by Chiara Fitmum, personal trainer
With working from home now the standards for many of us, the temptation to often check the fridge and snack on whatever we can find in our home is greater and maintaining healthy eating habits can be a challenge. Here are Chiara, personal trainer and fitness coach, tips on sticking to your routine and wellness goals.
Set an eating schedule
When working from home, it is important to create a daily routine and setting an eating schedule with fix hours should be the number 1 thing you do. It will help with regulating your appetite, metabolism, including blood sugar, hormones, digestive wellness and sleep.
Take a proper lunch break
You might be tempted to continue working through your lunch break. But don't do it! By distracting your brain from the action of eating, you make it harder for it to receive and understand the feeling of satiety and can therefore lead to over-eating. Take a proper break, sit down at the dining table, enjoy your lunch and relax, you will feel more prepared to get on for the rest of the day.
Weight your food
Without making it an obsession, why don’t you try and weight your food? It will help you have a better picture of what you are eating and in which quantities as we tend to underestimate how much food we give our body in one day.
Don’t stock up on treats
With working from home now the standards for many of us, the temptation to often check the fridge and snack on whatever we can find in our home is greater and maintaining healthy eating habits can be a challenge. Here are Chiara, personal trainer and fitness coach, tips on sticking to your routine and wellness goals.
Set an eating schedule
When working from home, it is important to create a daily routine and setting an eating schedule with fix hours should be the number 1 thing you do. It will help with regulating your appetite, metabolism, including blood sugar, hormones, digestive wellness and sleep.
Take a proper lunch break
You might be tempted to continue working through your lunch break. But don't do it! By distracting your brain from the action of eating, you make it harder for it to receive and understand the feeling of satiety and can therefore lead to over-eating. Take a proper break, sit down at the dining table, enjoy your lunch and relax, you will feel more prepared to get on for the rest of the day.
Weight your food
Without making it an obsession, why don’t you try and weight your food? It will help you have a better picture of what you are eating and in which quantities as we tend to underestimate how much food we give our body in one day.
Don’t stock up on treats
The most efficient way to resist temptation is by keeping the temptation away so keep the candies and other treats out of sight (aka out of your home) and stock up on fresh vegetables and fruits instead. For every treat there is an alternative that is healthier: dark chocolate to replace the milky one, a frozen yogurt in place of an ice cream, dried fruits and nuts for when you are craving popcorn or sweets …Snacking isn’t the problem and can even encourage weight loss by snacking if you go for the right nibbles, the ones that are healthy and will bring you proteins and nutrients.
Think meal prep
Think meal prep
A proven method to make sure you always have the option to make healthy choices, no matter how busy your day gets, meal prep can also help you save some precious time when it comes to deciding what to eat. You can for example boil a few eggs in the morning and wash and chopped a few veggies for easy, yet healthy, snacking. You can also pre-cook rather large quantities of rice or grain, it will save you some precious time when comes meal time and will make the perfect base for a rice bowl.
Write a food journal
Pretty much like weighting your food, writing down what you eat gives you a better picture and what you are eating and in which quantities. Write down what you eat, how it has been cooked and do not forget to include any sauces, condiments, dressing, toppings …and list their measures (cups, teaspoons, tablespoons, grams …). On top of giving you a better idea of what you eat, it is also a great way to understand some of your habits and understand how what you eat impact your energy, hunger, satiety …
Stay hydrated
Dehydration is the fast lane to fatigue and headaches affecting your productivity. But it is so easy to forget drinking water when you are having a busy day. Make sure you always have a bottle of water with you and if needed you can use an app or just set up an alarm to remind yourself of taking a sip or two. Not a fan of water? Why don’t you try decaffeinated tea? No sugar, no sodium but still plenty of hydration.
About Chiara
A certified personal trainer, a wife and a mum, Chiara relocated to Hong Kong 7 years ago. A relocation which gave her the motivation to change her lifestyle an embark on a life-changing journey. With Chiara Fitmum expert in body recomposition and nutritional coaching, she offers one on one personal trainings and online training and nutrition programs with an aim to help people better train, move towards a healthier lifestyle and crash their goals.
A certified personal trainer, a wife and a mum, Chiara relocated to Hong Kong 7 years ago. A relocation which gave her the motivation to change her lifestyle an embark on a life-changing journey. With Chiara Fitmum expert in body recomposition and nutritional coaching, she offers one on one personal trainings and online training and nutrition programs with an aim to help people better train, move towards a healthier lifestyle and crash their goals.