2pm-5pm meltdown!

reshmapatel12
reshmapatel12 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, just wanted to get some advice. I eat a healthy fruit, yoghurt and Muslie breakfast which keeps me full till at least 1pm. I then have soup between 1-2 and am happy full. I always have nuts and fruit in my bag if I need anything extra. However come 2-3pm I go on a junk food frenzie, Choc, cake and esp crisps/ popcorn. In the evenings I then eat meat/ fish and veg.
How can I get out of this junk food cycle as at the moment over 500 cals of my average 1500/1700 cal intake is on pure junk food:(

I'm hoping how people say carbs can create a need for sugar, there's a tip for my downfall.

Thanks
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Replies

  • jessspurr
    jessspurr Posts: 258 Member
    I would suggest you eat more protein as that is what has worked for me. Load up on protein at lunch and then when you feel the need to start eating calorie dense, nutritionally void food, eat more protein! Seriously. It's a miracle.
  • dlkingsbury
    dlkingsbury Posts: 90 Member
    Maybe you need a larger lunch? What kind of soup are you having?
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    Maybe you need a larger lunch? What kind of soup are you having?

    Definitely this and what another commenter said about protein (a medical journal article I found says much the same). I have had that problem at precisely that time span, and I read something that said that's a wide spread phenomena. There's a good article here: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/afternoon-energy-boosters

    I used sugar to get my energy up but always ended up crashing later. Not to mention lost control of my eating. Play around with different solutions; you might find what works for you.
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
    Where are you getting this junk food? Don't have it in your house, or avoid the room with the vending machine. Don't let it be an option.
  • CeleryStalker
    CeleryStalker Posts: 665 Member
    I would suggest you eat more protein as that is what has worked for me. Load up on protein at lunch and then when you feel the need to start eating calorie dense, nutritionally void food, eat more protein! Seriously. It's a miracle.
    +1,000,000,000,000

    I was going to say PROTEIN but they beat me to it!
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
    Hi, just wanted to get some advice. I eat a healthy fruit, yoghurt and Muslie breakfast which keeps me full till at least 1pm. I then have soup between 1-2 and am happy full. I always have nuts and fruit in my bag if I need anything extra. However come 2-3pm I go on a junk food frenzie, Choc, cake and esp crisps/ popcorn. In the evenings I then eat meat/ fish and veg.
    How can I get out of this junk food cycle as at the moment over 500 cals of my average 1500/1700 cal intake is on pure junk food:(

    I'm hoping how people say carbs can create a need for sugar, there's a tip for my downfall.

    Thanks

    I had the exact same problem when I was losing weight (I'm maintaining now).

    Try eating a higher-protein and lower-carb breakfast. You're right that carbs often create a craving for sugar and more carbs and MORE CARBS!!! :wink: I found that having Greek yogurt with a serving of plain whey protein, and some unsweetened dried coconut or other nuts/seeds, plus fruit of some kind, was the best hunger-preventing breakfast for me. If I were you I'd replace the muesli with some kind of protein powder you like (the unflavored is best for this purpose, I think, because then you don't notice it much at all) and coconut, hemp seeds, or other nuts/seeds you like.

    Also, make sure you have something protein-dense with your soup for lunch. Bring some sandwich meat, meatloaf, a burger, lowfat cheese, roasted soynuts, or other high-protein stuff to accompany the soup. Soup can be a wonderful low-cal, filling food, but since it's mostly liquid it's not filling for terribly long! I got into a habit of making big batches of vegetable soups from Skinnytaste, freezing single servings of those, and bringing them to work with me along with some meatloaf or a small turkey burger or a couple servings of low-fat cheese with me for my work lunches. It worked really well!

    It does kind of sound to me like your breakfast and lunch choices are just really low-cal, too. I worked at keeping mine low in calories too since I like to enjoy a decent-sized to large dinner, but if the calories you're having before dinnertime are just too small of a share of your daily allowance, you'll (obviously) be hungry no matter what you eat. If you ate a bit more for lunch, you'd be using the same amount of calories or less than you would with the junk food snacking and you'd probably be more satisfied, too!

