Store up on snacks
Sure, you don’t know what you’ll be in the mood for later, and will you even be hungry? Yes, probably. “When you leave your office to go find something, that’s when bad choices are made,” Schapiro says. “That’s when a hot pretzel, bag of candy, or donut can look very appealing.” Make sure your desk (or fridge) is stocked with an emergency stash of snacks, like Greek yogurt, individual packs of nuts, dried fruit, and nitrate-free jerky. And consider this, during the pandemic, people are snacking more than usual, as reported by the 15th Annual Food & Health Survey by the International Food Information Council. So now more so than ever, having healthful snacks on hand is a good idea.
Consider the 80/20 rule
There are two ways you can think about 80/20 eating. One: eat healthy 80% of the time and save 20% for splurges. That’s great because it stresses how eating is not about perfection and, as mentioned earlier, how it can be pleasurable, too. However, what does that really look like? That might mean having a 150-calorie treat daily, like Schapiro does, or saving it all up for a big meal out on the weekend. Make it work for you rather than stressing out about percentages.
Another spin on the 80/20 rule, says Dr. Lipman: stopping eating when you’re 80% full. That means slowing down and checking in periodically throughout the meal about what your body is saying. Does the food no longer taste great? Are you getting that “I don’t really need any more feeling”? Thinking 80/20 as you eat can help slow you down and be more mindful. Being in tune with your body prevents overeating, he says.
