgive me for venturing off topic... Too many calories? The wrong calories (sugar/carbs) that spurs cravings or 'bored' eating? Limit overall carbs? but also limiting grams of sugar per meal/snack?

My life strategy is getting enough fat and protein to feel satiated and keep sugar low to prevent blood sugar spikes and the (undeniable) resultant cravings. I'm sure you're an expert on all of this considering you've lost so much weight! Can you read or do something to keep your mind busy?

Otherwise, excellent fat/protein snacks are: raw unsalted nuts and pumpkin seeds (pepitas), dark chocolate (at least 72%), avocado dips or salsa and raw veggies, apple or banana slices and almond/peanut butter, simple WHEY protein "shake" {ex: 1-1.5 c water, 20g vanilla protein powder like Tera's Whey or Jay Robb, 2 tbsp PB2 powder, 1/2 banana or 2oz banana, handful raw baby spinach} .. (you can add a TBSP of good oil to shake to increase fat which increases satiety: hemp seed or flax seed oil), salted sweet potato chips (use good salt full of minerals like pink himalayan or real salt), hard-boiled eggs, tuna mixed with avocado/onions/tomato, organic coffee with tbsp butter or coconut oil, any herbal tea with tsp of raw honey (actually beneficial), ... NO PREP needed: Kind bars, Nature Valley protein bars (10g protein, 14g carbs, low sugar!), skinny pop or boom chicka popcorn (popcorn is loaded with fiber for fullness and colon health), any raw berry: blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc (low in sugar, high in fiber = filling)

Sorry such a long post... let me know if you want more suggestions or if my style is too weird

I forgot to add this, which I think would be useful for anyone using this site to lose weight. It's an article about L-glutamine supplementation. I don't normally rely on supplements for anything, try to get everything I need from my food (which is why I use this site - to monitor macro nutrients and things like potassium and sugar, etc), BUT I read this article and began taking L-glutamine and all I can say is that it works! http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-beat-sugar-cravings-glutamine/

beccyleigh

Ok, I'm going to saw something quite obvious but if you don't take it, you can't eat it.

So only take a few nutritious snacks in work & leave another healthy snack in your car for when the shift ends & then go home & have a proper breakfast & sleep.

JoRocka

tomatoey wrote: »

dopeysmelly wrote: »

I would suggest that taking your food to work is not causing you to gain weight, but eating too many calories for your activity level probably is. Is the issue that you are eating too much food which is available at work, or you are taking too much food with you?

Well, OP is eating too many calories via taking foods to work, so it's a distinction without a difference imo. This is how the problem looks for her.

again- easy solution- don't bring so much food to work.

enigma9051

Often we mistake for hunger is really a need for fluids, particularly water. Before reaching for something to eat, try drinking a full glass of water. As for food, eating anything with a lot of protein & low carbs will help keep your hunger satisfied muck longer (evens out blood sugar ). For a high protein, low calorie snack, try a hard-boiled egg. Add a little on-salt and it should satisfy your hunger for two-three hours. (But try satisfying your thrust first).

purplemystra

Yoplait Greek 100 calories Whip, they are like a dessert. Sun-maid Dark chocolate yogurt raisins. I also love Cutie mandarin oranges. Pickles are good. I also like Quaker Popped. They are low in calories and have savory and sweet flavors. It's what I eat when I want chips. Chewing sugar free gum helps me a lot when I have that need to just chew.

jgnatca

Air popped popcorn.

If knitting needles are out of the question, how about hand knitting?
http://www.handimania.com/knit/30-minute-infinity-scarf.html

RENAEJAE

So many great suggestions here. Ultimately you need to occupy yourself in some way so you're not thinking about eating another snack every 20 minutes. The big thing here is Self-Talk. Are you really hungry or is it just Head-Hunger? Trade out the habit of a snack for drinking at least 16 oz of water. This will also increase your trips to the bathroom which increases your steps each night. Wearing a pedometer to track your steps may also motivate you.

Starting a new job is stressful. Sounds like you're motivated to make it work to your advantage. Best of luck!

Packerjohn

RENAEJAE wrote: »

Ultimately you need to occupy yourself in some way so you're not thinking about eating another snack every 20 minutes. The big thing here is Self-Talk. Are you really hungry or is it just Head-Hunger? Trade out !

This ^. Y have to get the root cause fixed otherwise you'll just end up eating excess calories of "healty" food.

fruitydelicious

Have you thought about eating your largest meal before you go to work with LOTS of protein!! Bring healthy snacks and have them already logged in MFP before you go to work so you know that what ever is in you lunch bag had been accounted for. Before you eat anything not in your healthy snack bag, you need to weigh in your mind what is more important - the temporary high from a high calorie snack, or the long term AWESOMENESS from keeping off all the weight you lost!!!!! I need to lose 100+ pounds and I have been using this mind technique to stop the endless snacking I did at night. It is hard. I also use prayer and relying on The Lord to get through cravings.