    Hope this helps!
  • kagnann1
    kagnann1 Posts: 8
    I agree with the bigger lunch and more protein. I had the same issue, and started adding pure protein bars to my diet, about 3pm. They are great. They taste good, have 20g of protein and only 2 sugars. They keep me full to power me through my workout as well.
  • karmasays
    karmasays Posts: 82 Member
    Soup tends to have a lot of sodium, your body MAY just be craving water but you're confusing the signs.

    Try adding some fibre and protein to your lunch to help keep you full.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
    My advice is eat a bigger lunch or eat something other than "junk" food at 3.
  • belle165
    belle165 Posts: 16 Member
    Having some zone style snacks in the fridge at work really helps me. When everyone else starts to hit the cookies, I have something like

    babybel light cheese (already portioned for you), or a greek yogurt (watch how much sugar) or some low fat cottage cheese and some grapes or strawberries or even better a Green apple (these are great - totally portable, keep for a long time and very yummy). My cheat is another babybel cheese right before I head home and a bottle of water for the trip. I agree this (okay and the dinner is over but I keep eating) are the roughest times. It only takes two weeks of whiteknuckling it to set the new habit.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    Hi, just wanted to get some advice. I eat a healthy fruit, yoghurt and Muslie breakfast which keeps me full till at least 1pm. I then have soup between 1-2 and am happy full. I always have nuts and fruit in my bag if I need anything extra. However come 2-3pm I go on a junk food frenzie, Choc, cake and esp crisps/ popcorn. In the evenings I then eat meat/ fish and veg.
    How can I get out of this junk food cycle as at the moment over 500 cals of my average 1500/1700 cal intake is on pure junk food:(

    I'm hoping how people say carbs can create a need for sugar, there's a tip for my downfall.

    Thanks
    Your diary is not open so it's hard to give concrete advice.

    Good you are eating 1500-1700 a day. Soup during the day is never filling for me, but at night I do fine on it. I would suggest having something more than soup for lunch- maybe some protein or fat? Maybe some of those nuts in your bag? Greek yogurt?

    Also, you have control over food, it does not have control over you. No food is good or bad, so plan on having that popcorn around 2 or 3 (or whenever you have the binge), or a small serving of cake, or a serving of crisps. Plan the snack out, don't deprive yourself, and remember moderation is the key.

    How about pre-logging if you don't do so already? I do that, but if I know I am going to be around some snack I might want, I leave room for those in my calorie goal.

    Also, it's okay if you go over your calorie goal once in awhile. it happens.

    Good luck!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    Having some zone style snacks in the fridge at work really helps me. When everyone else starts to hit the cookies, I have something like

    babybel light cheese (already portioned for you), or a greek yogurt (watch how much sugar) or some low fat cottage cheese and some grapes or strawberries or even better a Green apple (these are great - totally portable, keep for a long time and very yummy). My cheat is another babybel cheese right before I head home and a bottle of water for the trip. I agree this (okay and the dinner is over but I keep eating) are the roughest times. It only takes two weeks of whiteknuckling it to set the new habit.
    Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie packets-- delish! Cottage cheese too.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    Afternoons are the times that if I am going to "binge" is when it happens.

    What I did when I first started tracking calories...

    First I tracked when I was the most hungry.
    Then I shifted more calories to that time slot.

    Since I control myself better at night I ate a lighter dinner.

    Recently however my "hungry times" have shifted. I eat a snack early in the morning such as Greek yogurt. Then I eat breakfast closer to lunch time and then a light lunch in the late afternoon. This gives me more calories at night which lately seems to be when I am hungry.

