Overcome eating like crazy after work

I need a little advice. I work at a bakery for 8 hours a day 5 days a week that is exceptionally busy. I work from 1pm-9pm and do not have any time to eat. I eat my breakfast and my lunch and I always pack veggies, fruit, and my dinner yet I never have the time to stop and eat. I am pretty good about not eating the sweets. If I do I'll have a bite of this and a bite of that but never a whole pastry. My problem is when I am finished work I am so incredibly hungry I inhale my food and by the end of it I have just ingested 2 meals in one and it's 10pm. For example tonight I ate 4 large bowls of minestrone soup, an apple, a peach, a large bowl of lychee fruit, and 7 rice cakes. I know what I am eating is not horrible for me but I feel so full when I finally come up for air and my waistband is getting a little tight in the process. Would anyone have advice as to how to beat this?

I'm kinda similar, only I work in a deli. lol 8 hours a day most of the time, 5 days a week. On my feet all day except for two 15-minute breaks and a half-hour lunch.

I would have no willpower working in a bakery. I barely have any in the deli! LOL *bows down to you*

Surely you must get breaks and a lunch during your 8 hour day. That would be the opportune time to eat the food you bring. That's how I do it, but truthfully I always reserve some calories for the end of the day when I come home to unwind, even if it's around 10 or 11.  I always reserve calories for snacking at work, because I know it's gonna happen. I've been really good about it lately though! My miscellaneous nibbles usually add up to nearly 400 calories a day, but lately they've been around 200 or less. (Yes, I track every bite of this and that because it DOES add up unfortunately.)

Hmm... not sure I answered the question, I guess my first question to you was about your breaks. How many do you get/take?

I actually don't get any. I am the only one that works there during that time. I have tried running to the back and scarfing down food in between customers but I really do not enjoy it and in the end my stomach hurts and gets bloated. Maybe there is no solution to this or I need to think mind over matter? I wish I could just breathe when I am eating after work because maybe I wouldn't eat so much. It's weird how crazy one becomes when they are hungry! haha!

you must make time to eat during the day even if you have to multitask your eating.

be sure to have an afternoon snack too, enough to get you through until you can fix a healthy dinner so you dont snack while you fix it.

Why in the world are you the only one there? Especially if it's as busy as you say, in my store it'd be considered horrible customer service to not have enough help. (tho that doesn't stop them from cutting hours *rolls eyes*)

I agree though, you must make time for yourself to eat. And scarfing down food in a hurry between customers isn't good for you (indigestion. bloating, etc..) along with not giving you the time to savor and be satisfied. (I know this, cuz I am guilty of having to hurry and swallow before waiting on a customer... it makes the calories not worth it lol)

Would you be allowed to put a sign on the door saying your out to lunch or anything? If the owner has a problem with it, ask him/her why then you don't have any help.

Fortunately I do not work in a bakery, but I do work retail and understand what its like not being able to take a break in an entire shift.

First let me say if ur in the us, it illegal not to provide Ur employees with one 30 meal period after 6 hours. 

Second what worked for me was slim fast shakes.  When we were really busy or understaffed I would bring 2 with me to work dump them into a cup and sip in between customers.  Then ate a small meal when I got home. 

You might also want to talk to ur boss(s) maybe they don't realize quite how busy u r.

I second the Slim Fast suggestion.  For one horrible summer, I worked as a telemarketer (well, I actually started out in tech support for a credit card company, which was WAY better than the second half of my summer, which was flat out telemarketing). 

We were technically scheduled for 40 hours a week, but weren't paid for any breaks we took.  So, in order to get my 40 hours a week (I kind of needed the money), I developed a really bad habit of working 8 hours without much of a break.  (I could even make it to the bathroom and back in under two minutes!)  We weren't allowed to have actual food on the floor, just hard candy or drinks, so I took a Slim Fast with me every shift.  I could drink it in between calls, or while I had someone on hold, and it filled me up enough that I wasn't tempted to run to the vending machine and inhale six bags of chips in 30 seconds, or anything like that.  It also kept me from stopping at the nearest fast food place as soon as I got out of work and ordering everything on the Dollar Menu.  I could then eat something light, like salmon on the George Foreman, or some kind of a salad when I got home (it was usually too hot out to eat a big meal, and my apartment was routinely 90 degrees at eleven at night... so cooking wasn't so attractive.)

It wasn't the best thing, obviously (it would be much better to sit down and eat a real, balanced, yummy meal,) but it's an ok solution to a problem like yours (and mine, after the first time I found myself so HUNGRY after work that I ordered and ate a god awful amount of fast food). 

I do agree that you really SHOULD get a break-- that would be a much better solution.  But I understand how things can happen, and sometimes it feels safer to take no break and just not rock the boat, yes?  :)

or a protein shake....slim fast is loaded with sugar.

How about bringing some snacks on hand that are already in bite size pieces?A small bag of nuts and dried fruit rather than a sandwich, for instance. Every now and then you could sneak in a bite more comfortably, tidily, and discreetly.

I agree with the protein shakes idea.

Also, I don't know your personal preferences, but I know if I eat an omelette, or any version of eggs actually (I usually do one whole and two whites with veggies and some lean meat) in the morning, I'm not hungry again until far in to the afternoon. Could you do a big breakfast before you go in?

Good point.  Thanks for pointing that out (re: sugar in slim fast).

If money is an issue, or you just don't want to spend the money on pre-mixed products what about even making your own shakes with protein powder or something like that and fruit?  Might be something to look into.  I can't offer any insight, as I've never used protein powder or anything like that, by maybe someone else can?  That sounds like a healthy, balanced type of alternative to a slim fast.

Original Post by dancergirl:

I actually don't get any. I am the only one that works there during that time.

I'm not sure where you live, but if it's in the U.S., FYI I'm pretty sure that, by law, you are supposed to get at least a lunch break and maybe a couple 15-minute breaks if working a full shift.

edit: I now see that someone already pointed this out . . .

if you came into the bakery you would notice that there is no need for more than one person to work at a time. it is a small family run business and having too many people there would just be an annoyance. i live in canada and i understand the rules of "breaks" but unfortunately when you are the only one there it doesn't really apply. lol i guess i was looking for advice as to how to put mind over matter when eating my dinner... but thank you so much for all of your concerns.

If you happen to have an apron with pockets or wear a uniform to work with pockets, stash some dried fruit/almonds, etc. for snacking during work. If you eat very, very small meals through your shift you won't feel hungry and you'll be able to eat a SENSIBLE light dinner when you get home. Scarfing down food doesn't help, but popping an almond or cut up nutrition bar (FiberOne bars are good) throughout the day won't upset your stomach.

that sounds like an amazing idea delovelyjenn. i have no idea why i never thought of that. lol i am going to do this today:) thank you