I am retired and I have a lot of time on my hands. I over eat with both good and bad stuff. It is a balancing act. I try to exercise more, but then I just eat more.
But, each day is a new day to start over. I guess the trick is to keep healthy snacks available, so a person will grab that when hungry instead of cookies and chips.
I am trying for moderation, but each day is a battle.
Keep trying to reach your goals and finding what works for you.

I have a similar problem but because I am too busy to cook! I end up snarfing whatever is available because I wait until I am starved to prepare food.

Here is what DH and I do:

We grocery shop once a week, making sure to buy lots of healthy foods like lean meat, greens, eggs, and berries.

Then one day a week, we do a meal and snack prep day. We grill a bunch of chicken breasts (you could do fish as well if you like it) broil some lean burger, dice up lots of veggies for snacking and salad (but not tomatoes, they get mushy in a hurry.) We might even turn out a couple of complete meals for extra busy nights.

That way, when I come home hungry and on the run, I have options that are healthy and easy to grab, instead of grabbing a candy bar or chips at the gas station on my way to somewhere.

It also helps to purge the house of the unhealthy food choices. I also try to keep a couple of the healthier (specific to my eating plan) frozen entrees in my freezer as a last resort.

As far as the time on your hands, try to reset your idea that food is recreation/entertainment. Train your brain that food is FUEL. That means finding other entertainment that is your go to when you are bored. Hard to do but worth it. I am working on training my brain that food is FUEL, not a reward for good behavior. Whew!

Hope this helps! Blessings!

I'm a stay at home mom. If I can't eat out for lunch I turn to my freezer. I cook almost every night for my family. When we have leftovers I make meals for me to eat for lunch. I put them in the freezer and in less than 7 minutes in most cases I have a decent lunch.

I even make my kids special meals (the ones they want that no one else wants) and freeze them. Right now I have stuffed cabbage and stuffed peppers in my freezer...fresh from my garden last year. I have a lot of pasta dishes for my son and the youngest.

Choose some decent freezer containers and make some meals up ahead of time. Spending one day off in the kitchen adds up to many meals later. And over time you will have a variety in the freezer.

Even my FIL does this since he lives alone now. He makes a recipe and freezes portions for later use.

Great advice here. Thank you. I do try and keep junk out of my house but I eat too many frozen dinners that I did NOT fix myself and they never have adequate protein. Cooking for more than one meal sounds like a good way to go. Thanks

Hello Janette,

I also have difficulties with meal prep. I live alone, so I often do not feel like cooking for one. To alleviate this (and I know this isn't the best thing), I try to purchase "healthier" frozen meals (with vegetables and lean proteins), that I can just stick in the microwave.

They do contain a lot of sodium, but at least some of them are portion-controlled. I, too, lack the motivation to engage in cooking, though I know it would highly benefit my body and health if I did cook using fresh ingredients from scatch. I can certainly relate. Baby steps.

All great options!
Myself I tend to have a protein shake with almond milk and half of a banana in those moments when I think I dont have the time to prepare something. My other go to snacks are rice cakes with peanut butter or plain greek yogurt with blueberries.
I tend to stay away from the frozen meals because Ive been on more of a clean eating streak. But I do meal prep. I tend to buy about 5 lbs of chicken breast and bake them with different seasonings all at once. This will normally last me most of the week. Just having your protein ready will help cut down prep time, and I normally go for fresh veggies but you could always get the steamables frozen bags!

PS another fav of mine is ground turkey with taco seasoning, I normally add in corn or beans to bulk it up and have it over brown rice or spinach. But I always cook in bulk.