I admit it . . . I'm a stress eater. When my stress levels go up, my willpower goes down. The past month at work has been high stress. It took me a few weeks to recognize it, but my willpower was plummeting. The new habits that I had developed over the past several years seemed to just disappear. Looking at my desk one day, I counted four food wrappers. FOUR! Wow! That was the moment that I realized I needed to get my act together. I was in a fierce battle with the Snack Attack Monster and I needed a plan.
Re-Commit to Living Healthy
On my drive home that night, I turned the radio off and spent some time thinking. I needed to admit to myself that I was slipping into some old habits. I love snacking. I love pretzels and chips and gummy candies. So when someone leaves a box filled with small bags of Doritos in our Employee Lounge, of course I am going to grab one. When I step into my co-workers office and she offers me a handful of gummy worms, of course I'm going to say yes. When I'm sitting at my desk at the end of the day and my stomach is gurgling, of course I'm going to go the vending machine. Really? No! I'm going to walk past the breakroom, graciously decline the offer and come to work prepared with healthy snacks. Why? Because I want to feel good, have energy, live long and not put back on the weight I've lost.
That evening I got out two index cards and wrote down the scripture and quote that started me on my journey of healthy living:
Let us not grow weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
No one can go back and start a new beginning,
but anyone can start today and make a new ending.
Maria Robinson
The next day I posted them by my computer as a visual reminder of my commitment to live healthy.
Re-Charge Breakfast
The time between when my alarm goes off and when I need to be pulling out of the driveway always goes so fast! I found that I was often grabbing a granola bar or the dreaded Pop Tart as I ran out the door to satisfy my morning hunger. Neither are very filling. So by 9AM my stomach is rumbling and I'm wanting something to eat.
I had always wanted to try making smoothies for breakfast. My hesitation came from seeing recipes that call for protein powder and not knowing exactly what that involves. Talking with my friend Dana - a dietitian - eased my fear of the unknown. She said that for my purposes there were plenty of ways to naturally add protein to the smoothies through bananas, yogurt, peanut butter and even pureed pumpkin! (Note from my friend Dana after reading this blog entry - "Neither bananas nor pumpkin are high in protein but they def add bulk, fiber and other nutrients that will keep you satisfied until you need a mid-morning snack." I want to make sure I'm sharing correct information.)
Well-educated and very enthusiastic, I dug our blender out of the basement, bought a variety of ingredients and been have been whipping up healthy, tasty and filling breakfast smoothies all week, YUMMY! I have to admit that I have been surprised that they truly are filling. My stomach did not rumble in the morning all week!
The only possible downside to the smoothies is that they do take a little longer to prepare than simply grabbing a granola bar. However, I'm a great multi-tasker (I did almost put the chopped garlic in the blender instead of the crockpot yesterday, but I caught myself just in time!) and my husband hasn't minded cleaning up my mess - especially since I've been leaving him his very own smoothie!
Re-New My Relationship with Water
Over the past couple of weeks I realized that I have gotten away from drinking water at work. The cup that I had always carried around the Center with me sat dry and empty on the corner of my desk. This week I made a conscious effort to fill it up every morning on my way to our daily meeting and then carry it with me throughout the day. One of my favorite features of the Adult Day Center where I work is the door ice and water dispensers on the fridge. I do like ice cold water - it fills me up and wakes me up!
My battle plan is in place. It was that simple. I'm RE-COMMITTED, RE-CHARGED and RE-NEWED! Workday Snack Attacks don't stand a chance against this girl.
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