Any teachers out there?

I used to teach. I found packing snack foods like cheese slices, pepperoni sticks and veggies helped. Try packing enough for snacks and make extra at dinner so you can have leftovers for lunch. I know I usually worked through lunch but I could usually find a few minutes to eat a meal. Worst case scenario, I ate lunch after classes but that still sustained me until I left work a few hours later.

I'm an assistant principal, and I know exactly what you mean! I rarely even have 10 minutes a day to sit and eat lunch, so quick fixes are my staple. I think the best way to overcome this is to just pack you a lunch box full of healthy treats for the day. I pack carrots, cucumbers, celery, grapes, oranges... basically all kinds of fruits and veggies, and some quick protein fixes like bags of nuts, cheeses, etc. I don't know if they are available in the UK, but here we have Oscar Meyer Protein Packs. They are a godsend! Even if you don't have them there, you could make some for yourself on Sunday evenings and have them ready for the week!

I have similar problems..I leave at 4AM for the gym & work and get home @5 PM..when I'm cooking supper is my challenge time..I also have trouble drinking water since there is no time to use the bathroom..I am going to try to prelog the night before..

I'm a private early education teacher so my schedule is different every day, but many days of the week I'm out of the house for 12 hours door to door. I prelog all my food. Weigh it out the night before and bring it with you.

Primary teacher here. Packing a lunch from dinner leftovers helps me a bunch, as does packing many healthy snacks to keep in my classroom. Luckily, I have a fridge in my room where I can keep cheese sticks, fruit, veggies, etc. Drinking water is difficult since restroom breaks are rare!

I tend to binge when I get home if I haven't made a meal plan for dinner, so it helps me to create a weekly meal plan before grocery shopping on the weekends. That way I know what I plan to make for dinner and that often helps me avoid just grabbing whatever's near to inhale.

I work out after work and leave for the office every day with my wheelie cooler filled with food and water, my gym bag on top of that and my briefcase. When I came home one night, my neighbors asked, "What airline do you work for?" They thought I was a flight attendant because of all the bags.

Preschool teacher here! I'll just thumbs up what everyone else has said, take ALL your food with you from home, not just your lunches. Measure out your 2-4 little 100 calorie snacks and plan exactly when you're going to eat them. I eat mine during my 10am planning period and then at 2:45 after the kids are gone.

High school social worker here. I definitely understand. This is actually where I'd get caught up-- daily i'd eat a banana at 7am, drink water throughout the day, work through lunch, and leave work around 4:30 - 5pm. By that point, I'd be famished with a headache, so I'd stop and buy something horrible and quick on the way home (working 40 mins. from my house doesn't help). I'd also then eat whatever my husband was cooking that evening because I was too embarrassed to admit just how often I'd come home full from junk food. Craziness, and the weight piled up since I'd then overcompensate. Packing fruits and nuts that would last in the car for that after work stretch helped calm that down.

JanetYellen wrote: »

Almonds in a baggie every day in your purse. A serving size is about 23 almonds? Perfect amount.

That's a lot if almonds. Make sure you weigh them, they are very calorie dense.

Primary art teacher here, and I have to say that I agree with the above posters with pre-logged meals. The weekday is usually the only time that I pre-log up to the end of the school day, but I often eat the same thing every day during the week and change it up at night. I will admit that I am not a morning person; I go to the gym at about 78pm at night, after dinner. I have a 45min commute, probably more now that there is ice and snow, so waking up at 3am to workout is just not an option.

Just keep working at what works best for you. I have found that keeping my workouts scheduled just like I would work or an appointment really help with laziness. And for intake, pre-logging meals may be your best bet. It will also help to really see if you can add in a snack to help with hunger at the end of the day, or if your goals are possibly too aggressive at the moment.

http://mywholefoodlife.com/2013/08/17/12-make-ahead-breakfasts-for-back-to-school-mornings/#1sRlC5PVqm1EmbWU.32

I teach K and completely understand. I'm pretty lucky that their lunch and specials (my plan time) are spaced out reasonably well, so I can drink enough water. That in itself helps a lot, though I totally understand that not being feasible. My kiddos have lunch at 10:30 am, so I just have a Dannon Protein Yogurt Shake and a cup of coffee for breakfast. For lunch, I may make a PB&J with low calorie bread, a tbs of PB, and some reduced sugar jelly (usually on days I plan to go to the gym because this is a little calorie/carb heavier than my other main lunch options), have two boiled eggs, or some lunch meat paired with a Greek yogurt, carrots or cucumber slices, and a cheese stick. During their snack time (2 pm), I'll have a Combat Crunch protein bar. If I'm going to the gym after work, I'll have either a banana or apple with a cheese stick on the way to the gym. Then dinner is usually a protein, rice, and veggies. I'm a picky eater, so that's why my menu is pretty much the same every day. Like I said earlier, I'm lucky to have a schedule where I can use the restroom and eat at reasonable intervals.

