I had it...until the end

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Bogna27
Bogna27 Posts: 8
in Motivation and Support
Guys, so needing some help here. I am in a rough spot in that I am unable to exercise at this point do to some heart issues. With that being said, I have been working pretty diligently these last few weeks to eat what I should and cut out fast food (I'd say I'm addicted to the convenience of the drive thru :( ). Each day I commute an hour and fifteen minutes one way and sit at my desk for roughly 8 hours working with homeless veterans. Today I felt I had a pretty good handle on the calories and carbs (two main goals) until the car ride home.

There I was, a bit sleepy, hungry and taking a detour to avoid crazy traffic. What do my eyes land on but the nice bright Burger King sign beckoning me to pull in and feed my hungry stomach. My problem came when I didn't have a snack with me in the car so I pulled in and order the Whopper Jr. value meal. Needless to say, I went over my goals for the day and arrived home still a bit tired and hungry. Any suggestions for snacks on the commute? Or crazy jedi mind tricks?
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Replies

  • rachso
    rachso Posts: 174 Member
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    i try to have the 100 calorie packs either in my purse or in the glovebox. Also a bottle of water as the more I drink the less I want to eat. Myabe a banana or some fruit..but u gotta make sure it doesnt go bad and can handle being in the car.
  • TaraGaynor
    TaraGaynor Posts: 3 Member
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    first, don't beat yourself up over this. slips, like this, won't make a big difference (if they are rare) at the end of the day. You can still meet goal!

    I have a similar situation where I work about an hour from my home and I find that if I'm not starving in the car on the way home, I'm ravenous while cooking dinner and have caught myself "grazing" while cooking... ugh.

    so here is what works with me. I keep a bowl of fruit on my desk. I have things like oranges, apples, bananas etc. (this also helps with my vending machine habits). Every day when I leave work I grab a piece of fruit. Usually an apple to eat in the last 10 minutes at work or on the way home. It's just enough to tide me over till I get home.

    good luck and stray strong!
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
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    Granola bars.

    Nuts

    A small bag of popcorn (pop it that morning).

    A piece of fruit

    Rice cakes

    Peanut butter crackers

    Sunflower seeds (without the shells)

    Trail mix

    BASICALLY:

    If it's non-perishable, stash it in your glove box/center console and just leave it there.

    If it's perishable, stash it in your car when you leave for work in the morning.

    A lot of these are more healthy than others, but let's face it: A snack from the list is still better than something from BK late at night. I feel you on the sleepy/hungry thing. It's a trap. That's one of the many reasons I leave snacks in my car!!!
  • MusicInMyHeart
    MusicInMyHeart Posts: 179
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    Sh%t happens. Having a burger once in a while isn't going to kill you. You gotta live a little!

    Have you thought about prepping some meals/snacks beforehand? I've been doing this for a few weeks now for my work lunches and snacks - I'll cook up a whole batch of boneless/skinless chicken breasts, weigh it out on the scale, and pop them along with some frozen veggies in those Rubbermaid plastic bins. It's REALLY helped me out. I'm a mad woman in the morning trying to dash out the door to avoid being late so it's really nice to be able to simple pull a frozen meal out of the freezer and put it in my lunch bag along with a piece of fruit or popcorn.
  • bluesy8899
    bluesy8899 Posts: 68 Member
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    I have more success if I pack something I can look forward to rather than what I think is best for me. String cheese and almonds are a good combination. Another is homemade trail mix so that you can create your own healthy, tasty snack. I feel for you, I have a several hour commute to school once a week and trying to stay focused on healthy eating is a chore. My pitfall is after class when I tell myself that I deserve a treat for getting through the day. Best to you.
  • mkbledsoe
    mkbledsoe Posts: 132
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    I really like string cheese. They are amazingly filling and individually wrapped, so very portable. I also get blocks of cheese and just cut wedges off, like 1 or 2 oz. I like to make peanut butter crackers with natural peanut butter and a whole grain crackers. I find peanut butter is very filling. Not as portable, but I take boiled eggs to work to snack on. Or you can measure out a serving of almonds or cashews. I also like Atkins shakes and bars. They are tasty and portable, just a little expensive.
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
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    That's a bummer. I'm sorry you're having heart issues :(

    How about having protein bars or granola bars in your glove box for emergencies? You could take a baggie full of sliced bell peppers, baby carrots, cucumbers, etc for something crunchy - even popcorn could make a good snack, if you get the stuff without added butter and microwave it at work before heading home! Trail mix or unsalted roasted almonds also make tasty snacks on the go. I even like those squeezable apple sauce pouches - I think they are made for kids, but they provide portion control and are very tasty.

    And everyone has their moments of weakness. There are things at BK that you could eat that wouldn't put you over your calorie goal...a 4 piece nuggets is 190 calories, a soft serve cone has 160. They have side salads, but those are tougher to eat in the car. McDonald's actually has some good options - tasty salads, a yogurt parfait for 150 calories, and a snack wrap with grilled chicken that's 270 calories. Heck, a plain hamburger is 250 calories. You can do a little investigating online before you go so you can make healthy choices.

