Does anyone else work from home?

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2

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  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    I work from home half the time. I do intermittent fasting so I eat my first small meal around 2 and that works for me.
  • khhregister
    khhregister Posts: 229 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I'm working from home, and I find it's actually really helping me with my food choices because I can weigh everything in peace, and cook up massive amounts of veggies+protein for my lunch, which helps me feel full and cuts down on snacking. If I had to pack a giant salad or oatmeal with eggs and veggies to a workplace, I think I would get a lot of comments and it would be harder to eat the way I really want to.
    My typical schedule goes like this:
    • Wake up around 8 (I am not a morning person at all, so this is quite hard for me, no laughing)
    • Have bulletproof coffee with protein powder added (about 300 calories)
    • Do tasks at my computer that require very little brainpower until 9 or 10
    • Go to the gym and either work with a trainer or do water aerobics
    • Come home at 10 or 11
    • Do another 2-3 hours of work at the computer
    • Break for lunch around 1
    • I have either a GIANT salad (made with a whole head of romaine lettuce and a chicken breast and other assorted veggies) or I have steelcut oatmeal with 2 eggs, hotsauce, and veggies and avocado. Either lunch is usually around 350-400 calories
    • More computer work until 4
    • Teatime - tea with milk (around 50-100 calories, depending on how many cups I have)
    • Work at the computer until 6 or 7
    • Break to cook dinner.
    • Have larger dinner with the husband - usually around 600-800 calories. Hunk of protein, 2 veggies, small amount of starch.
    • Small dessert most nights - either a couple of squares of very good chocolate or some Halo Top ice cream (~ 100 calories)

    I've been more or less sticking to this schedule for a couple of months, with some departures if we are working away from home or we have guests to entertain. I notice, writing it out, that I am not sitting at my computer for usually more that 2-3 hours without getting up and going out or going to cook/ do chores around the house. The prolonged sitting is not as bad as I had imagined. But still, I am WAY too sedentary compared to my last job (teaching). If I don't go to the gym, I walk only about 2000 steps in a day.


  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I eat at the same times every day- about every 3-5 hours. I have planned snacks into my day.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    SAHM here too... so I just have to deal with it, lol. Seriously though, the key for me is to try to keep busy and listen to my hunger signals. I often end up having a snack around 2.30-3pm and a smaller dinner though.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Boogie_on_woman wrote: »
    Great advice all, thanks! I think I just need to plan and anticipate around the time of day that I crack by allowing for calories and maybe adding more protein into my breakfast and lunch. Weight loss while WFH is definitely a lot trickier than I thought it would be! :wink:

    I don't have a problem with calories per se, but I do have a problem with steps. It's harder to find natural ways to increase steps, like using a bathroom on a different floor or parking farther away.

    I also have to be more disciplined about taking lunch and punching in and out. My coworkers take lunch at different times so there is usually someone wanting to talk to me. I have reminders on my phone and in Outlook for punching in and out.

    My husband works from home, and he makes a concerted effort to go for a walk at lunch to help with the steps issue. We also make the kids go for a walk with us after dinner.

    Ya, I can walk for 75 minutes at lunch time and STILL not break 10,000 steps.
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
    edited October 2016
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    I work from home the majority of the time and I also live alone. In the winter especially when it gets dark very early, I find it to be particularly difficult for me (not just on an eating/dieting front, but also just overall mood and productivity wise). At those times, I usually try to find/make opportunities to work outside of the house - either at coffee shops, libraries, or in some sort of co-working environment. Then I take my food for the day with me and won't buy anything to eat (but I do buy coffee if I'm at a cafe or something).

    Everyone here has suggested some great strategies - but I just wanted to provide a bit of an alternate perspective that if you work from home and find it hard, there are ways to mix it up!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    raven56706 wrote: »
    what jobs do you do and how does one get a job like that? i would love working from home full time

    I worked for them in person, moved out of state, and now work for the same company via VPN. They would never have hired someone to do my job remotely - it's because I'd already worked for them for years that I got it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    Every time I have to leave my desk to go to the bathroom or get something to drink, I do twenty laps of the house before sitting down again. That's become so normal for me! You *have* to force yourself to get up and move around. I find those little breaks for a stretch and a bit of exercise have become an important part of my day. :)

    Around the outside of the house or in the inside? I've done it outside but feel weird, and it's not big enough inside. Going to do some laps now, though.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    I work from home 2-3 days per week.

    I usually don't eat breakfast until later in the day. Pre-logging my food also helps. If I know what I'm supposed to eat, it helps me stick to my plan. I also try to make sure I eat lots of satiating foods and I don't deprive myself of treats. If I get hungry and I know it's late afternoon or closer to dinner, I'll put on another pot of coffee or make myself a cup of tea.

