commuters -- how do you handle the drive home?

I find it easy to picture myself at the weight I want to be and know that giving into the "sabotaging foods" calling will only set me back and not push me forward. Hope this helps

I just have to make sure that I have a snack that's satisfying enough to sustain me. I crank the tunes to keep my mind from food.

Honestly it sounds like you are looking for an excuse to stop and get fast food. It's an hour! You can go an hour without eating. It's really not that difficult. If it is that difficult than arrange your calories so that you can fit in your drive through meals.

I commuted an hour and a half each way during the summer, and honestly, by the time 4:00 rolled around I was so eager to get home that stopping for food would have just been an annoyance, even if I felt like indulging! I also had places to be - I took a class at the gym at 6, so I was always in a hurry to get home. Maybe aim for something like that, if you take gym classes?

I also second audiobooks - I listened to the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series while I was commuting and I would have punched someone who suggested I turn the book off for even five minutes to get a burger.

I just keep food in my car so when I get out of school (an hr away) so when I get to my car, I have something to eat. I love fast food but I hate spending the money on it.

On the weekend -- fix 5 small, healthy treats to have waiting on you each day when you get home. Hopefully, this will refocus your thoughts away from driving through a fast food place. Just think about getting home to the treat that is waiting for you.

I have a 40 minute drive one way to work everyday. The only thing that saves me is Audiobooks. I check them out from the library constantly. That way I get sucked into the story and then presto I am home. Didn't even think about stopping anywhere, but I was a kid that loved story time so maybe this just works for me. I don't know. Give it a try- worse case scenario you would have listen to a couple books.

My commute home is at least an hour and a half. I understand what you mean! By then I am just so tired that the thought of going home and cooking sounds horrible. To help resist the temptation on the way home, I drink my Shakeology then. I also find it helps me with energy and at the end of the day is when I need it the most. As far as being too exhausted that the thought of cooking seems "difficult". I really try to have things in the crock pot or already prepared for week days, or even breakfast for dinner. That really helps since I know it will be ready or just popped in the microwave when I get home.

That used to be one of my biggest issues - sneaking food in the car. I'd stop at the grocery store for boxes of snack cakes and eat about half on the way home, or stop at McD's for a burger and soda, or stop for an ice cream sundae in the summer. Hubs always wondered why his "plump" wife didn't seem to eat much...and I didn't confess until a year or so ago.

It sounds to me like you need some snack analysis. Think about what you're craving and why. Are you really hungry or are you just bored? I would assume you're just bored. I don't know about you but listening to the same radio stations day after day is horrible. They're not bad in the morning when the funny DJs are on doing their schtick but the drive home is SO boring.
But, if you really think you're hungry, you may need to look at what you're eating. Make sure you're getting plenty of healthy fats and protein - both of which will keep you full longer.

For drive-home boredom, my solution is to listen to audiobooks (from the library so they're free/cheap). I've been able to get so many more books "read" this way, even catching up on some classics that I've wanted to read for years. I'm currently listening to the Dexter series and it's really good!

Point is, bored eating is such a horrible thing for anyone trying to lose weight. I've been at this for three years now and still have to fight with myself on the weekends sometimes.

Another thought for motivation - maybe do like people who quit smoking do and save up the money you would've spent at the drive-thru to buy something you really want (clothes, a trip, pay off car, etc)

Good luck!

p.s. These days the only thing I stop at McD's for is their ice cream cones - it's a nice little treat for only 170 calories.

Good music, a stick of gum, and a large bottle of water. I'm also able to weave in and around streets so I tend to pass very little retail..

My commute is only about 15 minutes, but I still used to do the "stop and get fast food" thing because it was "easier" than going home and cooking. I was just making excuses. You have to train yourself to not eat or even want those foods anymore. I never (seriously, never) get the urge to eat fast food anymore. There is a McDonald's right next to my grocery store, and I get a wave of nausea when I get out of the car and smell the stench of the food coming from over there. It's not even a decision for me anymore. You will get there, but you have to practice.

I commute about half an hour now and used to commute up to an hour at an old job. I always made sure that I had my afternoon snack and then I was well prepared to make it through the drive home. Right now, I am choosing back country roads because they are more peaceful than the busy highway. Often, I turn on music I love and just sing along and enjoy the time I have to myself.

My trick will not be on everyone's list, but I use the time to pray and unwind, and then, as others said, put on some music and let it take me home. I also have water on hand, so at least I am getting something into me I could use more of, and actually need.

The audio book thing is avery good way, also.

I remind myself that it will make me get home that much later, and how guilty I feel afterward! I also don't like to admit that I stopped somewhere to my boyfriend, who will be home and hungry and expecting me to eat with him. That helps a lot. That and that I gave up any type of restaurant food for lent, so after Easter I'll just tell myself that I survived 40 days without it and can do it again. Also, the money sure adds up in a months and years time.