Eating on the Go
My life has gotten very crazy in the past week. Thanks to the financial ups and downs of freelance writing, I have taken two part-time jobs to help keep the wolf from the door. One is as the substitute children's librarian at Fuller Public Library, where I will be doing the preschool story time hour on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I was a Montessori preschool teacher for a number of years, so it will be nice being around kids again.
The other job is in my local Shaws bakery. While I have a weakness for baked sweets, I'm not worried about facing temptation each time I punch-in on the time clock, thanks to the store's rule that you may not eat while working. (Only during break times in the employee lounge.)
Of course, now that I have these two new jobs, my writing assignments have also picked up. I guess it's one of those funny twists of fate.
My new schedule has thrown off my meal routine. I am usually working now at the times I use to have breakfast and dinner. My meals have become a matter of grabbing something quick before I leave for work or on the job, and eating dinner late when I get home. Plus, often the quickest food item isn't always the healthiest, though I am trying to be careful in my choices. Next week it is only going to get crazier when I begin teaching two writing classes for Concord Community Ed.
I'm still following the lifestyle changes I began a year ago, maybe even more so now since my meals are based more on hunger than on the clock saying it is meal time. It has been tricky getting to the gym, but so far I have worked out twice a week, and my evening walk has become more of a stress release than just exercise.
How do you stay healthy on a busy schedule? Any tips you can share?
Thanks for the ideas
Tracy,
Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I bought some healthy snacks today that I plan to keep in the car for when hunger strikes, which is much better than going through the drive-thru.
Linda
Hi Linda,
I know how hard it can be to make the right food choices when keeping a busy schedule. Some of the things that I do to keep myself on track is to do all of my cooking on Sunday. For example I'll make a turkey chili, and freeze it in portions for grab and go convenience. Anything that can be easily thrown in a microwave when in a hurry is good to have on hand. I try to make a variety of well thought out meals, because eating the same things everyday can become so boring that a binge is inevitable.
I also keep what I call a survival bag in the car. I will always have on hand the 100 calorie snack packs, portioned out Melba snacks, energy bars, pretzels, etc. That alone keeps me on track and when I am feeling hungry I know I can dip into my healthy snacks and avoid the drive-thrus.
In my refrigerator I always have a bowl of hard boiled eggs at the ready. It's a real great protein packed thing to grab in the morning when running out the door. Fruit is another one of those wonderful healthy choices we can make when we are in a hurry. I often eat apples and drive at the same time.
Oh and back to the freezer again...I buy pineapples, peaches, bananas and berries which I keep cut up in freezer bags. Having them ready like that is a quick way to throw together a smoothie for your travel mug when you leave the house.
I hope I was able to offer you some good tips, and good luck with your busy schedule! Your weight-loss journey is inspiring:)
Tracy Merriman