I brainstormed some ideas and actually had some difficulty selecting which small change I wanted to initiate. The contenders:
1) Focus on not slouching when I am sitting at my desk all day long (yes, reminiscent of my mom during my childhood)
2) Go to bed by no later than 11:00 PM every weeknight
3) Have a healthy snack in the mid- or late-afternoon
4) Bring a toothbrush and toothpaste to the office and brush my teeth after lunch or any snacks
I'm not going to lie. Ultimately I chose #3 for this week because it was the easiest.
There is a lot of discussion about the dangers of late-night eating and how to avoid/control it. I personally don't have much issue with late-night eating (probably because I'm not usually one to skimp on dinner). However, that period of time right after I get home from work can be a rough time for me.
Many times I walk through the doorway so hungry that I'm ready to eat my own arm. It's a deadly combination of being in the comforts of my own home, finally having some time to relax, having easy access to the refrigerator/pantry with my own food choices, and still having some time to go before dinner.
To combat this, I started arming myself heavily with food weaponry for my late-afternoon hunger battles. I've always had a designated drawer o' snacks in my office cubicle, but it was time to expand the artillery. My new and improved arsenal now includes an assortment of fruit, nuts, cereal, peanut butter, protein bars, and crackers. I also stored some extra yogurt and cheese in the office fridge. Then, when late afternoon struck, I was ready.
How did it go? Honestly, some of these snacks worked better for me than others. I have quite a salt tooth and I love crunchy snacks. Therefore, when it came to snacking on the cheese/crackers or the nuts, for example, it was a bit of a challenge not to go overboard with them right then and there. E.g.:
"Why yes, I could easily consume this entire box of Triscuits and this entire 8-pack of sliced cheese in three minutes flat!"
Maybe I can improve upon this initiative by doing what I can to avoid addictive snacks in general? That aside, it did make a difference in allowing me to be in a better state of hunger when I get home from work. It is progress and I will take it. Yee-haw!
Thanks to Marcia for hosting this challenge. And now, onto the next small thing!
One thing that used to work for me to control those late afternoon cravings was to schedule a workout/run right after work. If I knew there was a workout to do, I would not want to eat too much so I would not feel bloated during the workout. Plus, once I started exercising, it would suppress my appetite until dinner time.
ReplyDeletePete, you are so good! I have attended some fitness classes right after work, but unfortunately that personally hasn't stopped me from eating too much beforehand. I am more prone to the instant gratification of "eat now, worry about it later!" mentality, hahaha. But I DO agree with you on how working out usually helps curb my appetite for a little bit. However - for me this is offset by the fact that the later in the day that I wait to do my workout, usually the more likely I am to do it! Yes, I have a very, very complex web of motivation, I know...
DeleteYes, we are all have very different "complex webs" of eating/motivation! :) I didn't like the feeling of trying to run fast when I had a "lead weight" in my tummy, so I eventually learned to keep any afternoon snack light and eat it before 3pm, to give myself enough time to digest before my workout. I guess running has helped me focus just a little more attention on what I should eat and drink during the day to make myself feel good most of the time. Sometimes "instant gratification" wins however, and I pay the consequences! :)
DeleteI'm with you, running has been HUGE in helping me focus on what I eat/drink during the days. When I was much younger, it didn't matter too much if I didn't get enough sleep or didn't fuel/hydrate properly. But now these things make a really big difference for me.
DeleteIncidentally, what time do you usually eat lunch? I like to eat lunch on the later side to help the rest of the afternoon go by faster, but it also makes it less ideal for me to snack too early in the afternoon (although I am sure I could manage, LOL).
Lately, I have been eating lunch on the late side (say 1:30) since I strength train at lunch now and then run a short recovery run from my morning run. If I'm not training at lunch I usually eat between 12:30 and 1:00pm.
