Are you struggling to stick to your healthy eating and weight loss goals with a busy career? You're probably no stranger to stress eating and the stubborn belly bulge. When you're overworked and stressed, your adrenal gland releases cortisol and increases appetite. Cortisols should drop with your stress, but if you're busy and stressed most of the week, you're dealing with the urge to eat and may even develop belly fat.
The good news is you can get on top of your eating routine and incorporate more healthy options into your diet. Here's how to get started.
Plan Ahead
The time to make healthy eating choices isn't when you're swamped with a deadline at work. You should plan out your week from coffee breaks to lunches. Either meal prep or write down what you will grab from the cafeteria or your favorite lunchtime restaurant. Remember to plan ahead on your hydration with an insulated bottle that keeps several glasses of ice water ready to go.
Use a Subscription Meal Delivery Service
A meal prep delivery service supercharges your work with done for your meals and tasty snacks. FitTrax creates meal plans that fit your schedule and nutritional needs. Whether you're an athlete, vegan, trying to build muscle, or want to maximize performance and energy, we have options for everyone.
Our menu includes specials like turkey bolognese, sweet chili glazed salmon, and surprises like chocolate chip protein pancakes with breakfast sausage.
Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation
Part of eating right is getting your mind right. Beat back the stress and stay more relaxed with mindfulness and relaxation. Whether you try a weekly yoga class, meditate, or just get outdoors at lunch for some fresh air, you can focus more on staying in the moment and working to alleviate your stress instead of aggravating it further with poor food choices.
Right-Size Your Portions
If you're trying to drop the pounds, traditional advice says to restrict your portion sizes and adopt a calorie deficit. But you may actually need to increase your calories. If you work a physically demanding job, hit the gym every day, or over-restrict your calories, you may actually need more food.
FitTrax can help you get on top of your portion sizes with flexible menu options. We create balanced meals for athletes and the physically active to ensure they get the nutrition and calories they need to succeed with their goals.
Take Active Breaks
Keeping active can help keep your appetite in check while reducing the urge to reach for sugary snacks and calorie-rich, creamy coffees. Take a walk around the building on a work break, or just climb up and down the stairs for a few minutes. Set a goal of how many steps or active minutes you can go each day to keep your momentum going and challenge yourself.
Don't Get Too Hungry
When you let yourself get too hungry, it's all too easy to blow off your healthy eating goals and go crazy with packaged snacks and supersized take-out portions. You're no longer motivated to stick to your health goals and are more likely to overeat when hungry.
Keep healthy snacks on hand, including yogurt, string cheeses, raw veggies, or hard-boiled eggs. The idea is to top off your hunger so you can focus on your work while sticking to your nutritional goals.
Eat Your Main Meal Before Work
Shake things up during breakfast and load up on protein and healthy calories before work. You can even eat dinner for breakfast and indulge in dishes like a FitTrax Bacon Burger Bowl. Or indulge in your favorite morning meals with a twist, like our Breakfast Sandwiches with bacon or sausage, organic fried egg, cheddar cheese, and English muffins.
Get More Sleep
Sleep can dramatically impact how much you eat and helps reduce stress while increasing focus. Studies show that even five nights of sleep deprivation can impair your hunger cues and metabolism. You're more likely to feel less satiated after eating and keep reaching for the empty calories and snacks throughout the day.
Next Steps
Ready to reclaim mealtime and make it healthy, flavorful, and able to fuel your day? Even if you're too busy to focus on healthy eating, FitTrax can help empower your goals with macro-friendly meals and dishes with weekly to 21-day meal options. Or choose from our A La Carte option and bulk items to maximize your favorite flavors and nutrients. Get started today.