Hey guys! I’ve been struggling again for a few months. And I was wondering if you could share some tips or inspirations to help me get my mind right. I still don’t get real hungry but my job has become real boring and desk centric so I find myself wanting little things to snack on. I keep healthy choices nearby or I just drink water but I can’t seem to get back on the losing side of life. I’ve been tracking my intake and some days I wonder if I’m taking in enough calories even if I’m hitting my protein and keeping my fats and carbs to a minimum. I have about 60 left to lose and I’m almost at my one year anniversary.

Boredom & eating can be a tough head hunger to break and because it’s happening at work the usual distraction techniques are difficult to implement. Knowing it’s boredom making you want to eat & not real hunger is half the battle so you’re on the right path already.

Not knowing your actual job & responsibilities some of my suggestions may not be possible. Try a hot drink instead of a snack (snacking, even healthy ones, can be a gateway to establishing bad snacking habits & they all have calories which add to your daily intake). Green or herbal tea are great low calorie (green has none at all) or coffee (if you’re able but without the syrups, etc.) Go for a short (a few minutes) walk around the office or outside (good for mental health at work too). Do some desk stretches. Change the task you’re doing. You can come back to the original task later. Chat to a colleague for a couple of minutes about work or life. Get up & refill your water bottle.

It sounds like you might need some physical activity both for your mental and physical well-being. I have a desk job as well and boredom can be the enemy of weight loss. Do you think you could carve out 30 minutes a day to take a walk or something along those lines?

My recommendation for snacks is if you must have something, maybe something that's mostly water like cucumbers, strawberries, or melon? They're basically all fiber so they will stick with you.

I did a desk job in the summer and asked for the same breaks the smokers get. Every 2 hours I went outside to walk around for 10 minutes. On weekends when I need to do more computer work, I graze on fresh berries that I leave in the kitchen so I have to walk to go have some. I promise myself a new song to listen to or a manicure to get through difficult days. I text a friend or family member if I feel “snacky .”

Do you track actual food intake? It’s easy to exceed calories and not knowing exactly what you put in when snacking can add up in a hurry. I weigh everything I eat, even at work, and use Baritastic app to log calories and this way you know exactly what goes in. I actually lose too much weight while working because the food they serve doesn’t fit into my new diet. 5 months and 3 weeks post surgery and I’m down 135lbs. Follow the plan and you’ll do great.