DeleteOh my goodness. You do early-morning runs, then at lunch you strength train and do a recovery run?!?!? You're not doing late-afternoon workouts on top of all of this, are you? Btw, is your real name Clark Kent?!?!?
DeleteHa! No, just the two runs and strength training. If my body was able to handle it, I might do an evening run too! Actually, I think I discovered that it is better for my times if I do more long runs mixed with recovery days than too many medium/short doubles every single day. So, my plan is evolving! :)
Delete"JUST" the two runs and strength training per day, with consideration of an evening run? Got it, Mr. Kent. ;-)
DeleteI'm with you - salty snacks FTW!
ReplyDeleteAwhile back I stumbled upon Snapea Crisps at Costco. They're not as healthy as vegetables of course, but they give you the feeling that you're eating chips, so it's sort of a win. Plus, they're only 100 calories per serving, and relatively low on fat and salt.
I also find that I can satisfy my salty cravings with baby carrots and hummus, which Costco also conveniently sells in single sized portion cups (to keep me from eating an entire pint of the stuff - nom, nom, nom).
God, I sound like a Costco commercial.
I have both a sweet tooth and a salt tooth, but usually I can stop myself after eating enough sweet stuff. With the salty stuff, I can just keep going and going and going and going... (yes, like the Energizer bunny!) You too?
DeleteThose Snapea Crisps sound very delicious! The problem is that I would be battling to avoid eating about 3 servings of them all at once, heh heh. Kind of defeats the purpose of the 100-calories per serving! And I LOVE carrots and hummus, too. So addicting!
Speaking of which, I actually don't have a Costco membership! I've been considering getting one for awhile. BUT! I am wary of their industrial-sized products because it's just my husband and me in a 2-bedroom condo and we don't have much storage space!
YES! I am bottomless pit of salty snacking. Which is why I like the snapea crips - one bag = 1 serving. I'm at least honest enough with myself that I stop when the single bag is empty. Same with the hummus cups. Yeah, I know the single serve packaging is wasteful, but if it keeps me honest with my eating, I'm willing to wiggle a little on the waste aspect.
DeleteHey - it's just my husband and I, too :-). I find if I buy smart, Costco isn't too bad. Of course I won't buy toothpaste there (really, who needs to buy 3-5 tubes at a time)... but stuff like their produce and meat really make it worth it. You can get a HUGE bunch of bananas for like $2, and great deals on apples, spinach, etc, etc. I try to go every few months to stock up on meat staples (IE ground beef, chicken, etc), then come home, freezer wrap in individual portions, and freeze.
The hard part is stopping yourself from the impulse buys, though. Let's face it - nobody needs a 3 pound tub of cheezy poofs.
Great thoughts on Costco, and I love the concept of buying big packages of staple ingredients to freeze in individual portions! I have to say that I have been most tempted by some of the desserts they sell, but that is a topic for another day.
DeleteBtw - I am sure if I tried hard enough that I could find a way to justify a 3-pound tub of cheezy poofs. ;-)
I'm glad it worked out for you! I try to have a banana around 3pm each day but I try to avoid snacking in general. It seems like our culture here revolves around food and were thinking about dinner at lunchtime and we never ever feel even just a tad hungry. I find that I feel fuller longer when I eat whole unprocessed foods. The crackers and chips just make me crave more of them :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Xaar! You bring up some really key points about eating whole unprocessed foods as much as possible ALL THE TIME. I tend to give certain crackers like Triscuits a "get out of jail free" card because they are less processed than other packaged foods... but at the end of the day they are still processed. So yes, definitely agreed that fruit is a much healthier choice to snack on. I eat a banana almost every morning for breakfast and consider bananas to be the most filling/satisfying fruit out there, especially when compared to more watery fruits like oranges or grapes!
DeleteThanks for linking up Emily! I am similar. While late night snacking is not an issue for me, the afternoons are SO tough!
ReplyDeleteI like Pete's idea of scheduling a run. I never wanna be too full for those.
