Motivated to exercise but lack of motivation to ea

Posts: 2,200
11/26/12 11:39 A

After a long shift, you may be dehydrated. Dehydration can be confused for hunger hence you want to binge after work. Drink more water at work to keep from dehydrating. Drink a large glass of water at the end of your shift. It may help resolve your issue. Good luck.

Posts: 14,341
11/26/12 10:11 A

Everything you eat as a snack, spikes your blood sugar, even the protein shakes. They usually have a lot of carbs, adn are easily digestible. When your blood sugar spikes, the body produces Insulin, and it drops. So right about the time you get home, your body says.. I'm starving.

Try some high fat/protein foods, and add in a small amount of carbs at each snack. Apples with peanut butter, or some berries, and 2 ozs of cheese for example. My favorite is macadamia nuts, and green beans ( not together, but at same time ). Fat provides energy, but not a spike, then drop. You may want to eat carbs for the first snack, and then more fat/protein in the one before going home.

That way when you get home, you can eat sensibly, instead of being hungry, but get energy from the carby snack you have first.

Pre-cooking food is a great way to eat sensibly when you get home too. After a long shift, stopping for food seems a lot better than cooking a meal. Pre-plan days in advance, and stick to it.

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11/25/12 12:51 P

What about having some made-ahead meals ready for you to eat once you get home, that way you're not gorging on whatever you can find in the cabinets? You could spend a day off making some meals to either keep in the freezer or the fridge already portioned out into containers, that way all you have to do is grab them and heat them up in the microwave. You might also benefit from making crock-pot meals so the meals are hot and ready when you get home.

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11/25/12 12:21 P

Sometimes motivation can become an excuse. It doesn't really matter if you're motivated to eat well or not- you just have to do it. It shouldn't be a choice that you allow yourself sometimes and not others. When you're at work and you're hungry and you want to reach for that packet of crisps, stop and say- out loud- to yourself, "I don't eat that food. I should have packed an apple. I'll have to wait until I can get an apple after work." Yeah, your tummy might rumble for the rest of your shift. But let that happen once or twice and you won't forget your apple next time.

I'm also a big advocate for people being vocal about their rights in the workplace. I don't know where you live but I'm sure there are SOME laws about how long you can work without a food break. In my country the law says you must have an opportunity to eat after five hours of work- either thirty minutes unpaid in which you don't work, or be allowed to eat while still performing your job and still getting paid. In England "adult workers are entitled to eleven hours consecutive rest per day, and a minimum 20 minute rest break if their working day is longer than six hours. Adolescent workers are entitled to 12 hours consecutive rest per day, and a minimum 30 minute rest break if they work for longer than four and a half hours". After you've worked with your employer to get the eating time you deserve, start scheduling your other meals so that they work with your schedule. Make sure you're eating healthy foods with lots of protein, fiber and produce so that you stay full longer. Start thinking in terms of volume- one tablespoon of olive oil has 100 calories, while fourteen cups of raw spinach also have 100 calories. Which one will keep you feeling full longer? You know the answer.

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11/25/12 5:05 A

When you are working, apart from snacks, protein shakes and nuts, fruit, have you taken other stuff? I find when I go out for the day, making a sandwich or two with things like quality high fibre whole-grain bread, a little meat (not processed), Cottage Cheese, tomato etc. to be more filling than just relying on the other stuff, which is great for a snack. When you are on the go all the time it is a real energy burner (been there, done that!) I have found that at times like that i needed extra calories to get me through. To me the clue is in the coming home and gorging yourself on whatever you can find! Also, I would suggest that you use the Nutrition Tracker because that will help identify where your problem area is. Ensure that you are eating a healthy balance and quantity of calories throughout the day.

Where it comes to sticking to a good eating plan, I wonder if you have tried baby steps with that? IF you changed a lot of things at one time it would go a long way to explain your dilemma.

Good luck,
Kris

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11/25/12 4:04 A

I'd be interested in some advice in regards to nutrition. First of all let me explain a little about my circumstances. I am 27 y.o woman and since april this year i have lost 15kgs. Exercise is not much of a problem for me, i think most of my weight loss has come from exercise but i struggle with the food aspect. I am a bureau nurse whose hours are all over the show and because I'm generally the only nurse on site it's not often I get a break. I have tried taking protein shakes, small packets of nuts, fruit, drinking lots of water etc to help me get through a shift but generally find that I'm coming home gorging myself on toast and whatever else I can find in the cupboards, especially when I haven't even had the chance to consume any of the little snacks as mentioned above.
On my days off I find eat ok but a lot of the time I don't feel satisfied and find myself eating extra things I don't need or reaching for sweets/unhealthy snacks, particularly when I've done a intense work out and I'm left feeling guilty and beating myself up for eating things I didn't need.
I just cant seem to get my eating under control. I have tried counting calories, WW, paleo based diet, protein only and just trying to eat sensibly (80/20) but nothing seems to stick. like i mentioned exercise is no problem so i cant quite figure out why i cant stay motivated with the nutrional side of things. i realize that my type of work probably contributes to this but any help/ideas/suggestions to help me with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks :)