Snack cravings

So with my job I tend to have full on, slightly erratic days that means I often have lunch at odd times. On these days I'm often really hungry by the time I actually get to have my lunch and even though I've prepared a healthy salad or soup and I have apples at my desk, I crave the sandwiches and cookies in the cafe upstairs. I know this is just my brain compensating for my being hungry so trying to get me to eat the high calorie foods but sometimes it works. Does anyone else have this problem? And how do you fix it?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Why don't you try eating the apples you have at your desk, or have a more filling breakfast.

As at any other time of the day, it's mind over matter

[Hidden in reply to moreless]

On the days I eat the apples instead of going upstairs it definitely works, once I'm no longer hungry I don't crave the bad foods. It's just on the days that the logic doesn't quite win. But I guess it's just a case of breaking old habits and reforming new ones. Hopefully I'll get there soon.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Hidden]

How about making the apple, or any other healthy snack, a regular part of your eating plan eg, at 10am always eat something, to ward off those hunger pangs and therefore a trip up the stairs

[Hidden in reply to moreless]

That's definitely a good idea, that way if I end up having a late lunch it shouldn't matter too much. I'll try that. Thanks

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Hidden]

Fingers crossed for a good result

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Determinedandready,

I find having some wholegrain bread with my soup or with my salad helps me to feel much more satisfied with the meal - if I had the soup or the salad without the bread (or another complex carb like brown rice or wholemeal pasta) then I'd be craving something extra, and would likely be looking for an extra snack somewhere. That's how I tend to cope - by ensuring I provide a balanced meal on the plate whenever I can. I also tend to bulk up vegetable soups with lentils or beans etc, to make them more filling and nutritious too.

Hope you're having a good day.

Lowcal

[Portlandprincess]

Take care with this one...weigh out 10 gms sunflower seeds, 10 gms of sultanas and 10 gms of pumpkin seeds. When you get the munchies have 5 or six of the selection....and make sure that you pop them back into you bag each time....so filling, really tasty...and takes your mind of the stuff upstairs...lasts for ages too.

[Hidden]

You could take a nice soup to heat up. That will wait until you can get lunch. The Covent garden ones are tasty

[Portlandprincess in reply to Hidden]

Good one! And if you make your own there are some brilliant air tight containers ...that work...unless you put them in the dishwasher...learnt the hard wayHa

[Hidden]

Just a thought, erratic or long days at work can be a cause of temporarily increased stress levels. If you have more intense food cravings on these days, is it more related to the stress levels rather than your later lunch?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that eating more slowly allows the brain to register when you have had enough to eat and that it can take twenty minutes for the brain to register this information. If your lunch is more of a stressed or rushed affair, then perhaps you are eating too fast.

Please, if anyone can confirm or deny the above statement, please do so, as I could well have got this wrong as it was something I read many years ago.

PS I found this on a quick Google and found it interesting livestrong.com/article/4916...