The temptations of Thursday are as follows:
When I got to work Thursday morning after a brisk 1.9 mile walk I made myself a cup of coffee and noticed that a coworker brought in half a lemon meringue pie. One of my favorites. I did not even have a nibble! I thought about it but I was still full from my big Mexican scramble so it was easy to resist.
Around 11:30 when I normally would have my apple for a snack I skipped the apple and ate 1 mini Butterfinger’s Egg (42 calories). Not the best decision but at least it was just one. (When I was 250 I used to love Easter time because I’d buy bags and bags of those Butterfinger Eggs at Target and just mow through the bag in one sitting.)
I ate my lunch and went for a short walk in the sunshine. Surprisingly Spring arrived in the blink of an eye. The sun was bright, the air was crisp and the flowers were blooming.
I got back from lunch and settled into work again only to feel a small pang of hunger at the exact same time as another coworker brought out chocolate chip oatmeal cookies that everyone was raving about. They were at the front counter and I walked by them about a dozen times. I was so tempted. I almost had one. Or half of one. Just a taste! Just one taste I told myself. Each time I walked by the cookies I almost got one. But I didn’t. I resisted.
Around 3:30, when I usually get the munchies, another coworker made microwave popcorn. Like the good kind too. I could smell the fake butter oozing off of it and all I wanted to do was hunt down whatever cruel coworker did it and eat their popcorn. I restrained myself. I got a piece of gum instead.
I made it through the work day with only a few pieces of chocolate with lunch. I feel like it was a success!
Thursday I had a reminder of “The Old Days.” The Old Days being when I was stricter with my calories and trying to lose weight. I was reminded that the little cravings can be beaten; reminded that the hunger pains are NOT the end of the world. I was reminded that I can wait until dinner to eat.
When I got home from work Michael was settled in watching hours of The Masters and I settled in to watch the first season of Cougar Town (what a goofy but fun show–it reminds me of Arrested Development). The time passed and my stomach started to growl. Normally I would have gotten up and gone into the kitchen to graze a little bit before dinner but I resisted. I got a glass of ice water and waited for Michael’s friend Jeremy to get home with pizza.
Since Thursday was Michael’s official birthday he got to choose what he wanted (pizza of course). He got us a capicola pie. I ate one large piece and two small pieces.
The capicola was salty and just what I was craving apparently. They were about 280 calories a slice (I’d round up and call the big piece 300 and the two small pieces 250). I wasn’t feeling too bad about it because I had over 900 calories left for dinner. I had wanted to have a glass of wine with dinner but I chose not to drink my calories and have water instead. Another good decision.
I even had a few extra calories for some dessert. Total for the day: I went over my Rest Day allotment of calories by about 50. BUT I was still under 1800 for the day, so I’m really happy with my restraint. If I can maintain this for the next week I think I can break myself of the nibbling habit.
QUESTION: What landmines did you dodge this week? How did you do it?
Michelle
Isn’t it amazing how many landmines we can find in a day when our normal habits have become so much healthier? I think every single meal could be a landmine for me on some days. Anything out of my norm of eating at/from home usually spells trouble..especially parties!
Lisa Eirene
There are so many landmines and I had been giving in to a lot of them lately. I have clarity now!
Beth @ Beth's Journey
Once I started working at a bigger office (and its still relatively small – 30 people) I couldn’t believe how many treats constantly made their way through the office. Every time you turn the corner there’s something else out for temptation!!
Lisa Eirene
My office has a whole ROOM dedicated to candy and munchies. It’s amazing I don’t weigh 300 pounds working here. I’m not joking. The fact that I could survive yesterday without eating much candy is a miracle. Every single day is a struggle.
Carbzilla
I’m drooling over that pizza picture!
