There is a place where I face a lot of adversity in my healthy eating goals: the library break room. Half the time the back room is filled with a variety of foods: generally yummy, most often unhealthy. And they call to me. I can only walk through the break room so many times before I just have to have a cookie. Or I think: One Hershey Kiss won't hurt me and next thing I know I have eaten six. Lately I have been trying to take my lunch to work with me. The only place to eat it is in that break room, right next to the goodies -- it's a lose-lose situation. If I remove myself from the room, I would have to go out to eat. If I save calories by bringing my lunch, I have a stare-off with the left over cake.
I have taken several strategies to overcome this dilemma. Sometimes, I tell my co-workers that I will pay them money if I eat the food back there. For example: no cupcake is worth ten dollars. Other times I will cover the food with paper, or tablecloths. This probably annoys my coworkers (they would much rather get the money!) and it probably annoys the person that brought the yummy food -- they wanted us to eat it! Now, I am going to try another approach; I am going to post it every day on my blog. If I eat crap food from the back room at work, I will list it. This will make me more accountable. For today: I have eaten one chocolate chip cookie that was in the Bethany break room. I am currently on my lunch break (at home), but am planning on having no more when I get back this evening. If I do fold under that pressure, I will let you all know.
Tonight, I plan on working out after work. Also to assure that will go, I am going to list it now. I will stay for one hour and do 30 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes walking hills. Yesterday I went to BodyPump and stayed for 30 minutes to walk with Erin. Time really flies by when you have someone to talk to at the gym.
After BodyPump I went to Jennifer's house, who didn't make it to the gym because she left her workout clothes at home (I don't know where Brandy was). Jennifer, feeling guilty that I had referenced her as responsible for my poor eating habits, made me a very healthy chicken breast, with peas and rice for dinner. And when I wanted a cookie afterward she would not give one to me! I remained at 1100 calories for the entire day. And to clearify, I never meant to imply that Jennifer was responsible for my poor choices (I take that on myself). I only meant to suggest that Jennifer was around me most often, and that I would need her help the most. But I thank her for the chicken dinner, and (I suppose) holding out on the cookies!
UPDATE (10:00pm): Well, I didn't make it to the gym. I wasn't dressed right to change clothes at work, so I had to come home. That did me in; I needed a snack and wanted to watch a movie I got in the mail. I did not eat any other break room food though! So perhaps the logging is working. Oh, and I found something I love. For Easter I got these Wyler's Light drink mixers. They're like Walgreen's brand Crystal Light, I think (cheap too). So you mix these packets into your water bottle. The strawberry one is great; it tastes like Kool-aid but with only 5 calories. I haven't had Kool-Aid in years. And it helped me to get my 64 oz. of water for the day.
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3 comments:
Too bad we can't hang out more often because I make better choices when I am hanging out with other people that want to make better choices. Like yesterday I had lunch with Audrey from Panera and I sort of wanted the chips, but she wanted the apple so I also got the apple. I'm easily influenced! Imagine working across from a bakery and constantly smelling good things baking. This is why I'm working out so much lately! Good luck!
Yeah, working next to a bakery would probably be bad for me to. The is rarely a donut I can turn down. At least you have to pay for it - it's harder to turn down free food on the back room table. But, how much is a donut, like 30 cents. Why does crap food have to be so cheap, and good food has to be so expensive?
I bought some of those add to water things once and I hated them. Maybe the Weyler's brand is better. I also think I bought some kind of like raspberry tea flavor or something. I never could get them to dissolve all the way - that's part of what made them gross!
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