Need motivation to eat well in an office job

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  • misskarne
    misskarne Posts: 1,765 Member
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    I recognise that I am very lucky - I live very close to work. It's about 10min walk. So I come home for lunch. For me, this breaks up the work day and gives me more options for lunch.

    But I always keep two small packets of chips with me at work. One for eating around 10am, the other for eating around 3am, and then I am all good.
  • aquablue_1111
    aquablue_1111 Posts: 40 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I log all my food into MFP in the morning, pack it, and that's all I eat at work. I don't go out for lunch and I rarely eat the treats other people bring. If I do want to eat something someone else brought, I check my log and see if I want/can make room for it. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.

    Wow I simply cannot tolerate this kind of restriction for myself. To me, this akin to a mental prison!!!!

    Today some coworkers brought in donuts for everyone. I'm thinking about having a second (much much later when extra left) :)

    I almost never pack lunch from home. It's hard enough to deal the drudgery, repetitiveness of work/life, I don't need to promote it.

    Wow. Really? Just goes to show we are all different.

    It's not just health for me, it's money, too. Personally I hate the idea of working all those hours and then blowing the proceeds on the sort of low quality overpriced food options that tend to exist near offices. Work to me is an unfortunate necessity and I would far rather economise on lunch and work as few hours as I can get away with.

    Anyway, I love my packed lunches. I make them pretty. Today I had red pepper pasta with breaded turkey, and there was a home made brownie that brought me joy.

    For the record, I would have had a doughnut, too. That's too good to pass up.


    Same here!

    I can't afford to be eating out at lunch/snacks. I'm taking my $$ and using it for other goals.

    I change up my lunch whenever I feel like it. I actually found weighing my food to be liberating b/c I make 'room' for my dessert every day and I don't feel guilty about eating it. My office will have cookies or birthday cakes on occasion and I partake in that too sometimes. I'm mindful of the portion and b/c I know exactly what I've had for the rest of the day, I don't stress too much on whether I've totally blown through my calories with that 1 piece.

    My snacks will vary and partly depends on what I'm craving. Lately, I've been really enjoying a slice of Dave's Killer Bread and peanut butter. Other days I've done a slice of Havarti and some deli meat. 2% Fage greek yogurt + ground flaxseed + whey protein powder has been in heavy rotation for awhile b/c I just love the combo. I also will have a Kirkland high protein bar. Hubby likes baby carrots and hummus.

    I try to incorporate protein and some fat in all my snacks b/c I've found that keeps me full longer than eating just carbs.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited March 2017
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    endlessfall16 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I log all my food into MFP in the morning, pack it, and that's all I eat at work. I don't go out for lunch and I rarely eat the treats other people bring. If I do want to eat something someone else brought, I check my log and see if I want/can make room for it. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.

    Wow I simply cannot tolerate this kind of restriction for myself. To me, this akin to a mental prison!!!!

    Today some coworkers brought in donuts for everyone. I'm thinking about having a second (much much later when extra left) :)

    I almost never pack lunch from home. It's hard enough to deal the drudgery, repetitiveness of work/life, I don't need to promote it.

    Funny. Different strokes for different folks, huh? I get bored eating out all the time and have much better success when I meal plan.

    And...if they're good doughnuts, I can and have eaten more than one! But not crappy doughnuts, only awesome ones. (IMO, Krispy Kreme are crappy.) But, it's good to know what it's going to do to the rest of my day. Would I rather have that doughnut, or pizza night with my family later, for example.
  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
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    I work in an office, I never have an issue. In fact it's easier than being at home because routine. I generally have my 400ml Apex coffee flask in the morning (keeps hot for 5 hours) so that keeps me busy and I don't need breakfast. I have lunch at 12 and I finish at 4pm so by the time I catch the bus home and we've made dinner it's 5:30 and I'm fine. I struggle on the weekends because my hubby likes to eat.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
    edited March 2017
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    kristikitter wrote: »
    Make sure you pair your snacks - so if fruit doesn't fill you up, eat some grapes but pair with a cube of cheddar; or eat raisins but pair with almonds, etc.

    Wholegrain crackers are nice for a bit of crunch too.

    ETA: I started an office job at 135lbs, am now 189lbs. If THAT isn't motivation for you I don't know what is! Catch it before you get fat like me.

    When I have sufficient protein (and sleep) I don't get the munchies, so count me as another vote with pairing fruit or veggies with something with fat and protein.

    I like:

    * Apples with cheese or nuts
    * Carrots with hummus or almonds
    * Hard boiled eggs with roasted salted sunflower seeds

    I used to keep nuts in my desk, carrots and cheese in the frig, and make hard boiled eggs on the weekend.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,953 Member
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I log all my food into MFP in the morning, pack it, and that's all I eat at work. I don't go out for lunch and I rarely eat the treats other people bring. If I do want to eat something someone else brought, I check my log and see if I want/can make room for it. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.

    Yep ... that's pretty much what I do.

    And it gets easier as you go along to pass up whatever people have brought into work. :)

  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I usually snack on fruit and nuts. I always have the following in my office: nuts, trail mix, granola, fruit (usually apples, oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, pineapple, and/or pears), oatmeal, and seed crackers. Sometimes I'll have avocado toast, a smoothie, soup, or hummus and cucumbers or carrots.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    I keep snacks at my desk for those days when I just have hunger strike. Usually its the 100cal pack of cashews (so small, so sad aww :frowning: ), a snack bar (like a chia/fruit/nut kind), goldish (or in this case, penguins!), beef jerky, fruit leather (aka adult fruit rollup), and in case of missed meal emergencies I have the single serve cereal container.
    I find the hardest part about having non-perishable snacks is they're either full of salt (preservatives, I know) or sweet. My coworkers tease me for my snack drawer, but in all reality, the most I'm in it is to grab a bag of tea or plastic utensils. Like the chocolate on my desk it's out of sight, out of mind.

    If a fridge is no mind (I work in a call center, so not always easy to get up and go to the fridge), store some pre-portioned hummus, if you eat cheese some cheese sticks, prepared veggies.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I pack a bento box (lunch box with lots of little compartments) that I fill with mostly vegetables. Maybe one compartment with fruit. And an ounce of cheese. I also found single serve 100 cal containers of guacamole at Costco last time we were there - so I've been packing one of those too. Carrot sticks and cauliflower with guacamole is quite satisfying and very tasty.

    I also keep a box of Triscuits and a variety of protein bars in my desk drawer. And I think I have some nuts and dried fruit in there too.

    I also have a mini fridge which is mostly for keeping my diet soda cold - but also holds yogurt.

    Finally, I have a kettle in my office. I find that peppermint tea does a wonderful job of substituting for "idle snacking" as long as I'm not really really hungry.

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