RE: cutting carbs , other (hopefully helpful) ideas
I'm not sure cutting out carbs is such a good idea, much less breakfast carbs. If you're working out, you need carbs to fuel your body. Maintain balance in your protein, carbs, fats. We need them all in our diet, IMHO.
Are you consuming enough calories to fuel your workouts? I'd say to quit picking & give yourself permission to eat the whole muffin. It would be a lot easier to calculate your intake than having to guess the value of your "pickings." (Or is that the point? Are you resisting having to keep track/control?)
If you think you ARE eating enough to fuel your activity level, think about WHY you're eating. If you're not hungry, is it for emotional reasons? Something you said makes me wonder if you work a varying shift. Changing hours is tough. Maybe something as simple as a walk around the block for 10-15 min. (or more if you'll spare) would be a good transition from work to home & help you release work tensions that may be related to your cravings.
Maybe keep a food journal & write not only what your eat, but how you're feeling at the time. In FOOD & MOOD, Elizabeth Somer talks about how what we eat can affect our moods even a few hours later. She tells how to use a food journal. Maybe that would help you tease out if certain things you eat later trigger more cravings.
When I came home from work hungry, I went for the easiest (& least nutritious!) thing. I found it helpful to put a list of what I could eat when on the refrigerator. Having the choices narrowed ahead of time helped me make healthier choices in the heat of the moment.
If you're eating because you need to occupy yourself, treat yourself to a new hobby.
It's okay to make muffins--keep a couple out, put a few in the freezer & give the rest away to your neighbors, siblings' families, co-workers. They'll love you & you'll still get to make muffins.
One last observation: I used to teach middle & jr. high school. Slender girls would anguish over how they looked & how they needed to improve themselves. Focusing on perfection. In my adult eyes, they were already beautiful. If you're working out, I bet you're in enviable shape and have an alertness & glow that attract people to you, even if you're carrying a few more pounds than your idea of your perfect weight. Appreciate yourself & try not to worry so much. Life's too short to worry so much & thank goodness you're alive to enjoy it.
I'm not sure cutting out carbs is such a good idea, much less breakfast carbs. If you're working out, you need carbs to fuel your body. Maintain balance in your protein, carbs, fats. We need them all in our diet, IMHO.
Are you consuming enough calories to fuel your workouts? I'd say to quit picking & give yourself permission to eat the whole muffin. It would be a lot easier to calculate your intake than having to guess the value of your "pickings." (Or is that the point? Are you resisting having to keep track/control?)
If you think you ARE eating enough to fuel your activity level, think about WHY you're eating. If you're not hungry, is it for emotional reasons? Something you said makes me wonder if you work a varying shift. Changing hours is tough. Maybe something as simple as a walk around the block for 10-15 min. (or more if you'll spare) would be a good transition from work to home & help you release work tensions that may be related to your cravings.
Maybe keep a food journal & write not only what your eat, but how you're feeling at the time. In FOOD & MOOD, Elizabeth Somer talks about how what we eat can affect our moods even a few hours later. She tells how to use a food journal. Maybe that would help you tease out if certain things you eat later trigger more cravings.
When I came home from work hungry, I went for the easiest (& least nutritious!) thing. I found it helpful to put a list of what I could eat when on the refrigerator. Having the choices narrowed ahead of time helped me make healthier choices in the heat of the moment.
If you're eating because you need to occupy yourself, treat yourself to a new hobby.
It's okay to make muffins--keep a couple out, put a few in the freezer & give the rest away to your neighbors, siblings' families, co-workers. They'll love you & you'll still get to make muffins.
One last observation: I used to teach middle & jr. high school. Slender girls would anguish over how they looked & how they needed to improve themselves. Focusing on perfection. In my adult eyes, they were already beautiful. If you're working out, I bet you're in enviable shape and have an alertness & glow that attract people to you, even if you're carrying a few more pounds than your idea of your perfect weight. Appreciate yourself & try not to worry so much. Life's too short to worry so much & thank goodness you're alive to enjoy it.