After Work Distaster

carblover1984
carblover1984 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need help!

So, I do really well at work with food and cravings. All my meals are planned and my snacks are healthy. When I get home I am a ravenous mess! It's like I have a great dinner planned that's healthy, yet I can' stop snacking and snacking on not so good for you stuff. Then I eat dinner and somehow I'm still not satisfied and continue to snack. The snacks aren't terrible, but we're talking crackers, popcorn, jelly beans. This all adds up and seems to wreck my day! I don't know if it's stress eating to relax from the day or if I just eat for flavors. I'm not sure what to do about this. I've tried going on walks when I get home and still - the monster is ravenous.

Any suggestions or tips from people who have the same issue?

Thanks!

Replies

  • acstansell
    acstansell Posts: 567 Member
    Purge your house and replace w/good snacks. Nuts, "natural" popcorn, sugar free apple sauce, baby carrots, celery, grapes, cherries, sugar free pudding.

    All the stuff you described are handful snacks that I usually turn to if I'm stressed or bored.

    Also, I have a stupid trick that I use if I slip too much too often. I wear a rubber band around my wrist and when I'm tempted, I snap myself. A little masochistic, but it works for me. I need to start doing it for pop and Facebook again. :)
  • AEC50
    AEC50 Posts: 124 Member
    I agree with the above - fill the house with healthy options and snacking won't be as disastrous. I really like baby carrots or watermelon as go-to snacks.
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
    I also recommend that you get all of the junk food out of the house. And then make sure that you have HEALTHY snack choices, such as fruit, carrots, etc. I used to do this same thing horribly! But I got it all out of my house, and I started walking a lot. Recently I have realzed that walking has become my stress reliever. There have been several days when I come home from work stressed out, and I can hardly wait to get out and go for my nightly walk. So maybe that would work for you, or find something else that you enjoy to do instead of eating when you are not hungry.
  • DLKeeble
    DLKeeble Posts: 200 Member
    Maybe you need a more filling snack towards the end of your work day. Possibly some high protein yogurt. I like the laughing cow wedges and some low calorie crackers. I don't care for cottage cheese but I imagine it is filling and satisfying if you like it.
  • RozayJones
    RozayJones Posts: 409 Member
    I have the same problem, seems like I cannot wait to get home to snack :( The hard part of removing all junk from my house is having 4 very skinny kids. My youngest is often put on food journals because he is so small and has a hard time gaining weight. So they are allowed junk along with typical meals. They recently picked out a pack of Oreo's which we have not had in the house in at least a year, when I got home from the the store I put them up in the cupboard (out of reach to them and myself) unopened. Just last night my 7 year old says "Mom, what's the point of buying us Oreo's if we can't even eat them". How do you satisfy your own food cravings along with your kids and no willpower :( ?
  • fay_pigu
    fay_pigu Posts: 125 Member
    Could be work come down, what about an evening post work walk? Helps me me forget work (or prepare to do some evening work if needed)
  • TheArmadillo
    TheArmadillo Posts: 299 Member
    I find I need a protein based snack - tinned tuna, piece of cheese, hard boiled egg, portion of nuts. It's more satisfying than anything else. I tend to keep these ready in the fridge (I keep a bag of nuts in my handbag). I also make sure if I feel the urge to eat something I have a drink and wait 20-30 mins to see if I am still hungry (and make sure I am doing something else in that time to distract myself).
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
    When you want to snack, go for a walk 10-minute walk instead. Sometimes that helps you realize you're not actually starving, you're just needing something to do when you get home. All about changing your patterns.
  • ACPotter88
    ACPotter88 Posts: 4
    Consider drinking water anytime you feel hungry or feel like snacking. The body often mistakes thirst for hunger. Also, water fills you up so if you do snack, you will be full faster.
  • bberg0521
    bberg0521 Posts: 49 Member
    You are not alone in this. I have the same problem. What I find helpful is keeping busy right as soon as I get home. Starting next week I am going to work out as soon as I get home and keep mysef busy. Maybe that will help you as well.
  • ouryear002
    ouryear002 Posts: 325 Member
    Same thing happens to me. If I get too hungry, I don't feel satisfied with an appropriately proportioned meal. I have a 1/2 hour commute and have found that if I eat a snack like string cheese or a yogurt before leaving work, I can make it to dinner without getting crazy hungry.

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