If you’re telecommuting these days, I’m jealous of you. You see, I’m a busy nurse practitioner working at a hospital ER. But in the very near future, I’ll be joining the ranks of the roughly 22 million people still working at home full time, thanks to my side hustle that brings me such profound joy in helping people in a different way from my nursing job.
In my practice as a functional medicine practitioner and health coach, I help people find the root causes of their health concerns and give them the coaching necessary to address and correct those root causes so that they can start to live a life that’s pain-free and joyful.
But it doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that for the millions of people that work from home, one root cause of weight gain is easy access.
Why go across town to grab a bite when you can just walk down the hall?
It used to be that working in an office was considered bad for your health because of the sedentary lifestyle. But in comparison to the telecommuter, the office worker is like an Olympic athlete. Sure, office workers sit all day, but they don’t take multiple trips to the kitchen.
So what can be done about working from home and overeating?
The good news is I’ve got a few tips for ya…
Intermittent Fasting For Overeating
You’ve heard about it. Your friends have tried it. And now it’s your turn to melt body fat away without starving yourself. In case you’re still not sure exactly what intermittent fasting is, I’ll give you a little crash course. It’s when you restrict your calorie-consuming window to a limited amount of time.
The most popular time-restricted feeding method is 16/8, which means that you fast for 16 hours a day and consume all your calories within an 8-hour period.
While the term “fasting” sounds extreme, intermittent fasting means you’re just not eating sporadically, just like the intermittent wipers on your car operate sporadically, not constantly.
And constant eating is why many of us gain weight so easily. Believe me, I’m guilty as sin of doing the same. It’s just downright comforting to shove popcorn in your mouth while watching late-night TV. We typically don’t eat late-night snacks because we’re truly hungry, we do it out of habit.
Then, early the next morning, we break the fast with a bowl of cereal or pastry and keep feeding all day. Repeat cycle.
By restricting the hours that you eat, you give your body an opportunity to repair itself. When your body doesn’t have to expend so much energy digesting, which is a huge energy expenditure, your body starts repairing itself and your fat-burning ability skyrockets.
Wanna learn how to do intermittent fasting? It can be tricky and cause some unwanted side effects like low energy. Book a complimentary consultation with me and I’ll tell you my secrets for how to do it successfully, along with exploring the root causes of your specific health concerns.
Eat More, Not Less
Say what? Eat more to prevent overeating while working at home? You read that correctly. You see, when it’s time for your main meals—I suggest eating two large meals during the work day—I want you to eat until you are pleasantly full. Many people make the mistake of eating too light of a lunch, like a turkey sandwich.
Sure, the sandwich might make the hunger go away, but only for a little while. Two hours after eating the sandwich, you’re probably going to be hungry again. And that’s when you’re vulnerable to temptation for unhealthy snacks.
Instead, eat significantly more calories at lunch. For my lunch, I’ll feast on a big portion of a healthy grain like quinoa or wild rice with a fist-sized portion of lean protein like wild salmon or grilled chicken. My plate is rounded out with a healthy veggie like steamed asparagus or broccoli with a tiny bit of shredded melted cheese on top.
If you have no idea what to eat, when we work together, I’ll tell you exactly what foods are best for your specific genetics, thanks to revolutionary functional medicine laboratory testing.
Getting back to intermittent fasting for a sec, when it comes to eating your first main meal of the day, you’ll find that your belly will have shrunk a bit. So you actually won’t be able to binge eat. But should you want to eat way more than you usually do at mid-day, you don’t have to feel guilty about doing it.
Supplements That Help Digest Your Food & Reduce Appetite
Ever since ephedra, the herb that contains the stimulant molecule, ephedrine was banned in 2004 by the FDA, dietary herbal supplements have had a bad rap.
But not all herbs and dietary supplements act like stimulants. There are a few supplements that I take that help me better digest my food and prevent me from craving processed foods.
Want to know which supplements my health coaching clients use to banish belly bloating and cravings? Check out my transformational program, Revitalize Your Health, which provides a 50 day “do-it-for-you” meal planning menu and all the supplements you need to purge trapped toxins that are preventing you from looking your leanest and sexiest.
I love helping people reclaim their health. Let’s talk!
Until next time,
Jenna Witt, NP