    My main issue when working from home is activity. It's really hard for me to get all of my steps in on the days when I work from home, because I don't have as much energy for whatever reason.
    raven56706 wrote: »
    what jobs do you do and how does one get a job like that? i would love working from home full time

    I am an auditor. Since a lot of our work is in the field, we are allowed flex schedules and are able to telework via laptops and a VPN.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    I work from home, and 3:00 is usually my "eat all of the foods" time of day, too. I combat this by doing my workout then. If I can't break away to get my workout in I will have a small snack (apple, string cheese, granola bar) and a big cup of water or plain green tea.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I work from home and my office area is literally right next to the frig & pantry. Keep healthy low cal snacks on hand, plan out what you're able to eat each day. Get up and move around a lot. Take advantage of the kitchen access to prep large pots of meals, like soup and pasta sauce, that might be harder to get done if working from a distant office. Time to go walk!
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I push my lunch back. Yeah, not extreme genius. But it is the best I have worked out.
  • subakwa
    subakwa Posts: 347 Member
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    Work from home here too, and it is MUCH easier for me than when I spent long days in the office and grabbed all sorts of shite to keep me going.

    I now have my "go to" lunches and snacks and eating regularly helps squash the urge to over indulge.

    I have bags of popcorn at 35 calories for a savoury hit. If I fancy something sweet a strong black coffee with a teaspoon of sugar hits the spot for a similar count.

    Chai tea adds a savoury twist to drinks, or a bouillon drink. Hot drinks really help my "eat things" urges.

    Finally pickles, dill or chillies. Low cal and enough taste to stop you needing more to eat.
  • Dead_Darling
    Dead_Darling Posts: 478 Member
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    I work from home Monday to Friday. I barely have a break time, but in the mornings I have porridge with soy milk, banana and flaxseeds, a smoothie with fruits and vegetables and a small protein bar for my morning snack, a big bowl of vegan chilli (homemade) for my lunch, and just before I have my evening work, I have dark rye biscuits with hummus and lettuce and a treat of an apple (straight from the apple tree), grapes and soy yogurt.

    I work 12 hours a day, but have a 3 hour break between my last hour and the hour before my evening work. So in those 3 hours, I try to workout and do as much as possible. I try to be as active as possible in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle.

    If I have a break during the day (which is a Godsend!), I workout or take my time with those meals :)
  • viati374
    viati374 Posts: 1 Member
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    I work at home now after two back surgeries a year ago from which I'm still recuperating. It IS so tempting having the refrigerator so close - BUT I can control what I keep in the house, so that's a PLUS (no donut, cookie, cake days from well-meaning managers lol). I recently started working with a trainer/nutrition coach and told her that I struggle with the munchies AND a sweet tooth between meals -- the cravings get stronger as the day progresses. She recommended mixed nuts with a few raisins and just a few mini-chocolate chips (more nuts than anything). I bought a big tub of mixed nuts, mixed that in a bowl with about a cup of raisins and a half cup or so of mini-choc chips and put into a gallon ziploc bag with a 1/4 cup scoop inside. Each day after breakfast before heading to the office, I scoop 1/4 cup into a snack-sized ziploc baggie and take that to the office. IT WORKS!!!! The protein and healthy fats help stave off hunger and the teensy bit of raisins and chocolate fulfill my sweet-tooth's demands. Hope this helps :)
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I try to skip breakfast and eat lunch around 11. That way I'm only really depriving myself for a certain time of day. I only HAVE to have will power in the morning. This is also when I'm most busy.

    But yeah, the 3pm window is hard too. Haven't really figured that out.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    I WAH. I eat when I am hungry, small meals but I drink tons of water as well.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
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    snickerscharlie wrote: »
    I work from home, too.

    I skip breakfast (other than coffee) because I'm genuinely not hungry then and eat lunch around 1pm. I allow for an afternoon snack (around 4:00) and dinner's at 7:00.

    If you're hungry in the afternoon, set aside some calories for a snack at this time. Resistance is futile. LOL.

    This is my routine exactly! If I really want something in between, I try coffee or hot tea. If that doesn't work, I'll have a bunch of raw cauliflower with a Tbs of hummus for about 100 calories.

    I also have a treadmill desk and a desk cycle so that I'm not just sitting on my rear the whole day!
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
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    I'm a sahm who has three kids at home doing school. I've been doing this whole thing for a few years now and have found a schedule that works well for me (after lots of trial and error). I rarely eat before 11am, and then have my largest meal of the day for lunch. Then I may or may not have a snack at 3, but I set a 200 calorie parameter for it (lately it's been microwave smores that clock in at 190 calories). Then I have a light supper at around 6pm and no calories after that, except for weekends when I may have a beer or two at night. This is my eating schedule 95% of the time.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
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    I work from home and my home office is right next to the kitchen!

    What works for me is:

    - Eating larger meals less frequently. During the week I usually eat a good-sized breakfast when I get hungry (10 or 11?), a smaller meal in the mid-afternoon and a good-sized dinner in the evening. This helps me a lot because I don't get hungry and need to snack in between meals.

    - I drink a lot of water and unsweetened tea and that's all I drink so that keeps me going during the day too.

    - Taking small breaks and do squats or leg lifts, or jump on my mini stepper for 10 minutes or a one mile Leslie Sansone video helps to keep my body moving in between my early morning and late evening workouts.

    - Also I plan out my meals the night before so I know what I'm going to eat ahead of time.

    Pushing back breakfast and waiting to eat closer to when start I get hungry and not according to what the clock says has worked extremely well for me.

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