Hi everyone,

I am having trouble between finding a happy balance between not eating too much and losing weight, but eating enough so that I can nourish my brain and not be distracted by hunger. I'm in the middle of my dissertation, there is a bit of a time crunch, so I need to write write write.

Another poster (sorry I forget the screen name but I know her by picture!) recently posted that she wrote a book over the long weekend and gain a few pounds because she wanted to eat to fuel her brain.

This is what I need to do nearly every day for the next few weeks - but I don't want to pack on weight. Yet, I find hunger the most distracting thing ever.

Any advice? I am trying to eat nutrient dense whole real foods - no junk. But still, I find myself overeating and excusing it cause I "need to think." I need to stop making excuses - at the same time, writing is hard enough and I hate having any hindrences.

Sigh. Any advice or moral support would be appreciated!!!

Is it hunger or is it habit? If you're actually hungry due to the calorie deficit caused by dieting, then you might consider either temporarily going into maintenance mode or increasing your calories to a point where you just lose a bit more slowly. Both alternatives would be temporary until you finish your dissertation.

On the other hand, if you're not truly hungry, but you're just in the habit of nibbling when you work, then can you think of a substitute? Perhaps drinking lost of water when working, or chewing sugar-free gum, or munching on carrot sticks or celery, etc. Another alternative might be to eat more frequently, but eat less per meal (spread things out a bit more during the day).

It's not a dissertation but I recently finished my MA thesis and while I didn't lose I was able to maintain. I normally tried to eat a healthy meal and then get out of the house and go to a coffee shop or a library without the distraction of food to eat. While having a big calorie deficit isn't conducive to writing I found the desire to snack and "take a break" more of a problem.

Good luck finishing your PhD!!

Thanks everyone. I think one trick that helps is constantly drinking tea - both herbal and caffeinated (green and black). That seems to take the edge off and make me not crave as much extra food.

I definitely think the habit and the breaks are things to think about. I do think its habit - so maybe the tea helps replace that. And I think a good idea - is to maybe wear gym clothes on the days I can - so when i need a break I can take a quick 5-10 minute power walk to get hte blood flowing and not eat for a break.

Thanks everyone.

That was me. Unfortunately I can't use that approach in my regular life as a freelance writer. What seems to help me when dealing with thorny deadlines is going out to coffee shops with my computer for a change of scene and indulging in an interesting (if relatively lo-cal) beverage.

Freelance

Thanks for the advice freelance.