Eating strategy for occasional late worknights?

[Anonymous]

Can you help me come up with a good eating plan for a new work schedule? I started biking to work. I love it, I'm getting fitter, wonderful. I go into the office Monday, Wednesday, Friday, work from home Tues and Thurs.

Tuesday to Friday are normal working daytime hours. But Monday I typically work 1pm - 10pm. I take a quick dinner break around 6pm before I teach a class from 7-9pm and stay around to talk to the students and close up the day. Getting home after biking 8 miles, I'm very hungry. So I find myself eating too much at 11pm and also stay up too late and throw off my week. Tuesday in particular I'm more tired and have trouble making good eating choices. I need to lose weight that has crept on since covid.

What would be a better strategy? Go to bed hungry (tried a few times but didn't settle down well)? Choose a more filling dinner then the typical soup/sandwich I bring from home (if so, what?)? Eat a little something before I bike (even though I'm not hungry then) so I'm not ravenous when I get home?

Anyone have ideas on how to do this better?

[Anonymous]

You definitely need to eat before class, or at the very least have a late lunch. Go for something with a ton of protein and fiber (for satiety and long digestion). I'd recommend a cobb salad (eggs + chicken/turkey + turkey bacon) or a slice of quiche/ frittata with a protein-enriched side like a cup of chili or a chicken-topped salad.

If packing lunch is a problem, the Panera Green Goddess Cobb is surprisingly tasty and only 7 WW points (so very healthy and balanced, even if you don't follow WW).

A snack of fruit during class break or before class would also help to stave off massive hunger. Bananas and oranges are great because they come in their own packaging and require no washing!

[Anonymous]

Eat before your late class. Then eat a GoMacro bar while walking to your bike.

[Anonymous]

If you do need to lose weight I would suggest going to bed hungry. Drink some tea or broth before bed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You definitely need to eat before class, or at the very least have a late lunch. Go for something with a ton of protein and fiber (for satiety and long digestion). I'd recommend a cobb salad (eggs + chicken/turkey + turkey bacon) or a slice of quiche/ frittata with a protein-enriched side like a cup of chili or a chicken-topped salad.

If packing lunch is a problem, the Panera Green Goddess Cobb is surprisingly tasty and only 7 WW points (so very healthy and balanced, even if you don't follow WW).

A snack of fruit during class break or before class would also help to stave off massive hunger. Bananas and oranges are great because they come in their own packaging and require no washing!

Thanks for the ideas for a more filling dinner. I've been eating early lunch at home and then packing soup or soup plus sandwich. I can't eat during class but maybe a banana afterwards with some peanuts before I ride home would be good so I don't even go to the kitchen in when I get home. And help with leg cramps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you do need to lose weight I would suggest going to bed hungry. Drink some tea or broth before bed.

Broth is another good idea. Normal biking home is not a problem because it's right before dinner, so it's good that I'm hungry, but I had trouble falling asleep with nothing after a late bike ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eat before your late class. Then eat a GoMacro bar while walking to your bike.

I haven't tried that brand but I'll look it up. Thank you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you do need to lose weight I would suggest going to bed hungry. Drink some tea or broth before bed.

+1. I have a rule that I don’t eat after dinner, but if I’m hungry or want something, I drink a cup of tea. Green tea usually satiates me enough.

If you need food, I do a quick microwave soup for lunch that is 1 cup of chicken broth and 4-5 frozen mini wontons (I use the Trader Joe’s frozen chicken kind, they’re 50 calories for 4), combine in a glass measuring cup, microwave for 2 minutes. Add a splash of soy sauce at the end. TJ’s also has frozen garlic and ginger cubes so if I have those I’ll throw them in with the broth. This is my emergency snack because it’s filling and feels like a meal, but even if you do 8 wontons it’s only 100 calories.

[Anonymous]

Way too late to be exercising oh god