After my breakfast of three mini-cupcakes, I resolved to go on a diet this morning. When you work at home, this is a lot easier said than done. My office is literally 5 steps away from my kitchen, and when I hit the writing wall, the first place I head is to the fridge.

Here are a few of the things I do to try to avoid eating all day.

1. I keep baby carrots and sugar snap peas handy to give me something healthy and crunchy and sweet to gnaw
   on when stress strikes.
2. My breakfasts are usually overly hearty and frequently non-breakfast-y — soup, a hamburger patty, whole-grain oatmeal with fruit, Kashi breakfast cereals. I’ve given up my favorite muffins from my favorite coffee shop. The point is to give me something substantial so that hunger doesn’t creep in.
3. When I start thinking fridge thoughts, which are usually because I’m bored or stressed and not because of hunger, I try to give myself a time goal to wait. “Ok, so I’ll work until 11 and then get lunch, rather than grabbing a snack at 10:30.”
4. When the sweet tooth fairly visits mid-afternoon, I make sure I have apples, mangoes, cherries — some wonderful fruit that I adore that will satisfy my really loud sweet cravings.
5. If the cravings just keep coming, I decide that now’s the time for a post office run or a brisk walk around the block — anything to break that cycle.

Please keep in mind that the woman who is providing these nutritional tips had cupcakes for breakfast and really needs to diet.