How to curb your hunger at work
Has it been difficult trying to curb your hunger while at work? I used to work in an office, just looking at a screen majority of the time, and I’ll cave in on eating some fast food as a snack, which is expensive and makes me feel sluggish throughout the day!
My name is Kadeem Brown, from KB’s Efficient Training, here to give you some tips about eating at work. I figured out a few tips and tricks that can hopefully help with keeping you full before lunch or dinner.
Having a Bigger Breakfast
Having a bigger breakfast maybe seem simple and counterproductive for someone trying to lose weight. “I should just eat less and fight the urges” is what we all say but never do. It is much easier to just make a compromise and eat a little better and a little more before we get to work. Adding a serving may be all you need to get through the rough hour or two before lunch. For example, when I have breakfast, I will have some old-fashioned oatmeal. When I know I have some extra work during the day, and I’ll have to push lunch a few hours away to finish, I’ll add an extra cup of oats to the meal. Always try to add foods with high protein and complex carbs to fill you up and keep your energy high for your workday. If you don’t have breakfast at all, I advise you not to skip it. It could be the reason why you are too hungry during the day. Coffee can’t fix every problem in the morning!!!
Eat some protein
Protein can help shed unwanted pounds, keep your belly full and help you sustain energy. Everything you need to survive through the workday has protein in it. My coworker could sometimes work a full workday with just a protein shake and Greek yogurt. Finding a protein-powered snack could be all you need to kill your workday cravings. When I know I’m going to have a long day at work, I bring food from home which tends to be 2-3 servings of grilled chicken and a serving of brown rice with some leafy greens for lunch. Get me through the workday and it even makes me cut back on how much I eat for dinner that day.
Getting up and moving around
My job has me sitting down for long periods and sometimes I get bored and just think about what I am going to eat, right after I just ate lunch. When that happens, I know I have been sitting down too long, and it’s time to start moving. You can’t exercise at work but there is nothing wrong with taking a small break and warming up the muscles. If you can, a brisk walk during lunch could be just what you need. Moving around/ exercising makes people believe that it’s going to make you hungrier, a common misconception. Exercise inhibits the hormones that make you hungry as the body must focus its functions on regulating everything that allows your body to exercise efficiently.
Overeat when it comes to Greens
If you like eating just salads without dressing, eat to your heart content. A 1 1/2-cup tossed salad containing just vegetables has about 33 calories. If you had 5-7 servings of that, it would be 165-231 calories! I know I can only eat maybe 3 servings of salad without dressing before I feel pretty full. Add some lean protein like chicken or turkey and you might have to save the meal for later! So, if you love veggies, eat as much as you want, you probably get full before you think you’ve overeaten.
These were just a few tips that I have found successful for myself and a few of my coworkers. Of course, these aren’t every possible idea but hopefully, these tips can be useful to you or give you other ideas that could help you stay on track.
Happy Hunting!