    Figure out when you are the most hungry and allot more calories to that time...or try to eat your lunch later so that you are not grabbing the snacks. I have been there and done that. The only way that I was able to solve it was to schedule more food for that time.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    Step 1: Eat a bigger lunch with protein so you feel satisfied.
    Step 2: Obtain some willpower.
    Step 3: If you still feel like snacking in the afternoons, preplan it and bring it with you.
    Step 4: Repeat step 2 and eat the snack you brought instead of the cake.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Analyze it--why are you going crazy for junk food at 2-5 in your own mind?

    Are you actually hungry? Your lunch seems kind of small to me, but soups obviously vary in size. How many calories is it? What's in it? Any protein? Soups can be high in protein but lots are quite low.

    Are you craving something particular? Since you say you have nuts and fruits and seem to be eating something else, it sounds like it. If so, have you tried eating the nuts and fruit or other munchies (raw vegetables, maybe something with protein, etc.) instead?

    Do you have a pre-existing habit of eating at that time? I used to always eat in my office around 5, and so until I broke that habit (only took about a week) I would feel like eating at that time.

    Do you feel tired/low at that time? If so, consider switching up your lunch or adding a snack that works better with your plan around 2.

    Are you feeling deprived of what you are calling "junk food" if it's something you actually really like? Consider working it in at a particular point in your day or week and then telling yourself that you get that later. For me knowing I can have something means that I don't mind passing it up at other times.

    Also, it will be easier to avoid eating snacks not in your plan in the afternoon if you aren't feeling hungry or experiencing cravings, which will likely be affected by your lunch, but the fact is that you can control it. Just decide that if you want to eat something you are eating the snacks you've picked out in advance for that purpose and not whatever else you are eating. Also, if you are buying it, just don't. (I'm kind of assuming you are at work and they are just at your office, as with mine, but still you control whether you eat them or not.)
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    Definitely more protein, veggies and fiber rich foods for lunch if you get hungry an hour later. Eat foods that keep you full longer.
  • reshmapatel12
    reshmapatel12 Posts: 6 Member
    I have the glorious soups ... About 150 cals! I normally don't eat anymore, because I'm at a happy full stage. But will look to have more protein as soon as I get any cravings!
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,931 Member
    Maybe you need a larger lunch? What kind of soup are you having?

    Definitely this and what another commenter said about protein (a medical journal article I found says much the same). I have had that problem at precisely that time span, and I read something that said that's a wide spread phenomena. There's a good article here: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/afternoon-energy-boosters

    I used sugar to get my energy up but always ended up crashing later. Not to mention lost control of my eating. Play around with different solutions; you might find what works for you.

    Yup! I find I usually need lunch to be my biggest meal or I feel ravenous.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Hi, just wanted to get some advice. I eat a healthy fruit, yoghurt and Muslie breakfast which keeps me full till at least 1pm. I then have soup between 1-2 and am happy full. I always have nuts and fruit in my bag if I need anything extra. However come 2-3pm I go on a junk food frenzie, Choc, cake and esp crisps/ popcorn. In the evenings I then eat meat/ fish and veg.
    How can I get out of this junk food cycle as at the moment over 500 cals of my average 1500/1700 cal intake is on pure junk food:(

    I'm hoping how people say carbs can create a need for sugar, there's a tip for my downfall.

    Thanks

    You could eat more calories before 2pm so you aren't driven to binge.
  • reshmapatel12
    reshmapatel12 Posts: 6 Member
    Just read all the messages! Thanks everyone for their tips. My breakfast is about 350 cals and my soup is about 150.
    As I said I don't normally eat much more at lunch because I'm happy full. But will definately take on board the additional protein comment and the switching about of when I use my cals.
    I've always eaten junk food in the afternoon since I started working in an office but it wasn't a problem as I used to go to the gym 5 days a week and skip dinners. Now living with my partner I don't skip dinners and I wasn't exercising and have gained 10% in weight in less than 6 months. I have reintroduced some exercise recently though.

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