The week is only about half over and it has already been a rough one! My stress this week has stemmed from work although it could just as easily have been my kids’ schedules or my family! Some days I think my life must be on a secret television reality show somewhere like the movie The Truman Show. But getting back to my point, I do really well when I have a consistent schedule I can stick to; I am a creature of habit. But my job varies from week to week. And this week I had to travel a few days in a row to visit sites about an hour away from my home. I’m not complaining about my job (one because my job rocks and two because I can work from home the days I’m not traveling) but the days I have to travel are rough because they throw off my schedule. I can’t squeeze any workouts in during the day and my healthy eating is definitely challenged as I am more likely to eat out or get take-out for lunch and sometimes even breakfast.
There have been some mornings I have tried to plan healthy snacks or lunches ahead of time but I’m usually later tempted by the thought of trying a local restaurant. I also may convince myself I deserve to eat out because I have been working so hard. Once I tried to be really healthy and buy a lot of fruit for breakfast but I ate so much pineapple before lunch time my nutrition coach was beside himself with me! Who knew even fruit had to be eaten with some moderation?! But I digress! So what’s the answer? My nutrition coach suggests packing healthy snacks like quest nutrition bars or fresh fruit and nuts, and then eating out a good balance of protein and vegetables. I also try to look at food as fuel rather than as something I deserve or have earned.
The week was also stressful at work because in addition to being on site, I also had a report due which meant stress related to deadlines. While I’m usually good at time management, I was allowing myself to get unusually close to the deadline and I found myself turning to comfort foods. Luckily, I was able to catch myself right away but this is certainly a big trigger for me. Whenever I have had major deadlines or any type of stressors in my life, I tend to comfort myself with food. I’ve learned this from reading way too many self-help books and attending many of the Optimally Balanced groups. I liked to distract myself by planning elaborate meals and I also prefer a feeling of being full. I’ve learned to manage my stress better these days by doing things like blogging, venting to my friends and spouse, planning elaborate healthy meals, and working out. But I still eat my comfort foods sometimes because as I always say, I’m still a work in progress!