    You can do this!!
  • southerndream24
    southerndream24 Posts: 303 Member
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    I keep Quest bars in my purse, my desk at work, in my home. I love them and they help tie me over when I need it. Plus, they don't contain large amounts of crap like most bars.
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
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    ..
  • wyszynski61
    wyszynski61 Posts: 1
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    I feel your frustration I've been there but don't give up. Tomorrow is another day. Start again tomorrow as no one is perfect, don't be so hard on yourself. Put snacks in your purse like raw almonds (appox 15 for 100 calories) or 100 calorie protein bar or ganola bars to give you a boost. See your doctor and have your sugar checked. If your insulin is out of whack your sugar can be too high or too low causing fatigue and hunger. Get away from your desk to eat. Try to reduce your stress, take a 10 minute walk at lunch even if it is just around the parking lot. Walking at an appropriate rate due to you heart condition at anytime will help you to feel better and reduce stress. Check with your doctor first to confirm this is okay. I wish you all the best.
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
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    Oops, double post, sorry.
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
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    I keep Quest bars in my purse, my desk at work, in my home. I love them and they help tie me over when I need it. Plus, they don't contain large amounts of crap like most bars.

    I am obsessed with these lately. I eat them before my morning workouts, and they keep me full until lunch! Probably all that fiber. I like the cookie dough ones heated up.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i find that an apple really fills me up and give me a great boost of energy in the afternoon. i read somewhere once that they have the same amount of energy as a can of coke. so i replaced my 3pm soda with an apple.
  • TheEffort
    TheEffort Posts: 1,028 Member
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    I keep Quest bars in my purse, my desk at work, in my home. I love them and they help tie me over when I need it. Plus, they don't contain large amounts of crap like most bars.

    I might have have to try those.

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  • SmartDataGirl
    SmartDataGirl Posts: 10 Member
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    SNACKS: (choose 1)
    -20 almonds
    -2 clif bar z honey graham bars
    -1 luna bar
    -1 clif bar
    -1 quest bar
    -2 med. bananas
    -2 fuji apples
    -2 watermelon slices
    - a poptart ;)
    =200 calories
    FOR DINNER/LUNCH:
    It looks like you should cook ahead of time so you won't have to go through the drive thru....
    I have a stash of frozen meals I make when I am too tired to cook with my dad or when I binge....
    each frozen meal thing should be under 300 calories :)
    Or if you wanted a snack, then eat a medium banana, or a clif bar z granola bar! (the bar isn't the healthiest, but it's 110 calories. I love them b/c I loooove granola and carbs). Or heck you can eat 16 medium strawberries dipped in some truvia!
    Convenient and less fatty than fast food! If you have Trader Joe's you should try their frozen gyozas (eat 4 with 1/2 cup rice), reduced guilt mac and cheese, and their mini pizzas! Also check out hungry girl! I love her recipes. I also like to bake some snacks, I substitute applesauce instead of butter and oil, I use egg whites, truvia, and I even substitute 1/2 of the flour with toasted oat bran, funky! I look on foodiefiasco.com too :)
  • Bogna27
    Bogna27 Posts: 8
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    Thanks for all the encouragement and suggestions!!!! I have been packing lunches and snacks, but have run out prior to the evening drive. Going to stock up on a variety of healthy snacks before I return to work on Monday so my car and desk can be ready. I'll be sure to grab the Quest bars and give them a try. Thanks again!!!!
  • Bogna27
    Bogna27 Posts: 8
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    I feel your frustration I've been there but don't give up. Tomorrow is another day. Start again tomorrow as no one is perfect, don't be so hard on yourself. Put snacks in your purse like raw almonds (appox 15 for 100 calories) or 100 calorie protein bar or ganola bars to give you a boost. See your doctor and have your sugar checked. If your insulin is out of whack your sugar can be too high or too low causing fatigue and hunger. Get away from your desk to eat. Try to reduce your stress, take a 10 minute walk at lunch even if it is just around the parking lot. Walking at an appropriate rate due to you heart condition at anytime will help you to feel better and reduce stress. Check with your doctor first to confirm this is okay. I wish you all the best.

    That whole "Get away from your desk to eat" thing is crucial. There always seems to be work to do but I am realizing that if I don't stop this madness now, I'm not going to be able to work period. Thanks!
  • Bogna27
    Bogna27 Posts: 8
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    i find that an apple really fills me up and give me a great boost of energy in the afternoon. i read somewhere once that they have the same amount of energy as a can of coke. so i replaced my 3pm soda with an apple.

    Interesting...I'm going to have to check this out. Thanks!
  • JRSchumaker
    JRSchumaker Posts: 93 Member
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    I almost always have a protein or granola bar or a pouch of tuna or beef jerky on hand. It's in my purse or in my car, or both. Realizing I've gone through all my snacks makes me feel kinda twitchy, lol.

    You *can* eat at Burger King, or McDonald's, or wherever...just get the Whopper/grilled chicken with no cheese, bacon, or mayo, and no fries or soda. Double up on the veggies, and get a bottled water. They all also serves coffee, and caffeine is a nice appetite suppressant. Just don't go overboard on the cream and sugar.
  • Becka77
    Becka77 Posts: 284 Member
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    I like Fiber One bars and apples. They usually fill me up long enough to make it home and deter me from the drive-through, and I can keep them in my purse or bag at work so I have them with me. If it's not too hot I leave them in the car. I have the same problems, b/c a lot of times I go straight from work to the doctors or running errands and if I don't have something to tide me over I will get fast food instead of waiting until I get home to eat. I've been doing it a lot lately actually, b/c I need to go grocery shopping.

    I've tried almonds, 100 calorie packs and other things, but they never seem to make a dent in my hunger. The trick is finding something that satisfies you, everybody is different.

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