Working from home has its perks. But it also has its own set of unique distractions – and many of those distractions are in the kitchen. Need to start a new project? Why not start first with a little brain food? Have to power through a last-minute deadline? Why not reward yourself with a snack when finished?

From yesterday’s leftovers to tomorrow’s dinner plans, being in close proximity to your favorite comfort foods can make it hard to eat healthy while working from home. But don’t worry. If you’re looking for some inspiration to help with working from home temptations, we have you covered. Here are some straightforward ways to mind your weight while working from home.

Don’t work close to the kitchen

The first step is to stay away from temptation. Set up your home office in a bedroom, living room, or even the basement – essentially any room that’s far from the kitchen or pantry. It especially helps to not have your refrigerator in your line of sight so you can avoid mindlessly wandering over during down time.

Be strategic and avoid the kitchen when you can. For example, bring your coffee pot and some snacks to your workplace. That way you won’t feel tempted to go to the kitchen every time you want a quick break.

Eat on a schedule

Just like you would on a regular workday at the office, eat your meals on a schedule. Start the day off with a big breakfast. A hearty, healthy breakfast fills you up, keeps you satisfied, and helps hold off cravings later in the day. Include foods that are high in lean protein and fiber to help fill you up.

The same goes for lunch – take lunch during a set time each day. Treat it as you would if you were at the office. If you had a set time for breaks at work, then set that same time each day for a break at home. By sticking to a regular routine, you can help avoid mindless grazing throughout the day.

Sticking to a daily routine is a great strategy for staying productive when working from home (here are more tips on working successfully from home).

Portion and plan out meals

Another simple step to avoid snacking during the day while working from home is meal prep. It’s easier to stick to a healthy diet when you pre-plan the portions of each meal. Planning healthy portions helps avoid spontaneous temptations and controls your choices so you don’t overdo it. If you’re looking for healthy recipe inspiration, then check out these quick and delicious protein shake recipes. 

Also, when snacking, portion out your snacks. Never eat directly from the bag or package, because it usually results in eating more than you intended – or wanted.

Supplements to help with weight management

In addition to a healthy diet, several nutritional supplements can help with weight management, especially when you’re working from home and surrounded by temptation.

For example, Thorne’s Craving and Stress Support contains a blend of botanicals plus B vitamins to moderate stress-eating and occasional anxious feelings.* Studies have demonstrated that the active plant constituents in Relora – Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense – can help maintain a healthy cortisol level (cortisol is a marker of adrenal stress) and help minimize the over-eating related to stress, thereby helping support weight management efforts.*

Another supplement that can help with carbohydrate cravings is chromium picolinate.* Chromium is often lacking in our modern diet because it is stripped from refined flours and sugars. A high-quality supplement, such as Thorne’s Chromium Picolinate, supports healthy blood sugar levels and helps lessen carbohydrate cravings.*

Increase hydration

Staying hydrated is another simple weight management strategy that can be easy to forget. But just as you would fill up your water bottle at the office, keep a water bottle next to your at-home workstation to remind you to drink water often.

Avoid sugary or highly caffeinated options, because they’re likely to cause you to crash and crave more sugary snacks later in the day.

Stay active

It doesn’t matter whether you work from home or the office – it’s no secret that staying active and moving often does more for weight management than being stationary.

Slip in ways to stay active throughout the workday – even set alarms on your phone to remind you. Be sure to get up and move around from your workspace, do some stretches, stand up while working, and use your lunch hour or break time to take a quick walk outside.

Manage stress

Working from home presents new challenges and causes extra stress. And unchecked stress can lead to unhealthy habits like overeating (especially junk food), skipping meals entirely, and messing with sleep schedules – all of which adversely affect weight management. Here are some tips for effectively managing stress during times of uncertainty. And if your stress is related to social isolation, check out these tips for helping you deal.

Get some extra guidance

If you’re worried about keeping your nutrition in check and maintaining a healthy weight while working from home, then there are always extra steps you can take.

For one, get started with our free weight management guide, a convenient resource to get you where you want to be when it comes to weight management. You will find information on diet and lifestyle changes in it that you can make to manage your weight, plus recipes and ways to supplement your diet with Thorne’s Weight Management Bundle.

And if you are serious about weight management, take Thorne’s at-home weight management test. This unique test uses a sample of your blood and saliva to show how various factors inside your body impact your metabolism. The results include a personalized lifestyle plan to help you with your weight management goals.

How are you staying healthy working from home? Share your tips, ideas, recipes, and strategies by tagging @ThorneHealth on Instagram and using the hashtag #onlyThorne to have your ideas featured on our page.

An important note: No dietary supplement can diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, including COVID-19. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is especially important to understand that no dietary supplement, no diet, and no lifestyle modifications – other than the recommended social distancing and hygiene practices – can prevent you from being infected with the COVID-19 virus. No current research supports the use of any dietary supplement to protect you from being infected with the COVID-19 virus.