My landmines are of my own making since I’m at home these days. I made oatmeal muffins, but made them with sugar instead of Splenda, and after a couple of mornings where I just crashed within two hours of eating one I was reminded that I just can’t have sugar like that. I might be able to have a muffin in the afternoon, once I’ve had two meals worth of food, but I’m just too sensitive to sugar to mess around. The next batch (if there is one) will maybe be a Splenda/Stevia mix or maybe muffins just need to go by the wayside for a while.
Lisa Eirene
How do you know how much Splenda or Stevia to use instead of sugar? Is a straight conversion? 1 cup of sugar = 1 cup of splenda?
Spending a lot of time at home is hard. The temptation to munch and graze are just THERE at all times!
Jill E.
wow i was temped just listening to your day. at the beginning of the year i transitioned from working in an office, with tons of treats and vending machines to working at home. while i thought this was going to be so hard it has been not to bad. with the whole kitchen i eat more complete lunches and can cook fuller dinners. it is hard and i try to not eat any desert like foods until after dinner.
Lisa Eirene
It’s hard! I wasn’t even describing the Candy Room at my office too. That’s a daily temptation. UGH.
That’s really great that you were able to make working from home healthy. If I worked at home I’d probably be more diligent about not having snacks in the house and I’d be cooking healthier lunches too.
Katie @ Up Fit Creek
Great job resisiting all those temptations! You didn’t deprive yourself, but you passed on the things you knew you’d regret later.
I’ve been working really, really hard at this lately. When I lost weight the first time around, I was super strict and very rarely caved to temptation. Post-baby, I’ve found myself giving in more often. It’s usually when I’m tired so now that I know that I’m more aware. It’s amazing how good I feel about myself when I can pass over something.
Lisa Eirene
You are right about the “second time around.” It is a lot harder to be disciplined for some reason. Not sure why…
Mylene
Wow, you’re good! I wish I could be as strong as you are…but it seems that I’m not there yet. Since I’m working in a daycare, my temptations are the snacks we serve, but also dinner and of course desert…I’m always bringing my own lunch, but I nibble a lot when I serve the kids.
Lisa Eirene
You’ll get there. I bet it’s hard not to nibble with the kids! Kids foods and snacks are so yummy. 🙂
runningfromthecouch
You have great strength. It is hard to dodge the “landmines” but I am learning through all my struggles that perfection is not the goal. There will be good choices and bad choices, but thinking about the endgame and the goal in mind helps me make more good choices than bad. You build the big milestones and victories out of the small steps you take.
Lisa Eirene
Perfection is not the goal, you are so right. I want to be as good as I can be in any given moment. I suppose choices aren’t necessarily good or bad, they are what they are and I can’t beat myself up too much about it.
Ashley
Great post. I’m usually pretty good at dodging landmines. Friday was a tough one: Work lunch, I get to the restaurant and the salad menu sucks, so I’m like … hmmm. There was a new raspberry chipotle BBQ pork sandwich on the menu (this is the South), so I got that, with a side of fruit. The fruit was terrible, so I didn’t even eat it; I had the sandwich and a few bites of coleslaw.
But I felt really guilty because I ate the entire bun. Usually I only eat 1/2 of the bun at a restaurant. And then we went out for dinner and I had one of those “eff it!” moments where you go for exactly what you want (you should blog about that!) and got a bleu cheese burger on a white bun …. and I did it again.
We’re going out to dinner tonight, too. They’ll have to roll me to work on Monday.
Lisa Eirene
I do have those “eff it” moments. Usually it revolves around restaurant eating as well. I usually go into the situation with a strong resolve but then seeing so many yummy things on the menu, I lose the resolve to be “good.” Add a good beer or wine to that equation and I have less resolve. 🙁
Coco
My office is full of landmines too. I try to hide in my own office and avoid temptation. We aren’t “allowed” to microwave fish or popcorn though — too “aromatic.”
I try to remind myself that leftover store-bought baked goods are just not worth it.
Lisa Eirene
Unfortunately I can’t just hide in my office. I have to use this certain printer that is IN the Candy Room. And I use it probably 15 times a day. The temptation is hourly.