Right About Now I Fall Apart

rowlandk

This is my normal daily routine. I do super well with my nutrition until about 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon when I'm sitting at my desk doing my work and all I can think about is grabbing something to munch on from our kitchen. I don't understand. I can go all morning without eating the bad things back there, but right now it's hard to keep myself in my chair! Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do to get past it?

meathelmet1981

Hi,

I have the same problem.

I have a 'stash' of different types of fruits and low fat/low calorie cup 'a soups that i can snack on.

These have recently replaced a pretty big supply of chocolate bars!

I also have pretty supportive colleagues that tend not to eat 'bad' food around that time of the day.

Keep going.

M

rowlandk

We have a cook that comes in to our office every day to make us lunch and she makes us snacks for the afternoon before she leaves and it's always cookies, cakes, brownies, etc. She sits them on the counter right next to the apples and oranges I asked her to pick up. It is SO HARD to walk into that kitchen and pick up an apple or orange instead of the frosted turnovers she has back there today!

katytru

Yeah i have this problem ALL the time. I'm feeling some food shame currently because i could have gone to subway today (My sandwich i get is actually really healthy) and went to Popeyes with a friend instead. (Ouch talk about how much zumba I'll need to do tonight)

dls06

Now that you recognised when, you need to find something to fit into your daily goals. This site was posted before. It has a lot of Ideas that won't kill the whole day.
http://www.canadianparents.com/article/100-family-snacks-under-100-calories

Espressocycle

I just ate a candy bar, so yeah. Late afternoon is the worst. But a little junk is okay if it gets you through - just make it work with your overall calorie goal.

UnderCoverShyGirl

I had a friend that found stuff so hard to resist, she'd dump salt all over it and then throw it away (because if she didn't dump salt on it, she might snatch it out of the trash!!). I suppose you can't do that with everyone elses treats :-(.

I have a hard time keeping my mind off stuff like that, and i find the best way to deal with it is to avoid seeing it, and if you need to, put some yummy and maybe even somewhat similiar things in the freezer or kitchen that are for you. Smart ones or skinny cow have frozen dessert/ ice cream with brownies, etc...or allow yourself to cut up a banana, put a scoop of fat free cool whip and a drizzle of chocolate sauce....whatever you can come up with that fits within your health goals and feels decadent enough that you won't care about those treats. As your resolve/willpower increases, you may find you need less and less need for your substitute, but if not, that's okay too. It's not the healthiest proposal, but i know from experience that sometimes eating a piece of fruit or something else doesn't help me get my mind off the super yummy thing that is too close to comfort. Check out some recipes and products for things that you would love but don't have the same guilt factor!

frygirl01

I have that problem, too. Sometimes a big drink of water helps. I realized for myself that sometimes the urge to eat was just an excuse to take a break from whatever I was working on. I like to take a 10 minute "parking lot walk" to help clear my head and de-stress a little bit .

Betsybeee

How about keeping a box of protein bars in your desk....no refrigeration required and yet there are some out ther with 20 gms of protein, low fat, and low sugar. I have a protein bar with a large glass of water and that helps me get over that mid afternoon slump.

Good luck to you.

rowlandk

Thank you for the suggestions. I went to the kitchen and ate a banana, but you are right, it doesn't really fill the hole where the chocolate should go. haha. I have had the smart ones before and they are pretty good. Maybe I will try bringing in a few of those. For this afternoon I grabbed some salted almonds (I know they aren't the best but they have to be a little better than the other sweets right?) and they seem to be doing the trick.

rowlandk

Protein bar is a great idea! I can keep those in my desk and completely stay out of the kitchen. I just found a recipe on here today for some homemade ones so maybe that will be my new fix!

ladybg81

Me too. I bring an afternoon snack that fits into my day.

cutiekaylaa

I have the same problem. I always end up binging and then getting depressed. So right now I'm trying to distract myself from the kitchen.

denise_earheart

I'm a stay at home wife/mom so I know the temptation.... I started munching on sunflower seeds. Many different flavors and you can have A LOT and not rack up the calories.... Also get some yummy sugar free gum

nytdreamer80

Im the SAME way. Usually around this time, and then after dinner around 800. Those times are the HARDEST for me. Maybe bring a snack into work to get you through til dinner.

paulcer

An afternoon iced coffee helps me.

emrys1976

I had that problem until i finally took my dietitian's advice and made a few changes - bigger breakfast with more protein, not going more than 4-5 hours without eating, and planning for snacks in the afternoon because I'm always hungry then (and because going from 1230 lunch to 730 dinner is too long to go without eating). Perhaps looking at your intake in the mornings and lunch times could have some clues for you. Your diary is closed so i don't know if that's the issue or not.

taso42

You need to plan ahead. Make sure your whole day of eating is planned out. When you're hungry, eat the planned food.