Thanks for hosting this link-up, Marcia! I am loving it! Can't wait to see what small changes others make, too. Btw - I like all of your small change ideas and wanted to use them for myself. So watch out for potential some similarities in future weeks!
DeleteI like to have something salty/sweet for a snack to fulfill my cravings and keep me from getting hangry on my commute home. If I don't, by the time that hour and a half goes by I will eat ANYTHING when I get home! My favorites lately are plain Greek yogurt with honey and pistachios, an apple and peanut butter or an orange and a 100 calorie pack of popcorn. (Trader Joe's are cheapest)
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the word "hangry" is the perfect way to describe that late-afternoon doozy! You totally understand!
DeletePlain Greek yogurt with honey and pistachios... YUMMY!!!!! What a great mix of sweet, salty, and crunchy. Note to self on that snack idea... =D
I actually have planned snack times when I'm at work, and I find that helps me curb hunger and not get totally off track in my eating, since I know what I'll be snacking on and when. My absolute favorite is an apple with peanut butter (just like Katie!) - both are super filling. If you want to step it up a bit, I make a peanut butter yogurt dip that's just equal parts peanut butter and fat free plain Greek yogurt, with a dollop of honey and a dash of cinnamon (again with my super accurate measurements!). No need to cook anything (I've seen some where you cook the peanut butter, totally not necessary), just stir them all together. I also snack on homemade oatmeal granola bars, which are pretty filling. And because I love cheese too, I just buy string cheese - good portion control. I think it's just a matter of figuring out what will work for you, and you're already on the right track by stocking your drawer full of healthy snacks!
ReplyDeleteI do love peanut butter but I've started hesitating on eating too much of it since it is pretty high in fat. =( But that peanut butter yogurt dip sounds AMAZING and I will be giving that recipe a whirl ASAP! The homemade oatmeal granola bars sound fabulous, too. Seriously, Anne, you are such a wealth of information when it comes to great, healthy recipes. Please share more of them on your blog!!!
DeleteHmm.... I'll see what I can put together :)
DeletePlease do! I look for healthy recipe inspiration everywhere I can! For that reason, I do enjoy reading some of the WIAW posts out there (although I wouldn't do my own WIAW - but that's a story for another time!)
DeleteI'm not really on board with WIAW, but I can share recipes periodically :) Here's a few to start: http://annereallyblogs.blogspot.com/2013/10/in-kitchen-healthy-recipe-round-up.html
DeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!!!!!! I feel so honored to have a post that came from my suggestion!!!!!!! And those recipes look AWESOME. I can't wait to give them all a try!!!!! Especially all the soups (I think I'll be giving the sausage, white bean, and kale one a go this weekend)!
DeleteLet me know how it turns out! Even with the kale (eiwww!) ;)
DeleteLOL, I am surprised you don't like kale! While I have no problems with kale, I do think that spinach has a much more pleasing texture. So I may very well take your suggestion on swapping out the kale for spinach. =)
DeleteThat 3PM hunger is the WORST! I typically try to pack some kind of veggie (sugar snap peas are great if you need something crunchy) or an apple. And, yes, going to the gym or for a run immediately after I get home keeps me from eating between work and dinner. As in, come home, change, go. Do not sit down. Do not open the cabinets.
ReplyDeleteSugar snap peas are great! I like them with a little bit (or a lot!) of hummus. Apples are good, too - but since I wear permanent retainers on my teeth, I have to cut the apples to eat them. And sometimes just the need to cut the apples is enough to drive me to an "easier" snack, if you get my drift! =D
DeleteI am really impressed that you can get home and go for a workout without missing a beat! My thing is that I am less likely to have a good workout when I am hungry (and it didn't help that I've had some races where I suffered through not fueling properly)... so I am just too convincing of myself that I need a pre-workout snack to fuel myself before I go! That leads to opening the cabinets out of "necessity." And unless I have major self-control, it all goes downhill from there, LOL.