As I have been posting, on the days I work, I tend to overeat. I make a plan before work and I bring foods to work that are satisfying and healthy. No problem following the plan at work. I avoid food in the teachers' lounge and I don't buy vending stuff. I just eat my lunch and snacks from home.

Then... I arrive home and feel HUNGRY. I go to snack foods like Triscuits, other crackers and granola. I don't keep chips or candy bars in the house. Still, it is easy to down 500 calories in snack foods.

On days that I do not work, I do not feel so hungry around 3.30. Today I am having a milk tea and feel totally satisfied. Strange that my food is the same and I have totally different responses depending on work/no work.

I think that my HUNGER is really stress, feelings, whatever related to work. My work does not seem stressful. I like it. In fact, I do it because I enjoy it- the $ is not critical in our household. However, it is a lot to handle a classroom.

I just sort of lose myself and my food plan after a day of teaching. I grab and stuff foods that I would normally ignore.

I am giving thought to showering after work--- before I put even 1 bite into my mouth. I totally relax in the shower- then I can hop into yoga pants and a cotton shirt. I am also giving thought to doing some journaling BEFORE I eat. This will be harder to do because I won't really want to do it, but it might give me some insight into why I am bent on overeating after work.

Do others struggle with this? What do you do?

Yeah Sandy!

I had a good, on plan day today. I am not sure what made the difference, but I know that I stayed mindful of my plan all day. When I got home, I was super conscious of needing to stay clean and clear. It worked. And... I did not feel super hungry.

The shower helped. I was able to put on a comfy outfit and get the house in order (mail, messages, notes...) so that I was more relaxed.

We'll eat soon and I feel sane enough to stick to plan! I will end up at 1300-1400 calories- have not finished logging yet..a good day.

Dawn,
I also find that I struggle more when I eat lunch early. I have fallen down that hole many times. Now I try super hard to eat closer to Noon, but sometimes teaching schedules do not cooperate.

Is it not what you eat but when you eat? Do you eat earlier at work than you do at home?

We're on block scheduling at my school. Every other day my lunch is at 11:03. I'm hungry when I get home on those days. On the other days, I don't eat lunch until 12:15, and typically, I'm not so hungry when I get home.

Dawn

for me, it is Stay At Home and Overeat.

work is fine because i control what I bring. we don't get too many random gifts of food left everywhere. Even if i am stressed at work (which i was this week), i have no snacks to grab. i just have my packed lunch and breakfast.

but at home, too much good stuff. Chocolate Soy Ice Cream sandwiches from trader joe--this is my cocaine!

When I was working full time, stress could play a big part in how hungry I felt (notice I said how hungry I FELT and not how hungry I WAS). Mostly, though, days of high stress made me crave sweets more than they made me want to eat more either at work or when I got home.

I remember posting here about Oreos. The snack bar in my building sold Oreos in a little pack of 6 cookies. When I was really stressed, I might go down there and get a pack and eat them at my desk...I felt noticeably calmer immediately after eating them. It weirded me out and made me mad that 6 little cookies could have so much power over me.

quote:

Originally posted by Nbox:
Sandy,
I've heard (and noticed) that when your brain works hard, you get hungrier. Can you plan for a healthy extra snack with your milk tea on the days when you work? Fresh fruit, or a small portion of muesli and yoghurt?

I'm often hungry way before dinner. A tiny snack keeps me going while I'm cooking.

My daughter is doing research on the brain- she said the our brains use 20% of our daily calories. Blows me away. Unfortunately I don't think my problem is related to lack of calories. I am quite sure that I am simply stress eating.

I am off to work today. I have my snacks and meals. Dinner is simple- a salad and pasta. My plan is to come home, shower, change into the most comfy outfit and then start dinner. THanks so much for the ideas and support.

Sandy,
I've heard (and noticed) that when your brain works hard, you get hungrier. Can you plan for a healthy extra snack with your milk tea on the days when you work? Fresh fruit, or a small portion of muesli and yoghurt?

I'm often hungry way before dinner. A tiny snack keeps me going while I'm cooking.

It could be habit. You probably follow a different pattern of activities when you get home from work than you do when you get home after being out on other days. Your subconscience says "ok, we're home from work so it is time to eat a snack."
Doing something different like your idea of a shower might break the cycle.

I like your plan of showering and then changing into workout clothes right when you get home. Maybe the transition to a more quiet emotional space will help eliminate the off plan eating.

Sometimes just changing the routine of what you do when you walk through the door can help break a pattern.