If you’re all too familiar with constantly feeling hungry at work, you’re most certainly not alone. Many people find themselves grazing constantly, unable to keep their mind off their next snack – a vast contrast to their behaviour towards food on the weekend.
Here are some reasons you’re struggling to stave off habitual snacking while in the office, and ways you can go about keeping your mind on your work and not on that bowl of bickies sitting in the kitchen.
You’re bored
Eating out of sheer boredom is by no means a new concept, yet it’s one that continues to plague offices at epidemic proportions. Mindless eating seems to correlate directly with long hours spent in the office – but that doesn’t mean there is no solution. One way to combat boredom eating is by scheduling your day around a set of eating times – by making them at regular intervals throughout the day, you can redirect your thoughts into something a bit more productive.
You’re tempted
If your desk is positioned near to the office’s snack bowl, fundraising chocolates, or you’re right alongside the vending machine, it’s likely you’ll feel more tempted to consume things perhaps you wouldn’t normally. Try combatting this, where possible, by keeping tasty treats out of clear view. Avoid diving into high sugar cakes and biscuits at afternoon and morning tea by having a healthy snack beforehand to make sure you’re not hungry entering those situations.
Contagious hunger
Hunger isn’t always a great predictor of human food consumption, as this can sometimes be influenced by the behaviour of those around us. Colleagues munching on snacks can have a significant impact on our own tendency to reach for something to eat. Also, the ones that are forever baking treats and bringing them in, may actually end up doing more harm than good, as the more you snack, the more you feel like snacking. To avoid frequent overeating, create your own meal times and make sure you stick to them.
Dehydration
Every day, about 70 per cent of adults are dehydrated, which can be easily confused with feelings of hunger. Thirst is a rather weak reflex in comparison to hunger, meaning by the time we register feeling thirsty, a lot of the time we are already dehydrated. Make sure to keep a drink bottle on your desk and drink between one and one-and-a-half litres throughout the day.
Too much screen time
A study has shown eating in front of a computer, television or mobile device is closely associated with mindless eating. Those who ate their lunch while watching television consumed significantly more calories during afternoon tea. Therefore, snacking and eating meals in front of your computer at work won’t do you any favours when it comes to appetite management. Try taking meals away from your seated position behind your computer.