This is what worked for me! Plan, plan, plan, eveything! On Sundays (pick any day)I plan the week's menu and food. I plan the kids lunches, snacks etc.. I also take everything with me when I leave the house in the mornings. All my meals for the time I am out, go with me in my cooler. As for co-workers, cake and all of that stuff, I just don't eat it. You have more time than you think! Sit with a planner and do a 1/2 hour by 1/2 entry of your daily life and you will find time available. It may cut into your tv wtaching but something has got to give! The supermarket has lots of ready made options for nights you don't feel like cooking or can't. Pick up a salad and a rotiserrie chicken and you have a meal and lunch for the next day. Spend some time just walking around the market and see what they have, so you are prepared if you need an emergency quick meal. Another trick I do is to cook 2 or 3 meals on Sunday's. Chop my veg for a mid- week stry fry, roast a chicken for a 2 day meal. Make turkey burgers and freeze for the end of week.......etc..etc...You can do it!
KELLY_SP 4/30/07 7:47 A
Hi Elaine,
The Nutrition Resource Center has over 20 articles on eating away from home. Hopefully there is one that will help you find something a little healthier when you are having lunch out with friends. Enjoy the lunch and keep up the great work.
Be well, Kelly
CHINARA 4/29/07 10:53 P
Yes, it's so hard to work outside the home and diet. Friends want to go out for lunch. Co-workers are always bringing in Goodies and they feel offended if you don't eat them. Parties right and left for any and every occasion - hey, it's a full moon! Let's party!
I try to avoid eating at the parties and snacks brought into work. But sometimes I do. Then I try not to eat much and practice portion control and exercise more later or eat less calories that night. spinach for dinner... So I eat the Goodies only if it's something I really really want, because I'll pay for it later by not eating much that night.
I'm not as good about going out to eat. But I have a weight watcher's buddy at work now and we've been going to lunch on Fridays. I'm good and get a subway sub or a salad when I go out with her. I avoid the lunchroom at break. I like to walk on my breaks anyway and I have 3 walking buddies. On Wednesdays I have to take late lunch, so I walk during lunch hour that day.
But I have to get better about getting salad and eating healthy when I go out to eat with my other friends. According to my husband, I have to cut way back on eating out period because of money, anyway. So I have to do that. But I have a lunch date set up with a couple friends Tuesday. I don't know yet where we're going. I'll have to suggest a place I can get something healthy.
CHINARA 4/29/07 10:44 P
When I was more motivated and really lost a lot of weight, I preplanned and fixed a lot of things ahead.
I work full time and so I would cut and pack my snacks (I like radishes, dill pickles, carrots, watermelon, apple slices, bananas, strawberries) the night before and take them to work. I also kept low fat popcorn, instant cream of wheat, instant oatmeal, splenda, cereal bars, and tootsie rolls in my desk at work for when I forgot to bring fresh snacks or wanted a change.
I eat breakfast in the car on the way to work as I am not a morning person and sleep as late as I can. Usually I have either an english muffin with a boca or morning star sausage or a drinkable low fat yogurt and banana. Easy but tasty, low cal things.
I manage the daytimes pretty well.
Night times after work are a different story.
My daughter is in softball and my son and daughters and myself take karate. Also, the kids have youth group at church every Tuesday. My husband umpires most nights and weekends so he's not around to help and we're usually rushing to help him get to work as I'm getting home and we're rushing to get back out to our various nighttime activities.
We got off track being so busy at night and so tired after our activities that we were ready to attack the easiest, quickest foods we could lay our hands on for dinner, or for a snack before the activity to carry us through till dinner. Me especially, and I'm a nighttime eater anyway.
I'm redoubling my efforts to lose the thirty pounds I regained (initially I lost 95), and so I'm trying to return to healthier habits and watch nighttime eating.
I want to use my crock pot more to prepare dinners ahead. However, my 16 year old says she hates things overcooked in the Crockpot and she won't eat those kind of dinners.
This weekend I was good at night. Tonight I had an oriental lettuce wrap and then later spinach and mushrooms. But we all ate different things as my daughter had ball practice all afternoon and I walked while she practiced so I came home exhausted again and asked my 25 year old too cook. He had made velveeta shells and cheese for my 12 year old while I was out. So I told my 12 year old who is overweight, when he was still hungry, that he could eat some of the grapes, bananas, and apples I just brought home.
I'm going to have to start preparing food the night or weekend before to take with us/heat up when we get home if we're going to have a prayer of getting back on track. And lately, we've been so busy with the softball that we've not made it to karate.
KELLY_SP 4/24/07 4:06 P
I find that no matter what the challenge may be, planning ahead and keeping a schedule helps to minimize the impulse food choices. It can take some getting used to on the front end but it pays off when you are crunched for time and either late for work or exhausted from a long day.
There are so many great articles in the Nutrition Resource Center that can help take the guess work out of things.
I hope this helps! Be well, Kelly
CLAIREMARIE1 4/24/07 10:10 A
I have to eat in the car as I start at 12.00 so I usually have a sandwich. My problem is that I get home at 5.45 my daughter goes to bed at 7 and I seem to always look for the quick option as I am hungry from having lunch so early. This is usually a bad option though.
HUNISU 4/24/07 10:02 A
work is a downfall for me most times too. There's too much junk floating around the office. I've taken to bringing my lunch as well as a couple of healthy snacks. I've actually gotten another lady to bring her lunch as well and we eat together instead of going out with everyone else.
CLAIREMARIE1 4/24/07 7:47 A
Has anyone got any suggestions as to how to balance a healthly diet with working and kids. I'm lucky in that my daughter will eat pretty much anything but juggling healthly eating and work seems to be difficult. Any suggestions
