Today I’m linking up with Jenn & friends for What I Ate Wednesday, where I share a day’s worth of meals & snacks.
One of the biggest adjustments after graduating and starting a full time office job was being so damn sedentary. I love my job, but I so miss the days of being able to walk from class to class, to and from campus and give 2 hour tours (walking backwards). I logged a lot of steps. Bonus, our school was built on a hill #glutesonglutes.
I’ve only recently started to notice the huge impact that staying in one place all day has on my hunger and appetite. Weirdly enough, when I’m up and around moving all day I’m way less hungry. Today I was working from home and it wasn’t until 2pm when I realized I hadn’t eaten lunch and I thought “wow, my eating habits are so dramatically different when I’m not in the office.”
My typical hunger levels when I’m working in the office go a little something like this:
- 8:30am Eat packed breakfast at my desk (post run/gym)
- 10:30am Light hunger, usually I’ll grab a small snack either an apple or a homemade protein bar
- 12:30pm Ravenous for lunch – usually a salad with protein
- 2:30 Feelin’ snacky again, typically I’ll have a Greek yogurt, a handful of dates or a KIND bar
- 7:00 Eat a dinner of veggies and a protein
- 9:00pm Grab a sweet snack
But on weekends or days I work from home I typically move a lot more and I’m far less hungry. Anywhoo I thought it was really interesting and I’d love to know if you’ve ever experienced the same thing. Does your hunger change when you’re more or less active?
This is what my eats looked like working from home:
Breakfast
Pitaya, blueberry, cherry, spinach, kefir, Vega smoothie bowl (say that 10x fast)
Lunch
Sautéed kale, cherry tomatoes, & a sweet potato tuna burger (using Amy’s (The Little Honey Bee) recipe, which I literally have memorized that’s how much I love it) with a slice of melted cheddah & some garlic mustahd
Small Soy Iced Latte
Dinner
More zoodles with meatless meatballs over arugula & a drizzle of tahini
Zert
Halo Top with some chocolate chips sprankled in
Your Turn:
- I’d love to know does your hunger change when you’re more or less active?
- Have you ever made a recipe so much you’ve memorized it? What was it?
P.S.
Thank you to everyone who commented and shared my post about Growing Your Instagram – You all are seriously so lovely #virtualhugs – I can’t wait to share Part 2 on Monday!
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The same exact thing happens to me!! It makes me hate working an office job. I don’t know if it’s a lack of stimulation while in the office which leads to eating for something to do or what. I’d love some ideas on how to curb that or fill my mind with something else!
I’m the same way, I’m usually hungrier when I’m not as active. Usually that day follows a hard workout (runger) but sometimes it’s just a normal ol’ rest day. Whatever, I honor the hunger beast 🙂
The office NEVER fails to make me hungry. All I ever want to do is snack and I find myself actively having to practice self-control. I’m not sure if it’s because whenever I get up to walk and take a break the only place to go is the kitchen?
I also wouldn’t say I’ve “memorized” recipes before, but I do recreate ones and make it up as I remember since I usually can never find a recipe again or I’m too lazy. This has actually lead to some of my favorite meals
I’ve never tried pitaya before, but whatever s happening with your smoothie bowl is amazing!
I struggle with this! I’ve said it before – I haaate being sedentary now. I do find some days I’m a bottomless pit, but can’t put my finger on why. And yeah, a lot of times it’s on ‘rest’ days. So weird! I just try to be mindful of whether I’m snacking cause I’m bored/want a break, or whether I’m truly hungry. Gahhh the struggle!
When I’m more sedentary, I’m definitely more hungry! I think it’s a mental thing for me because when I’m sitting around a lot, my mind tends to wander to food….but when I’m busy and moving around a lot, I don’t even think about it until I get to the superrrrrr hungry stage.
My hunger definitely changes depending on my activity level. I’ve noticed this especially with running when I train for races. I’ve been adding more healthy fats and making sure to drink tons of water to help with a grumbling tummy and it’s been working really well! Highly suggest it! I mean, who doesn’t more avocado in their life?
I think it’s just the fact that we aren’t as distracted. When you’re up and about and having to do and go places, you don’t don’t notice hunger ques as much!
Yes! Why is that? I’m always hungry at work but never on weekends when I’m out and about. So weird.
Oh geez our kookie appetites are seriously all over the place! I find that on my busier days when I am running around I am also not hungry and/or thinking about food. On the days I’m doing more work from home on the computer, I find all I think about is food…GAH! I love how my dog keeps me moving and makes me get up and step away from the computer more often. Huge help there!
I know exactly how you feel! When I was at work, I would notice how much more snack-y I was than on the weekends when I was home. Why is that!?!
Your pictures are beautiful, BTW!
The post grad office schedule….is so real. We have almost identical schedules down to the hour! I try to make it a point to take walking lunch breaks. My eating schedule on the weekends is definitely different from the work week too – there’s more of a tendency to want to snack at work, probably because there’s more time to think about wanting to snack..the struggles!
P.S. I was a tour guide too. I miss it! Our campus is on hills as well….so one of my running jokes during campus tours was that our students had the best calves…haha!
I just started working a desk job this week for the summer and I can already notice that I am much more hungry sitting there rather than being active on campus. I was just thinking earlier today how much I miss walking from class to class and being more active during the day. Now when I get home from work all I want to do is sit on the couch even though I’ve already been sitting in a chair all day. Oh the joys of growing up!
I’m less hungry when I’m busy, than when I’m sitting still for long spells…..I think there may be something to Jillie’s comment about blending in some healthy fats to stave off the hunger….hmmmm
btw, I can make cheese sauce in my sleep 😛
OH MY GOODNESS _ when I lift weights I get 943274723943 x more hungry and that’s NUTS because I am already a HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPO as is! LOL! – I do, do cardio every day so that revs the appetite too! 😉
I am the same way, when I’m active and on the move all day, my hunger is nearly non-existent. Slow days, I’m like a t-rex at a buffet.
I am the same, but i dont think it has to do with how sedentary i am. i think i am just more aware of my hunger because i’m sitting at desk staring a screen and doing work. whereas on the weekends i’m out riding my bike, or with friends, and preoccupied with other things than just my stomach!
ps. food looks great! wish i could work from home, i would make smoothie bowls every day!
i totally understand!
on the walking front- i just got home from school too, and the step different is especially noticable since i now have a fitbit! i used to go for a walk during the summer mornings when i was home all day, and now i make sure i do a few times a day. its actually a good break 🙂
and i feel like when i’m doing work, my mind will wander to food, versus being out and about, i dont mind what i’m doing. hense more snacking!
I’m thinking of investing in a Fitbit to remind me to walk more during the work week. What did you think of yours?
Kefir is my bestest friend! Saved my poor little belly so many times 🙂