Problems lately,

kmradley

Hello FitnessPals. When I first joined the community I was 225lbs, I'm down to 185 and feeling great. However, about 4 weeks ago I started weight training and somehow I guess I justified some overeating to myself because I was working out so hard. Then some things changed with my schedule at work and now I have a half hour lunch instead of an hour and I'm not working out anymore on my break, but I'm still overeating. I need some advice about nutrition, right now I'm a mess. I lost the weight because of portion control. I have a small healthy breakfast in the morning and usually a decent lunch at noon, usually a sandwich and some veggies and hummus...good and nutritious. The problem is that I don't get off work until 5, I don't drive and the bus comes at 5:45pm, so I'll grab a coffee or tea but nothing too high cal. The bus gets me home at 6:30, and when I get home I am hungry and tired and all I want in the world is to eat a whole box of mac and cheese and watch TV. Or an entire frozen pizza. Or like three bowls of cereal. Its like something happens on that bus ride where I transform into The Hungry Thing. Am I binge eating? I don't think it's emotional.. I am not particularly stressed about anything.
But at this point it's become a bad habit. Any pointers?

LushFix

Im just starting out so im sure others will have way better ideas. But

They make crockpots for individuals you could set it so it's ready when you get home?

Make a filling salad or prep meals that you could maybe just throw in the microwave or toaster oven?

Nothing wrong with a bowl of soup or toast for dinner either. I now keep a none perishable snack in my bag under 200 calories to tide me over for if I'm hungry but am not able to make somthing at that time. That way I don't ruin my entire day when I get stupid hungry.

MsBuzzkillington

Pack snacks to eat after lunch and before you get home.

kmradley

Any favorite portable healthy snack ideas?

michelleg85

I agree about the snack thing. Pack something to eat on the bus home (or while waiting for the bus). Something easy like an apple and a granola bar or whatever. The low calories then will prevent the over abundance of calories later because you are starving! As for your lunch hour, maybe you could go for a walk while you eat your delicious sandwich? It may be only a 30 min break but that's a lot better than no time at all. The fresh air always helps to clear the mind and put me back in a healthy state of mind - fueling the rest of my day

snowflake954

Since your problem is that you're ravenous when you get home and need to eat something fast--you have to have something ready. I would also have something like carrots to munch on while preparing. You have to think a little more the evening before. Do your prep work then, so it's easy when you walk in the door. Alot of people go to the gym before work, or do a workout video, go for an early run,....the ideas are endless. Strange, but working out( with time) will give you MORE energy, not less. It's a huge sacrifice in the beginning. Best of luck.

Oh, and crongratulations on your weightloss--you surely don't want to backtrack now.

Whitezombiegirl

What I usually do is prep the dinner for the next night , the night before. You have to start one day ahead- like on a Sunday night. So Sunday night , you prep for Monday night. On Monday night- you get in hungry, eat dinner and THEN prep for Tuesday night.

I'd also have a snack to eat on the bus. The reason you turn into a Hunger Monster is that you probably get "over-hungry". I get like this sometimes- kinda panicky and just need to eat everything. A snack before you get to that point helps prevent it.

HStheBusyBee

Meal prep is definitely the way to go! My other half does all of his lunches (in your case it would dinner) on a sunday for the rest of the week and it has helped him stay on track so much. He does baked chicken with paprika, roasted sweet potatoes with chilli and garlic and steamed broccoli.

Dvdgzz

Try intermittent fasting. Eat breakfast later in the day and pack a snack for the ride home. Protein bar or fruit, or both. If you do slip up and eat too much, the fact that you didn't eat so early in the day, will make it to where the larger meal will not impact you as severely.

Helloidentitycrisis

Take a banana to work for the bus? Or a tin of tuna with a pull-tab lid if the banana doesn't work!

Scamd83

kmradley wrote: »

Hello FitnessPals. When I first joined the community I was 225lbs, I'm down to 185 and feeling great. However, about 4 weeks ago I started weight training and somehow I guess I justified some overeating to myself because I was working out so hard. Then some things changed with my schedule at work and now I have a half hour lunch instead of an hour and I'm not working out anymore on my break, but I'm still overeating. I need some advice about nutrition, right now I'm a mess. I lost the weight because of portion control. I have a small healthy breakfast in the morning and usually a decent lunch at noon, usually a sandwich and some veggies and hummus...good and nutritious. The problem is that I don't get off work until 5, I don't drive and the bus comes at 5:45pm, so I'll grab a coffee or tea but nothing too high cal. The bus gets me home at 6:30, and when I get home I am hungry and tired and all I want in the world is to eat a whole box of mac and cheese and watch TV. Or an entire frozen pizza. Or like three bowls of cereal. Its like something happens on that bus ride where I transform into The Hungry Thing. Am I binge eating? I don't think it's emotional.. I am not particularly stressed about anything.
But at this point it's become a bad habit. Any pointers?

Have a smaller lunch, save more calories for a bigger dinner later on. Don't have any frozen pizza or cereal if that's going to lead to overeating. Replace with something else.

smotheredincheese

I have a similar schedule to you - finish work at 5.15 and catch the bus home, I normally get through my door by 6.30.
I can end up starving by the time I get home and if I'm not careful it can lead to an evening of binging, so I try to take a snack to eat on my way home, either a banana or a cereal bar, and then have a dinner planned out that won't take too long to cook. I try to spread my calories out through the day so that I can have an afternoon snack and some chocolate or a bit of cake after dinner, it stops me feeling to deprived and kind of gives me an incentive to stick to my calories throughout the day.