How do you keep energised at work without surgery snacks when dieting?

[divinity3]

I work in an office job that can be very demanding with lots of emails, report writing, presentations, meetings, commuting, etc.

Unfortunately, I know that I am amazingly more productive when I have sugery snacks (like x2-3 more productive). I am more alert, think more clearly, digest complex information/reports better, procrastinate less, work faster & better, more upbeat, etc.

I have been exercising/dieting for the past 2 months after a break and the same cycle seems to happen.

• Work is quiet/manageable so diet and exercise routine goes well
• I'm a bit sluggish / slower at work, but still able to do the job
• Will have a busy week/month of deadlines, high level presentations, etc. and my diet/exercise needs to take a backstep (i.e this week I have been waking up at 5.30am to work, commute to venue for a presentation, do emails/report, etc. when I get back home till about 6pm at which point I am exhausted). I know this week is a write off, but I am know most of Sept and Oct will be busy.

So for people working in the office... how do you do it?

EDIT: So just to clarify with the above:
- I am 5ft 10 inches and currently 230lbs.
- I've lost weight before, but then had mix of reasons that is primarily work stress (changing jobs, increased workloads over a month or two period a few times, etc.). That ends up with me falling back on bad habits to get through it (long hours work, not exercising, not dieting, eating sugery snacks). It gets done, but I've then gained weight and back to getting healthy again.
- I am currently eating 1500-1600 calories a day (400 for breakfast, 400 for lunch, 500 for dinner and then 200-300 for milk in coffee/tea and healthy snack). I then alternate days of running 5k and strength training at the gym with Fridays as my rest day.
- I am fine with the above (i.e. no cravings, not hungry), but comparatively more sluggish and not on the ball like I am when I am eating sugery foods. That is fine when work is easy...
- However, I have a full on month starting this week of writing strategic reports/ plans/ funding bids that require indepth research, innovative thinking, etc. on a large scale that is communicated in a way to influence various stakeholders, facilitating high profile meetings (i.e. CEOs/Directors from multiple organisations in the public sector), writing /delivering presentations, commuting four hour round trips a couple of times a week, etc.
- When it is complicated work like the above that is on a time limit I resort to sugery snacks because it helps me concentrate, think more clearly, be more efficient, etc. I feel more somebody on Suits cracking a case... otherwise I don't really feel like I am working well... which also makes me feel guilty that I am not putting out my best work.

Solutions from the comments:
- If you want sugery snack then have it and take it out of your daily calories or eat healthier on maintenance.
- Make sure I am getting at least 7 hours sleep.
- Replace sugery snacks (eg jam on toast) with fruit or double check my macros (ie make sure I am having enough protein and carbohydrates)

Also... damn autocorrect!

 

[segestic]

@divinity3 I think the best surgery snacks are Junior Mints.

 

[nwbcm]

@segestic Last time I had surgery they gave me Welch’s fruit snacks, Gatorade and Fentanyl.

 

[brokenblade]

@segestic Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate, it's peppermint, it's delicious.

 

[chems]

@brokenblade In 40 years of life I’ve never turned down a junior mint.

 

[riverdays]

@chems Me neither!!! …also never been offered one.

 

[tranquil]

@brokenblade it's very refreshing!

 

[bananaz]

@segestic Yeah but I always drop at least one.

 

[derekthegreatii]

@bananaz Semi related. There has been a peanut m&m in the corner under my desk for four years. I look at it time to time and go into an existential crisis.

Its red.

 

[qity]

@segestic Great reference

 

[okieangel31]

@segestic Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate, it's peppermint, it's delicious!

 

[elvinson]

@segestic Sheldon doesn’t approve.

 

[jely]

@divinity3 I don't think most people have an issue with sugary snacks making them 2-3x more productive. If that were the case for me, I'd eat the snacks.

 

[divinity3]

@jely Unfortunately, it is the case for me. Part of the issue is the workload at different times and the overall complexity (high level strategy and planning across multiple different organisations, etc.), which I can cope with... It is just when it comes to writing new reports, presentations, etc. usually in a short period of time while managing existing work.

I can do it all when I have surgery foods (jam on toast works wonders)... but otherwise it takes me longer... then emails start stacking up, etc.

 

[jely]

@divinity3 Then eat the snacks. You can easily eat some jam on toast every day and still have a healthy diet.

 

[oobi]

@divinity3 Get up and walk around, get outside if possible. Have some water and a veg snack.

Sugary snacks set you up for a crash.

 

[dawn16]

@oobi Yeah but surgery snacks set you up for takeoff

 

[divinity3]

@dawn16 You joke... but that is literally what happens.

A healthier example is... having a pre-workout shake/drink before exercising and having a better work out because of it compared to after fasting.

 

[alanr]

@divinity3 Train yourself off them. It's just an association. Unless you're extremely low bodyfat you should be able to produce enough energy for an office job. It sounds more like you're rewarding yourself for bursts of work. Like petite used to do with cigarettes or 6s drink at lunchtime.

Start switching bit by bit to healthier snacks. But not at once, as you'll crave what you've learned to associate with workplace performance. And put yourself a strategy together! Rearrange your work into blocks. Start running your meetings only until 5 to the hour and give yourself time to clear your mind before the next one. There's lots of ways to maintain energy and productivity throughout the day. But it won't happen instantly, as you already have a crutch you've come to rely on

 

[anon103]

@divinity3 How many calories are you eating, and do you track your TDEE (either with MacroFactor or with the spreadsheet from the r/fitness wiki)? I ask because cravings/snacking are often your body's way of trying to stay alive on a large deficit. Your mention of fatigue also suggests that you may be on too drastic a deficit.

Here's what I'd do. Add up the number of calories you eat in sugary snacks on a typical (or even worse than typical) day. Then add that number of calories of non-sugar carbs to your regular meals.

So let's say you eat 450 calories of candy and such. That's equivalent to two cups of brown rice, or a cup of brown rice and two slices of toast. So have two slices of toast with breakfast, and an extra half cup of brown rice at lunch and dinner. See if you feel less fatigued and have less of an issue with the work snacks when you're doing that. You may need to adjust from there (drop down to one slice of toast?) but this will likely give you a good starting point.