Hello Praveen,

I'm very fortunate to be a freelancer who makes my own hours with photography and graphic design. That said, I did have a 9–5 job for a few years with a commute, and yes, that made things more complicated. Note that I use the word complicated and not difficult because negative words directly affect your mind. Don’t say something is hard, say it’s challenging. The weather isn’t bad, it’s inconvenient — or you’re simply wearing improper attire!

Anyway, there are a few things you can do to combat a job-eating schedule. Time Management: Set a sleep reminder 30 minutes earlier than you're used to gain an extra 30 minutes of sleep on the front end. Your TV shows will still be there tomorrow. Then set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than you're used to in the morning. Viola! You’ve just created an extra hour for yourself (or 45 minutes if you hit the snooze twice) to do some isometrics, yoga, meditation or take a good walk in the morning. I find if I take care of my exercising first thing and keep my time set but my routine varied it’s never a chore, nor “something I have to get to” at the end of the day. My energy levels wane in the evenings and the last thing I want to do is exercise and elevate my heart rate when it might affect my sleep. It takes some discipline, but after a few days and with the evening alarm signaling your mind you will soon adjust and actually look forward to that morning time and wake up feeling refreshed.

Snacking. Snacking is how sheep and cows eat, a little at a time, but all day. If you choose to snack, then only snack, meaning eat small nutritious meals every few hours of your waking life, but forego the “real meals”. I don’t recommend this method because it’s typically unsustainable and also socially adverse (you’ll never eat with your friends and family).

I eat two meals a day, one around noon and one around six. Noon is typically a large organic salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sprouts, a few olives, some feta, and some sort of protein in it (tuna, chicken salad, hard-boiled egg, shrimp, tofu, chickpeas, etc). I make my own dressings once a week to avoid the canola oil from processed dressings. My second meal is typically some sort of veggie stir-fry base (onions, mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, zucchini) with another protein, though I try to limit the meat and find other yummy things to put in there. Now that I’ve achieved my goal weight maybe twice a week I’ll have something with a few more carbs, like a pea-protein pasta, cauliflower-crust pizza, or chickpea chips with a homemade Mexican dip. I still keep the carbs low, but I don’t necessarily avoid them altogether.

After dinner I do like something sweet, but without sugar or chemicals, so I’ll have a few spoonful of Rebel Keto ice cream, or a few Catalina Keto Sandwich Cookies, or a handful of yummy nuts. Just something to clear the palate and end the day with a little dopamine hit — but without the garbage typically found in most desserts. And I don’t eat the whole pint in one sitting!

I haven’t had breakfast in years and I never miss it. I start the day with a good drink of spring water and after I exercise I drink homemade kombucha. If I get a craving somewhere before noon (which rarely happens) I’ll eat some nuts or maybe a fruit/nut bar with no added malarky or celery with cashew butter. But, again, this is very, very rare and typically when I’m traveling and my circadian rhythms are off.

The cravings come because you’re eating sugar or carbs which signal the mind that you’re hungry, even when you’re not. Sugar is an insidious drug that takes a similar hold over your mind as caffeine or narcotics. These dangerous substances work by blurring the lines between Need and Want. Also, nine times out of ten you’re simply dehydrated when you think you’re hungry, or bored, or stressed.

Try this: if you get a mid-morning craving, drink a peppermint or chai tea with a dollop of cream in it. Peppermint is a terrific anti-hunger tool, and the spicy elements of a proper chai can also satiate for the 60–90 minutes left until lunch or dinner. The cream will make you think you’ve had something more substantial than flavored water. If you need it sweet, a few drops of organic liquid stevia or monkfruit will do. The peppermint or chai flavors are stronger than the slight taste of those natural sweeteners. Avoid sugar and never ingest sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, phenylalanine or any other icky things!

If the cravings get really bad and some nuts and tea don’t calm it, maybe eat a less-sugary fruit, like some strawberries or blueberries. Or try an avocado and a tomato as a snack. Remember to hydrate (spring water! spring water!) and if it’s stress causing the issues take four minutes on the roof or in the bathroom stall where no one will bother you and simply close your eyes and breathe deeply ten times. It’s amazing how a few well-timed deep breaths can actually help.

I know work can make things tough and the easy snacks are often right there: chips, cookies, candy, even popcorn or crackers. But all of these things are going to hinder your progress and make you hungrier. Maybe pack a few baggies a week of mixed unsalted nuts (no peanuts) and keep a few in your desk and a few in your commute-bag for those dire moments. But also know there will be fewer dire moments the more you focus on eating clean and you avoid the processed, fried and sugary/carby foods that are robbing our species of its innate health.

Good luck!