If you're chronically hungry, something is wrong.

rowlandk

I almost think it makes it worse that I go straight to school after work so I know I won't be able to eat again until at least 10:00 tonight and by then I will probably be too tired to think about calories. So it seems like my mind is telling me to eat up now so I don't get hungry in class.

JBrown9538

Amen! This time of day stinks LOL I keep a stash of Quaker Chewy Smashbars in Grahan Pretzel flavor in my desk. It's salty and chololatey and only 90- calories

chantelle149

Green tea and an afternoon snack like fruit or yogurt always helps me. Also if you have a break, mines 15 mins. I go for a quick walk and it helps me get over the cravings. Best of luck

taso42

So it seems like my mind is telling me to eat up now so I don't get hungry in class.

Your mind sounds like it's working....

deksgrl

I keep a bag of apples at my desk. No need to go anywhere and be tempted. Also, I drink more water.

susanofscottsdale

A high protein snack is the only thing that works for me. A protein bar or, if possible, a hard boiled egg. Fruit just makes me crave more carbs.

And, lots of water.

fireflysunset

I read on Tumblr once, Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a nobleman, and dinner like a pauper. So, eat more earlier in the day to keep you more full! Also, I stuck a post it note on my desk that gives me a list of things to do if I feel like snacking, like playing Just Dance and trying to get five stars, or drinking some water, or jogging down to the convenience store to get a juicy apple or orange.

tanigrrrrr

I usually find my demotivation and cravings come when Im hungry and want something NOW.

Also when I hit that 3pm mark at work, I find I want a snack to try and boost me throiugh the afternoon.

If im craving something sweet, i generally make myself a coffee with whole milk. I usually use skim - no fat, but I find if i make a coffee with a splenda packet and real milk, it satisfies both my starting of hunger and my cravings.

However, if sweets are something you crave, maybe try a museli bar with a small layer of chocolate, or if you really cant continue on with the healthier options, just buy fun sized and allow yourself one only.

I personally use sweet food as something to look forward to - I allow myself one treat per week and think about that when im craving... Ie - Crappy chocolate bar out of the vending machine, or completely decadent cheesecake on my dedicated treat day.

I also have a quote that constantly sticks in the back of my mind ... "Nothing tastes better than a loss on the scales..."

damonmath

I bring a myoplex protein shake to work and sip on it when I get hungry. Both before and after lunch. It tastes like chocolate milk but contains 42 grams of protein.

This has always worked for me and I burn a ton of calories every morning.

brandi_b

I have the same problem, and I have a major sweet tooth so I'm always craving cookies, cakes, etc. around this time of day. I just discovered my favorite "replace junk" snack: dannon light & fit vanilla yogurt, strawberries, granola cereal (I like Cascadian Farm), and a wee drizzle of chocolate syrup (or a few chocolate chips). It cures my sweet junk craving, feels decadent with the bit of chocolate, and is quite healthy. Win win win.

4hotmama

Eat a protein for breakfast and a protein for lunch and it should help with cravings. Ex. I had a protein smoothie for breakfast and an egg mid morning and then a chicken breast and cauliflower for lunch and I am still full- to the point I dont want to think about food the rest of the day.

fatgirlruns

I have the same problem, and it's a struggle right up until dinner for me. What helps me is making some green tea. For me, there is something so comforting about a mug of green tea so it fills that void. It also tames my appetite a bit. If I'm still hungry, I grab some carrots and hummus that I bring from home. Your body might be used to eating at this time, so you may have to tap into that mental strength for a few days to retrain it.

Good luck. You got this.

rosieflo

I do a 1/2 serving of pistachios, a cheese stick and and fruit sometimes.
Or fruity greek yogurt.
Anything with protein helps me make it through!