Stuck Home and Can't Stop Eating?

With most of us working from home we're being asked to stay at home as much as possible. There is a huge chance that while we’re home we’re finding comfort in food, this can add even more stress to our life now that we're stuck at home, maybe alone, likely a kitchen full of food.

Here are some tips on how to stay healthy, safe, and sane:

1. Set Boundaries

Make sure you have defined meals and snacks for your day. Try to write out your eating schedule in a food journal. keeping a timeline and what to eat at what time will help maintain the structure and prevent you from mindlessly snacking and overeating throughout the day.

2. Pay Attention to the hunger sign

Listen to your body when it comes to hunger. Your body could be thirsty or anxious or you just glanced at a donuts ad. You'll want to pay attention to the signs that your brain sends to you and make sure that you are actually hungry.

3. Be Thoughtful of "Out of sight, out of mind"

Set up a work area that is more than an arm's length away from the countertops, fridge, or pantry. If it's out of sight, it's out of mind. Avoid making food easily accessible, Especially snack-type foods. And keep healthier foods insight such as fruits, cuts of ready-to-eat vegetables, jars of raw nuts, so you can reach for something better for yourself if you're truly hungry.

5. Re-Think Your Drinks

Pay attention to what and how much you drink; most people don’t really pay attention to the early morning smoothie or late at night cup of wine. Just be mindful of what you consume.

6. Find Ways to Stay Active

Now's the time to be as active as you can. Now more than ever, we need the mental stress-relieving benefits of exercise. Think of exercise as a food-free stress buster that can help improve your mood. Do what you can to use up that excess energy and keep trying until you find your thing.

7. Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Cut yourself some slack. Yes, we want to try and eat our best right now so that we feel good, and we keep our immune system healthy. But if you want a bowl of ice cream or some chocolate, that's OK. Always keep in mind the 80% balanced and 20% what brings comfort to you. You want to try and avoid excessive amounts but don’t beat yourself up for having a small treat. And know yourself, if the 20% treat is a tempting area that could steer you to continue consuming unhealthy food then decrease that number or start with a completely strict diet and work your way up to 20 % when you have developed the discipline and consistency you desire to do so.