Right About Now I Fall Apart

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rowlandk
rowlandk Posts: 146 Member
in Motivation and Support
This is my normal daily routine. I do super well with my nutrition until about 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon when I'm sitting at my desk doing my work and all I can think about is grabbing something to munch on from our kitchen. I don't understand. I can go all morning without eating the bad things back there, but right now it's hard to keep myself in my chair! Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do to get past it?
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Replies

  • meathelmet1981
    meathelmet1981 Posts: 2 Member
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    Hi,

    I have the same problem.

    I have a 'stash' of different types of fruits and low fat/low calorie cup 'a soups that i can snack on.

    These have recently replaced a pretty big supply of chocolate bars!

    I also have pretty supportive colleagues that tend not to eat 'bad' food around that time of the day.

    Keep going.

    M
  • rowlandk
    rowlandk Posts: 146 Member
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    We have a cook that comes in to our office every day to make us lunch and she makes us snacks for the afternoon before she leaves and it's always cookies, cakes, brownies, etc. She sits them on the counter right next to the apples and oranges I asked her to pick up. It is SO HARD to walk into that kitchen and pick up an apple or orange instead of the frosted turnovers she has back there today!
  • katytru
    katytru Posts: 9
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    Yeah i have this problem ALL the time. I'm feeling some food shame currently because i could have gone to subway today (My sandwich i get is actually really healthy) and went to Popeyes with a friend instead. (Ouch talk about how much zumba I'll need to do tonight)
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    Now that you recognised when, you need to find something to fit into your daily goals. This site was posted before. It has a lot of Ideas that won't kill the whole day.
    http://www.canadianparents.com/article/100-family-snacks-under-100-calories
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    I just ate a candy bar, so yeah. Late afternoon is the worst. But a little junk is okay if it gets you through - just make it work with your overall calorie goal.
  • UnderCoverShyGirl
    UnderCoverShyGirl Posts: 254 Member
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    I had a friend that found stuff so hard to resist, she'd dump salt all over it and then throw it away (because if she didn't dump salt on it, she might snatch it out of the trash!!). I suppose you can't do that with everyone elses treats :-(.

    I have a hard time keeping my mind off stuff like that, and i find the best way to deal with it is to avoid seeing it, and if you need to, put some yummy and maybe even somewhat similiar things in the freezer or kitchen that are for you. Smart ones or skinny cow have frozen dessert/ ice cream with brownies, etc...or allow yourself to cut up a banana, put a scoop of fat free cool whip and a drizzle of chocolate sauce....whatever you can come up with that fits within your health goals and feels decadent enough that you won't care about those treats. As your resolve/willpower increases, you may find you need less and less need for your substitute, but if not, that's okay too. It's not the healthiest proposal, but i know from experience that sometimes eating a piece of fruit or something else doesn't help me get my mind off the super yummy thing that is too close to comfort. Check out some recipes and products for things that you would love but don't have the same guilt factor!
  • frygirl01
    frygirl01 Posts: 27 Member
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    I have that problem, too. Sometimes a big drink of water helps. I realized for myself that sometimes the urge to eat was just an excuse to take a break from whatever I was working on. I like to take a 10 minute "parking lot walk" to help clear my head and de-stress a little bit .
  • Betsybeee
    Betsybeee Posts: 113 Member
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    How about keeping a box of protein bars in your desk....no refrigeration required and yet there are some out ther with 20 gms of protein, low fat, and low sugar. I have a protein bar with a large glass of water and that helps me get over that mid afternoon slump.

    Good luck to you.
  • rowlandk
    rowlandk Posts: 146 Member
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    Thank you for the suggestions. I went to the kitchen and ate a banana, but you are right, it doesn't really fill the hole where the chocolate should go. haha. I have had the smart ones before and they are pretty good. Maybe I will try bringing in a few of those. For this afternoon I grabbed some salted almonds (I know they aren't the best but they have to be a little better than the other sweets right?) and they seem to be doing the trick.
  • rowlandk
    rowlandk Posts: 146 Member
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    Protein bar is a great idea! I can keep those in my desk and completely stay out of the kitchen. I just found a recipe on here today for some homemade ones so maybe that will be my new fix!
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
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    Me too. I bring an afternoon snack that fits into my day.
  • cutiekaylaa
    cutiekaylaa Posts: 70
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    I have the same problem. I always end up binging and then getting depressed. So right now I'm trying to distract myself from the kitchen.
  • denise_earheart
    denise_earheart Posts: 354
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    I'm a stay at home wife/mom so I know the temptation.... I started munching on sunflower seeds. Many different flavors and you can have A LOT and not rack up the calories.... Also get some yummy sugar free gum
  • nytdreamer80
    nytdreamer80 Posts: 123 Member
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    Im the SAME way. Usually around this time, and then after dinner around 800. Those times are the HARDEST for me. Maybe bring a snack into work to get you through til dinner.
  • paulcer
    paulcer Posts: 167 Member
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    An afternoon iced coffee helps me.
  • emrys1976
    emrys1976 Posts: 213 Member
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    I had that problem until i finally took my dietitian's advice and made a few changes - bigger breakfast with more protein, not going more than 4-5 hours without eating, and planning for snacks in the afternoon because I'm always hungry then (and because going from 1230 lunch to 730 dinner is too long to go without eating). Perhaps looking at your intake in the mornings and lunch times could have some clues for you. Your diary is closed so i don't know if that's the issue or not.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    You need to plan ahead. Make sure your whole day of eating is planned out. When you're hungry, eat the planned food.

    If you're chronically hungry, something is wrong.
  • rowlandk
    rowlandk Posts: 146 Member
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    I almost think it makes it worse that I go straight to school after work so I know I won't be able to eat again until at least 10:00 tonight and by then I will probably be too tired to think about calories. So it seems like my mind is telling me to eat up now so I don't get hungry in class.
  • JBrown9538
    JBrown9538 Posts: 39 Member
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    Amen! This time of day stinks LOL I keep a stash of Quaker Chewy Smashbars in Grahan Pretzel flavor in my desk. It's salty and chololatey and only 90- calories :)
  • chantelle149
    chantelle149 Posts: 22 Member
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    Green tea and an afternoon snack like fruit or yogurt always helps me. Also if you have a break, mines 15 mins. I go for a quick walk and it helps me get over the cravings. Best of luck :)

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