How to avoid overeating when working from home
Many of us have moved our office to home and are forced to develop a new routine. In this new norm, it's common to find ourselves taking regular trips to the pantry making it easy to over-consume. The kitchen is only a few steps away, there's another news update every time you check and you're finding your screen time is steadily increasing as you stay connected to co-workers, friends and family.
In this article we are sharing our top 5 tips on how to balance our eating habits, where lines are becoming blurred between work and play (and hungry or just bored).
Tip 1: Plan your meal and snack times
Routine is an imperative step to keeping yourself healthy (and sane) when working from home. So, just as you may have a usual schedule when in the office, planning when and what you will eat throughout the day at home will help keep you on track. If you usually eat a snack around 10:30am, continue doing that. If you usually have lunch around 1pm, again, continue doing that.
For a list of smart snacks check out our recent article here.
Tip 2: “Pack a lunch box”
Even though you may be in your office at home, at the kitchen table, or at a DIY desk in your bedroom, you are still ‘at work’. Would you take the whole box of crackers to work and eat out of the box? Would you take the whole punnet of strawberries? Would you take the whole bag of popcorn?
If you are someone who packs your lunch and snacks each day, continue doing that! If you are someone who buys lunch every day, and has been meaning to change this habit to save money, well this is the perfect time to do so! Maybe it is a hypothetical lunchbox, maybe it is an actual lunchbox in your fridge - whatever it looks like, together with planning WHEN you will eat throughout the day, plan WHAT you will eat (just as you would if you were going into the office).
Need some lunch ideas? Check out our recent article on how to make a quick lunch.
Tip 3: Separate work and meal time
It might be quite tempting to grab a bite to eat and continue working through lunch now that you are not physically sitting with your co-workers. However, lack of concentration during meal times can lead to overeating (or under eating), and decreased satiety (feeling of fullness and satisfaction post-meal). It is possible that others in your household are also working from home, how about deciding on a lunch time and eating together, just as you would with your co-workers. Living alone? Why not take a step back from the computer (and other technology), and just focus on eating your meal mindfully. Chances are you’ll get more satisfaction out of your meal (leading to less boredom snacking) and have the energy and motivation to continue working after lunch.
Tip 4: Cut back on caffeine
Would you sit at work drinking coffee after coffee? If the answer is no, don’t do it at home either. Too much caffeine is known to cause anxiety (which may already be heightened during these unprecedented times), headaches and believe it or not, a reduction in productivity. Now I am not saying cut it out completely, just be mindful of how much. Like your morning coffee - have it! Usually have one around midday or early afternoon - continue! However, once you start exceeding YOUR ‘normal’ then it's time to cut back. Why not swap that extra cup of coffee for a herbal tea or glass of water?
Along with tea and coffee often comes sugar. Too much sugar will cause your blood sugars to yo-yo, making you feel lethargic and ‘sluggish’. Popping a teaspoon of sugar into your morning coffee isn’t the end of the world, however when it becomes 5 cups, with 5 teaspoons of sugar, you will start to feel it! Also noting, unrefined sugars (such as honey), still have an effect on our blood sugars and must be treated in the same way as ‘added sugar’ - so don’t go squeezing half the jar of honey into your cup!
Bonus tip - eating throughout the day should provide you with the energy needed to be productive at work. So, if you find yourself dozing off, think about what you’ve eaten, think about the lighting in your home office (perhaps it is irritating your eyes), or go get some fresh air and recharge. This may be in the form of a stroll outside, sitting in your backyard or balcony, or just opening a window.
Tip 5: Avoid working near the kitchen
Last but not least, try not to combine office and kitchen. Now, this may be difficult if you are living in a confined space, or your whole household has been sent home to work. However where possible, try to separate these two environments. Setting up your “workspace” as if it were your office desk would help differentiate between your home environment and your work environment. If this space is on your kitchen table, try facing your chair away from the kitchen - this way you aren’t constantly tempted to go grab a snack.
If the current climate of information-overload has you feeling overwhelmed and in need of extra support and guidance towards a balanced nutrient- and fibre-rich diet, book in with one of our Dietitians via Telehealth today.
