Just when I was feeling great about my food plan, free ice cream in the work freezer. Ah!
In April, we have cake week. December, holiday parties. My workplace might look like your typical public radio station, but it's actually a lair of sugar temptation. Chocolate lurks around every corner. Make it stop!
This got me thinking about the kinds of eating I do, and maybe shouldn't.
Type 1: fuel.
I'm hungry and I need to eat. Mostly I do great with this kind, unless of course I let myself get too hungry. Then, I'll reach for anything in sight. Tactic: keep healthy snacks in my desk and apartment. Eat those snacks before it's too late and pizza mode is activated.
Pizza mode is immediately followed by red wine mode and lazy netflix mode. System alert!
Today, I had the presence of mind to prep kale for my lunch and defrost salmon before I left for work. Wow, I actually have a meal plan in place before the last minue! Great job, now do this every day!
Type 2: social.
"Would you share fries if I got some?" "I made these cookies, try one!" "Let's go to brunch!" "I mean, vodka soda has barely any calories, right?" - skinny people.
This happens all too often. I perform stand-up comedy, thus I'm in bars multiple nights a week. When I see friends, it's generally for meals or drinks. Bar food! Seeing thinner folks reach for the pub burger and fries is maddening. Meanwhile, I'm ordering the salad like a chump.
Brunch? Forget it. How can I NOT get the veggie benedict with homefries and maybe a bloddy mary while we're at it? The gym ain't happening today. Guilt mode activated.
Tactic: Inform my soccer-playing, running three miles a day, high metabolism dude friends that I cannot get fries today. Suggest we do something that doesn't involve eating junk food and/or drinking.
Type 3: emotional.
I had a bad day! Just one hard cider, or a grilled cheese, maybe an order of fries. I'm sad! Or stressed! I deserve it!
This is toxic! I can't just get fries because I had a bad day, at least not while still meeting my goals.
Tactic: remember that treats are just that, treats. Can't lean on 'em to manage stress.
Tactic: Stressed? Exercise, or find another way to relax. Drink water.
Any other eating types I missed?