Non-Structured Days Are Tricky

This weekend was my first experience in a long time with trying to eat healthy on a non-structured day. Weekdays are pretty easy. I'm at work, so during the day I know what I'm going to eat and when I'm going to eat it. I try to plan dinner ahead, too. When I'm at school, which happens many weekends, my days and meals are also very structured. This past weekend was tough because I was home and didn't have a good plan.

Saturday started off with a healthy, hearty breakfast at the cafe KB mentioned...very delicious and filling. After being home for a while I got hungry for lunch but had no plan for it. I thought that Darren and I might go out for lunch or dinner, but he wasn't sure what he wanted to do, and so that just threw me off completely. I ended up eating yogurt and an apple, thinking that since I had a hearty breakfast I could have a lighter lunch, but that didn't fuel me like I needed. I should have been sure to eat some protein. Instead I ended up in an energy slump and, out of desperation, had some potato chips.

In the past, if I deviated from my eating plan, even once, that meant the whole day was ruined and so I could eat whatever I want for the rest of the day. Ha! What a set-up! Saturday, though, I shifted back to my plan and had a very well-balanced, delicious, sensibly portioned dinner. Ahhhh.

Sunday was tricky because I was running late in the morning and didn't have breakfast. Then I attended a shower in the afternoon, and by the time the food was served I was very hungry and my blood sugar was low. My plate wasn't too bad, but I didn't make the choices that I might have made if I had been more grounded and better fed up to that point. I did, though, avoid having any of the cookies or cupcakes that everyone was raving about. It was tough, but I felt really good about making that decision. It's so easy to justify eating junk in that sort of a festive social setting, because it's true that having something that is sugary and delicious is a great way to celebrate. I just keep reminding myself that once I reach my target weight I'll be able to enjoy chips and cupcakes in moderation. It's just that I've spent the past 15 years making every day a celebration. : ) It's time to take a break from that and invite balance to my body and my life.

So, next weekend will be filled with more non-structured days with a fundraising tea right in the middle. My goal is to plan what I'll eat for my meals Saturday and Sunday, and to plan for the tea. I'm sure there will all kinds of cakes and cookies there. I'll have to figure out what I want to do about all of that. In the meantime I'll focus on getting some movement in this week. Walking Rocky sounds good!