I admit it, I have a problem with food

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eacatterton
eacatterton Posts: 145 Member
in Motivation and Support
So...I have a problem. With food. I try really really hard to eat healthy. And I usually do. The problem is, when I am at work I for some reason feel the need to eat, constantly. I eat breakfast at home, but then eat something (Granola bar, yogurt, fruit) again by 10am. And I struggle to wait until 10am. then lunch around noon. But the afternoon is terrible. I have a snack (fruit, raw veggies, hummus, pretzils, popcorn...something) by 1:30, then again by 3:30, and by 5 I am absolutely starving. I run home to cook as fast as I can so that I am not snacking again as soon as I walk in the door. At night I am fine. I don't typically touch anything after dinner. I feel like I am consuming unnecessary calories. And yes, I drink water. Lots of it. I have a 24oz water bottle at work that I usually fill and drink twice while I am at work, not counting what I drink while at home. I think I eat more so to keep myself busy, although I am already busy at work. I am not really sure what it is. Atleast I am not eating things like cookies, sweets, candy bars, or total junk. I would still like to find a way to cut my afternoon snack down to 1, instead of the 2 or 3 that my mind or body seems to think I need. Any advice or opinions?

Replies

  • R_Woodruff
    R_Woodruff Posts: 74 Member
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    How many calories a day are you eating?
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Have you tried a larger lunch? It may also be a problem with feeling bored or unhappy with work. (more psychological than real hunger)
  • eacatterton
    eacatterton Posts: 145 Member
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    I should be eating 1650 based on mfp, but I am eating between 1800 and 2000 per day. Sometimes with exercise, most times not. :-/
  • eacatterton
    eacatterton Posts: 145 Member
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    I really don't think it has to do with my lunch. Most times it is leftovers from night before, and well balanced. I think I am going to try to start taking a break and going outside to walk around for a few minutes when I get these urges to snack continually in the afternoon. Its the motivation to do it and the time away from my desk that will be the struggle.
  • MegE_N
    MegE_N Posts: 245 Member
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    I have the same problem but in the morning. I want to eat all my food in the morning when I'm at work. I've relied on clementines - I eat between 2-4 a day whenever I feel like snacking. I go through a huge bag of those things in a week. It's low enough in calories that I don't feel all that bad (eating 4-5 puts me in the 100s) and since they're good for me I don't sweat it.

    I also split my lunch. I eat my veggie straws at about 11 and then take my 'lunch break' by leaving the office and walking or sitting outside, and then come back and eat my half sandwich. That forces me to push eating a big part of my lunch until later in the afternoon, so it holds me over close to dinner.

    Best of luck!
  • RockStarlaa
    RockStarlaa Posts: 24 Member
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    I have the same problem with constantly wanting to snack at work. I started chewing gum and it helps a lot. Just an option :) Good luck!
  • advi69
    advi69 Posts: 3
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    You said you are eating popcorn, pretzels with hummus, and so on. These are sugary foods with high glycemic levels. Try to eat food with low glycemic level, mainly considering that you don't exercise at all. Eat for breakfast an omelette with 1 whole egg and 3 whites only - or cook some oats, they will fullfil you for longer (just 1/2 cup with 1/3 of a glass of skimmed milk - and in my case I use soy milk). For snacks, is fine you have fruits, but again fruits have a lot of sugar and would be very helpful if you are doing exercises. As you are not, maybe it's better mix a bit of the fruits with some nuts. In the other side, when you have your lunch, what is exactly "healthy" for you? I found out that in the US people think they are eating healthier but they are not. Try to have always a portion of protein (4oz of breast chicken for example) and as many vegetables you want WITHOUT butter... just drop some olive oil on the top (teaspoon). Another thing, try to separate the meals in smaller portions, around 5 times per day. This will keep you full all the time. I'm quite sure this will help.
  • R_Woodruff
    R_Woodruff Posts: 74 Member
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    Eat more protein. Greek yogurt, almonds, protein shakes after a weight lifting workout, peanut butter, turkey, chicken, steak, fish, any kind of meat really. It will keep you full for longer, I can eat a cup of greek yogurt and a tbsp of peanut butter and be full until dinner if I eat it at lunch with an apple or some kind of fruit. Hope that helps!
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
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    For awhile, I took my calorie goal and broke it into 100 calorie increments... So if my goal was 1600, I had 16x 100 calorie "meals" a day. That let me eat every hour all day long. Eventually I switched to 8x 200 calorie "meals" so eating every 1-2 hours. It is a little weird but knowing it was never more than an hour before eating again helped. Now I can eat every 2-4 hours, and I tend to eat 2-300 calories at a time. I am just not a big meal person. I get a ton of protein at every "snack".

    Oh, and I eat my "meals" pretty slow, over about 15-20 minutes... so it was even less than an hour before eating again in the beginning. So basically I ate all day. After awhile that gets old, so I switched to the 200, etc.

    Break your calories up to meet when you are hungry. Find lots of low calorie snacks that even out your nutrition through the day.

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