teacher diet!

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mell21abe
mell21abe Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
ok, so i'm totally ready to count calories, but it seems like if i eat small meals throughout the day, i will feel more energetic and less hungry. however, i am a teacher. i can't exactly chow while i'm teaching a class. is anyone else in the same boat? if so, how are you finding time to snack in order to keep the metabolism kickin'? i'd love any suggestions.

p.s. i don't have a fridge in my room either, so any suggestions on good lunch/snack options that are non-refrigerated?

thanks!
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Replies

  • mell21abe
    mell21abe Posts: 10
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    ok, so i'm totally ready to count calories, but it seems like if i eat small meals throughout the day, i will feel more energetic and less hungry. however, i am a teacher. i can't exactly chow while i'm teaching a class. is anyone else in the same boat? if so, how are you finding time to snack in order to keep the metabolism kickin'? i'd love any suggestions.

    p.s. i don't have a fridge in my room either, so any suggestions on good lunch/snack options that are non-refrigerated?

    thanks!
  • johnblake
    johnblake Posts: 661
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    power bars, fresh fruit, cut up vegies
  • LifesPilgrim
    LifesPilgrim Posts: 498 Member
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    What grade level do you teach? I'm secondary level, so I get my snacks in during class changes or during my planning time.

    Last year, I had a great class when I needed my afternoon snack, so I let the class bring their own HEALTHY snacks to eat. It worked great!

    I keep granola bars, power bars, dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter, rice cakes, stuff like that on hand because I don't have a refrigerator in my room either.
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
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    I used to be a teacher - Grade 6, so we had recess and snack time everyday! A very common day for me was:
    (btw... I maintained a nice slim weight back then!)

    B: protein shake as I ran out the door (I would take it with me) (+220 calories)
    S: cheese, apple & crackers at 1st recess (+200 calories)
    L: some lunch - usually leftovers from the night before (around 400/500 calories)
    S: blueberry bran muffin & skim milk - right after school with marking (+300 calories)
    D: some type of healthy balanced dinner (around 400/500 calories)
    S: popcorn or other light snack (+100 calories)

    I used to bring a cooler pack everyday with lots of ice packs, and all my food portioned into little containers. It was pretty large - but I just kept it behind my desk. My hubby called it my "piggy pack" because it looked like a HUGE lunch box! I also kept apple sauces, protein bars, and bottled water in my desk!

    I would also bring a travel mug full of green tea with my every morning and I had to drink it by first recess. Then I would fill up my large plastic cup at each break (recess, lunch, next recess) and the glass had to be finished by the next break. This also forced me to walk two flights of stairs down to the staff room to the Brita!

    Good luck - I think teaching is a perfect career for a healthy diet!
    :flowerforyou:
  • ColeenSanLeon
    ColeenSanLeon Posts: 53 Member
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    I vote for power bars too. I try to always keep at least one in my purse at all times for just in case I get delayed in getting home, etc. But be careful, some of them have a ton of sugar - I've been buying Pure Protein bars which are on the lower end of the sugar wagon.

    Peanuts are great too, but I really have to watch my quantity, they are higher in calories. Sometimes I weight out peanuts and golden raisins and combine them in a baggie and use that as a quick in between snack.

    Good luck!
  • ColeenSanLeon
    ColeenSanLeon Posts: 53 Member
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    WoW! AJCM - that is awesome!!
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Btw.... you already look lovely and slim....

    Another tip - I used to wear running shoes and power walk at recess! I looked like an idiot, but I got nice fresh air, made the "rounds" of the yard, and got some exercise.
    :flowerforyou:
  • johnblake
    johnblake Posts: 661
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    Btw.... you already look lovely and slim....

    Another tip - I used to wear running shoes and power walk at recess! I looked like an idiot, but I got nice fresh air, made the "rounds" of the yard, and got some exercise.
    :flowerforyou:
    I do something like that now, I walk the ship up and down steps, the guy are aways asking what are you doing, but I have to do it in steel toe boots
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
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    I do something like that now, I walk the ship up and down steps, the guy are aways asking what are you doing, but I have to do it in steel toe boots

    So THAT's how you keep in that kind of shape John!!!!
    :tongue:
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
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    I eat fruit right in the classroom and yogurt. Nuts are great and easy to down pretty quickly like 1/4 cup almonds or walnuts. I make a yogurt parfait with fruit, LF yogurt, uncooked rolled oats, and walnuts and eat it during my 2nd block's warm up or while they are doing seat work at the end of 1st block. My students know I am dieting(I teach high school) and they toatally understand and encourage me. Quaker chewy granola bars in PB and choco chip are really good. Trail mixes too, and it is easy to throw back a small handfull.