A side note: When I started last January, my goal was pretty low, ~1350 calories. I eventually got a Fitbit and it showed me that I take way more steps than a sedentary person, so I changed the settings and raised my goal. That helps A LOT. I felt a lot better, and found it easier to lose.

gold5002009 wrote: »

Hi all,
I am a primary school teacher and have seen my weight balloon 3 stone since I started teaching almost 2 years ago. It is because I am on the go all day and need quick energy fixes to keep going throughout the very long day I have so eat crisps, chocolate or grab a sandwich for lunch. I am in work from 7am until almost 6pm every day so find myself bingeing when I get home too because I feel starving.

Somebody working from home can complain that they have constant access to food, and would do so much better not over eating if they spent half the day in an office. There's always an excuse, so you have to get a grasp on the "why" you eat more food than your body needs. If you have been gaining weight, then you do not the lack energy you need. But, perhaps the food you eat could be more filling. Perhaps you are eating for emotional/psychological reasons.

Lots of people don't eat much for breakfast or lunch, and yet they don't binge when they get home. Do you have a plan for what you are going to eat before you get home? If not, then that's a good place to start.

High school teacher here. I was able to lose 33 lbs last year from November through June. I actually lost the most weight while working, during winter break I lost nothing. During the summer and since September I gained back 10 lbs, mostly because I got comfortable and wasn't following my routine as closely.

This is what has worked for me:
- prep and log my lunches for 5 days. I often eat the same things for 5 days, which doesn't bother me, sometimes it's 3 days then I add to it. For example I make rice in my crockpot (red rice with diced tomatoes is my all time favorite) for 5 days and veggies and meat for Monday through Wednesday at least. Then Wednesday I might cook a different type of meet and vegetable. I'd say this was 75 % of my success.
- my lunches are always cooked, never sandwiches or cup of noodle soups. Usually at 300 calories they fill me up. Mashed potato or rice, meat (chicken, lean pork or sometimes beef) and lots of steamed veggies. Sometimes I take a huge garden salad and 4 ounces of meet that I heat up in the microwave and then mix it. Very tasty
- I have a bad habit, I don't eat breakfast, but I do drink coffee throughout the morning, so that's my breakfast basically. Even if I ate breakfast, I would still the same as usual throughout the day, so I don't. I'm not saying to do this, I'm just saying this is a flaw I have.
- I do eat a snack during our break (10:40 am)
- lunch is at 12:30
- we're done at 2 pm, when I come home I eat something light, if we have a meeting I eat a snack
- I pack non-junk food for snacks or extras for after school or if I'm hungry. Luckily I brought in my fridge and microwave, that makes things better. These food items are:
- granola bars, protein bars
- non-fat yoghurt, non-fat Greek yoghurt
- crackers in ziplock bags, 1 ounce so I can easily log it
- apples, bananas
- nuts
- I just recently discovered that packaged Miso soup tastes like the one you would get in a restaurant. Easy to make with the microwave, very satisfying (warm and salty) and only 30 calories. Sometimes when I feel hungry, that's all I need

If you work long hours I would suggest to have enough good quality food at hand so that you energy and you don't starve yourself. This way when you get home you don't feel exhausted and you won't binge eat.
Nits can be high in calories but they're also healthy and filling. Maybe you can make your own trailmix with nuts, dried fruit, crackers, etc? Drink some milk with it and you'll be surprised how much energy you have.

Don't forget to drink water! I have a huge water bottle with a large opening and I always add fruit. Usually just frozen strawberries or berries, sometimes oranges, lemon with mint, etc. It changes the color of the water and looks pretty. I really don't think this infused water helps you lose weight as many claim, but for me, because it looks pretty and tastes like fruit, I tend to drink it all. Plain water, I hardly touch.