How to not let stress eat up your calories at work

Finding it impossible to resist the allure of sweet office treats and savory snacks, but desperately want to lose a few pounds? Giving into temptation when you’re in a stressful environment will seem like the easy option as stress is a major contributor to food cravings.

As your stress hormones increase, ghrelin – a hormone which stimulates the feeling of hunger – is also increased, leading to cravings when you don’t necessarily even need food. While these tips aren’t going to help reduce the stress, they will help you manage your urges. Step 1:Think of the consequences

Whilst you can’t stop your colleagues filling their bellies with junk and offering their treats your way, it is possible to resist the temptation by simply imagining how you will feel afterwards. Is it really worth the calories for something that is likely to make you fat, less productive at work and also hungrier?

If you surround yourself with healthier snack options like apples, grapes, baby carrots, tomatoes and trail mix, you’ll find your cravings reduce as eating fiber-rich foods will help maintain the full feeling, making you less likely to give in to cravings.

Step 2: Plan ahead

Prepare your meals and snacks the night before and only bring what you need and nothing else. Instead of bringing an entire container of almonds or other snack foods to the office, divide proper portions into plastic bags or containers. This will help you avoid overeating when you’re snacking and busy at your desk.

Bringing your own snacks will also help you avoid the office snack table or vending machine too.

Step 3: Make time for meals

Within 30 minutes of waking up, eat a meal with carbs, protein, and healthy fat, such as toast with almond butter. A morning meal not only boosts your metabolism and energy, but also helps you fight cravings by keeping your blood sugar levels steady throughout the day.

If you let yourself get too hungry, you’ll be more likely to give into the contents of the office biscuit tin. While it’s tempting to stay at your desk and finish projects at lunchtime, block off half an hour of your day in your calendar for a healthy, filling lunch.

Step 4: Snack healthy

You may be incredibly busy, but do not, whatever you do, let your body starve. As your blood sugar levels decrease from a lack of food, cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods increase, so you’ll be more likely to succumb to unhealthy cravings. Avoid low blood sugar by keeping quick healthy snack options like bananas and almonds at your desk.

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