How to Prevent Overeating When Working from Home
Posted: Jan 31 in Weight Loss Blog by Staff
More people than ever before have found themselves working from home these days. And though the perks are great, like no commute and holding Zoom meetings in your pajama pants, there are some downfalls.
One of those downfalls is the ability to snack all day long. After all, the kitchen is right there, and the temptation to grab just a little something from the pantry during a work break is powerful.
But mindless eating is a big contributor to weight gain. Too many calories that you don’t burn off end up getting stored as fat. And yet, it’s much harder to resist temptation when there is an easy path to get to it, like a pantry full of treats right down the hall.
What can you do to prevent gaining weight at home?
There are some tips and tricks that you can follow to prevent added weight grain while you work from home.
- Have healthy snacks available. A snack with a bit of protein will help you feel full and avoid snacking on high-calorie items. Make it something easy you can grab without much trouble.
Some healthy ideas are:
- Low-fat yogurt with a handful of nuts
- Half of a whole-wheat bagel topped with peanut butter
- A cheese stick and an apple
- Carrot sticks dipped in hummus
- Half an avocado smeared on whole-wheat toast
- Have a set eating schedule. When you’re at home, it’s easy to neglect your usual lunch hour. Don’t do this. Get up and eat a healthy breakfast before work. Have one or two snacks during the day, depending on your hunger needs. And eat lunch at your usual hour. Don’t think you are doing yourself a favor by neglecting to eat by the end of the day. You’ll end up starving, and this can lead to bad food choices.
- Get up and move around. Rather than raiding the pantry during your next work break, get up and get some steps in. Sometimes we eat because we are bored or we need stress relief. If you can, go outside and take a walk around the block. Or you can walk around your house a few times. Sometimes getting movement is enough to get you ready to re-focus on your work without needing to eat at all.
- Watch out for trigger foods. If your trigger food is Oreos, don’t buy a family-size carton of Oreos to stock in your pantry. Now that you’re home, it means you have to avoid the temptation of that food all day. Don’t stock up on foods that you know will trigger you into a bout of overeating.
- Splurging occasionally is okay. The worst thing you can do is forbid yourself from eating a certain type of food. This will only make you want it more. If you’re eating healthy most of the time, you will not hurt yourself by having an indulgent treat now and then. Just don’t absent-mindedly eat an entire bag of chips for your indulgence. Eat your treat slowly, and be sure to enjoy yourself.
Working from home can be great, but it doesn’t mean it’s without stress. Don’t let overeating get the best of you. With a little preparation, you can keep your eating habits healthy, even from home.