    Amy:bigsmile:
    118984.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary
  • turtle31
    turtle31 Posts: 151 Member
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    So glad you posted! I teach the second grade, so I don't have alot of time to snack. Here's my teacher diet

    Breakfast- Slim fast and either a cup of green grapes or a banana
    First plan period-Tuna, 2 tbs of Miracle whip, 5 baby carrots chopped in the tuna, sounds gross but taste great, 2 Kangroo pita pockets, 1/2 of spinach stuffed in the pita pocket
    Snack- I pass out a snack to my little ones while i teacher reading I eat 94% fat free popcorn- the small bags or 1 cup of grapes
    Dismissal time- Slim fast
    Dinner- something healthy

    PS I keep slim fast, carrots, yogurt, apples, grapes miracle whip, tuna and water in my fridge in my room.
    I've lost 6.8 pounds doing this same thing for two weeks. I did substitue tuna for chicken salad I made with my magic bullet and one day I had a WW engish muffin instead of my slim fast.
    I hope this helps a little.
  • greysweatshirt
    greysweatshirt Posts: 411
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    Teacher here too..I'm glad you posted this, I have trouble too. I teach elementary music and have ZERO time in between classes to get set up, let alone eat anything, but I could try some power bars, or something similar. I'm trying to avoiding gaining all of the 20ish pounds I gain throughout the school year!! I'm hoping to see that scale go in the other direction.
  • jnikitow
    jnikitow Posts: 334
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    I'm a teacher too. I find that during my plan times that I grab a quick snack. Some of the snacks that I have are yogurt, graham crackers, Fiber One granola bars, or a bag of the 94% fat free popcorn.

    My problem at school is that there are always goodies in the lounge. I have tried to stay away from the lounge, but it is hard to because everyone eats lunch in there.
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Teacher here too..I'm glad you posted this, I have trouble too. I teach elementary music and have ZERO time in between classes to get set up, let alone eat anything, but I could try some power bars, or something similar. I'm trying to avoiding gaining all of the 20ish pounds I gain throughout the school year!! I'm hoping to see that scale go in the other direction.

    Just wanted to say hi Grey! Haven't seen you around in a while.... good luck.....
    Teaching is the HARDEST job on earth!
    :flowerforyou:
  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
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    I tell my littlies that I have trouble with my energy due to a blood sugar problem (well, it's a little white lie - I do have issues with energy drop but not related to the sugar levels) and so I have to eat every so often.

    BUT, I also allow them to eat something at various times. Although I teach middle school, I have long - very long - class periods (fewer periods, double length), so the kids get just as hungry as I do. I allow them snacks.
  • greysweatshirt
    greysweatshirt Posts: 411
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    Teacher here too..I'm glad you posted this, I have trouble too. I teach elementary music and have ZERO time in between classes to get set up, let alone eat anything, but I could try some power bars, or something similar. I'm trying to avoiding gaining all of the 20ish pounds I gain throughout the school year!! I'm hoping to see that scale go in the other direction.

    Just wanted to say hi Grey! Haven't seen you around in a while.... good luck.....
    Teaching is the HARDEST job on earth!
    :flowerforyou:

    It has been a while..I was REALLY busy during the fall (finishing up my master's) so I didn't come on much..I'm starting to rejoin the land of the living again :)
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
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    Lovin' all the teachers on the board! :drinker:

    I really don't eat snacks throughout the day.
    I eat breakfast, snack (sometimes can't get this one in), lunch, snack (after school, before ball practice), dinner.

    I guess this is totally cliche but I eat an apple at school usually! :smile:
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
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    I tell my littlies that I have trouble with my energy due to a blood sugar problem (well, it's a little white lie - I do have issues with energy drop but not related to the sugar levels) and so I have to eat every so often.

    BUT, I also allow them to eat something at various times. Although I teach middle school, I have long - very long - class periods (fewer periods, double length), so the kids get just as hungry as I do. I allow them snacks.

    I also did that! Another thing I did for the students was every day at first snack, we would tally up all the healthy snacks in the room (whether they brought the snacks, or had a piece of fruit from the classroom fruit basket) and for every healthy snack, we would give ourselves one second of free time..... sounds small, but by the end of the week (or two weeks) they usually got a few minutes of free time.
    :flowerforyou:
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
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    AJCM that is a great idea and would work in my high school classes too. Maybe I'll try that! They eat so much junk! We have 85 min blocks and some of the magnet students have early bird at 6:45 am and don't eat lunch until 12:15 when they have me since I have 2nd lunch so I have to allow the snacks. They can't think with their stomachs so empty and it is not good for them to go that long without food. How can I preach a good diet including small frequent meals and not allow them to have a snack. They have it during warm-ups or pre quiz study time(first 5-10 min of class) and have to finish it before I start the lesson or go over the warm-up. I like the healthy snack idea with seconds of free time.:drinker:

    Amy:bigsmile:
    118984.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary
  • LifesPilgrim
    LifesPilgrim Posts: 498 Member
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    Is it just me or is this starting to sound like a teacher support group???? Anybody else for this?

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