We had a Christmas/appreciation lunch at work this past week provided by our manager and her boss. Our food choices were from a menu given by our cafeteria at work. First, our department got together and we voted on which meal from the menu we wanted to have. Unfortunately, none of them would be my pick as none of them were really foods that I would ever just bring on my own. So first, I voted for fajitas, as I figured this way I could at least just have chicken and some veggies and at least be able to make it healthy, as apposed to the fried chicken meal :p, which was also an option. Not surprisingly, I was the only one out of the 15 in our department who picked that so we ended up with "Pasta Delight".
The main course was provided and our manager asked us to bring dessert. The list grew and grew as everyone was saying what they would bring, a pumpkin pie, a cherry pie, peach cobbler, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, pumpkin cake, etc etc. There aren't many others in my department who are very health conscious and if bad food is around me, I get tempted to eat it so I decided I'd need a game plan.
Ideally, I'd bring my own lunch, but that of course would have been rude. So, I decided to bring a veggie tray and make hummus (my first time making it). This way, I could eat a very small portion of spagetthi with marinara and a bunch of veggies. The day came and thankfully, also with our meal was served a large salad with dressing on the side, so I was able to eat a small portion of spagetthi, a big salad and veggies with hummus. All was well, and I was proud of myself for not even wanting any of the dessert.
Just as our long, extended lunch and party was concluding our manager gave us all a small stocking -- you guessed it -- full of candy. I tried to give my candy away to a coworker but she didn't want anymore than she had to have either. I told her I would probably just throw it away right when I got home but she told me I shouldn't waste it, though I still had every intention of disposing of it the second I walked in the door of my house.
I had been very good for such a long time. I passed through Halloween with a breeze not even consuming one piece of candy (and it felt good). Thanksgiving was a breeze as my mother-in-law knows my husband and I eat healthy and we had many healthy alternatives to eat at her house. So, as I was leaving work the day of our holiday party I thought I was fine.
Before I knew it as I was putting everything in my car ready to leave I peeked inside of this stocking just to see if there was anything inside of it that I could eat. Then, without thinking, I took a mini sized Reeses Pieces and ate it right up. At this point it's as if my brain shut off and my voice of reasoning was gone. Before I knew it I had eaten three small pieces of candy on my way home from work and continued to eat 3 more before I threw the rest away.
Now I know this won't kill me but I felt guilty afterwards. As my husband would say, it's very counterproductive to what I'm trying to do in living a healthy lifestyle and in eating healthy. At least for me, even consuming a small amount of sweets just makes me crave more where as if I just stay away from it altogether I feel way more balanced and under control, and good. I did learn something that day, though. Next time I am forced to take a stocking full of candy from someone, I need to immediately give it away or immediately throw it away, whether it's wasting it or not. I'd much rather waste it in the trashcan than in my body! Not to mention my face broke out a couple days later, and I'm assuming it's because my body wasn't used to all that chocolate and sugar. Gotta love the holidays, and stuffing yourself with tons of sugar and fat (not!).
We had a Christmas/appreciation lunch at work this past week provided by our manager and her boss. Our food choices were from a menu given by our cafeteria at work. First, our department got together and we voted on which meal from the menu we wanted to have. Unfortunately, none of them would be my pick as none of them were really foods that I would ever just bring on my own. So first, I voted for fajitas, as I figured this way I could at least just have chicken and some veggies and at least be able to make it healthy, as apposed to the fried chicken meal :p, which was also an option. Not surprisingly, I was the only one out of the 15 in our department who picked that so we ended up with "Pasta Delight".
The main course was provided and our manager asked us to bring dessert. The list grew and grew as everyone was saying what they would bring, a pumpkin pie, a cherry pie, peach cobbler, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, pumpkin cake, etc etc. There aren't many others in my department who are very health conscious and if bad food is around me, I get tempted to eat it so I decided I'd need a game plan.
Ideally, I'd bring my own lunch, but that of course would have been rude. So, I decided to bring a veggie tray and make hummus (my first time making it). This way, I could eat a very small portion of spagetthi with marinara and a bunch of veggies. The day came and thankfully, also with our meal was served a large salad with dressing on the side, so I was able to eat a small portion of spagetthi, a big salad and veggies with hummus. All was well, and I was proud of myself for not even wanting any of the dessert.
Just as our long, extended lunch and party was concluding our manager gave us all a small stocking -- you guessed it -- full of candy. I tried to give my candy away to a coworker but she didn't want anymore than she had to have either. I told her I would probably just throw it away right when I got home but she told me I shouldn't waste it, though I still had every intention of disposing of it the second I walked in the door of my house.
I had been very good for such a long time. I passed through Halloween with a breeze not even consuming one piece of candy (and it felt good). Thanksgiving was a breeze as my mother-in-law knows my husband and I eat healthy and we had many healthy alternatives to eat at her house. So, as I was leaving work the day of our holiday party I thought I was fine.
Before I knew it as I was putting everything in my car ready to leave I peeked inside of this stocking just to see if there was anything inside of it that I could eat. Then, without thinking, I took a mini sized Reeses Pieces and ate it right up. At this point it's as if my brain shut off and my voice of reasoning was gone. Before I knew it I had eaten three small pieces of candy on my way home from work and continued to eat 3 more before I threw the rest away.
Now I know this won't kill me but I felt guilty afterwards. As my husband would say, it's very counterproductive to what I'm trying to do in living a healthy lifestyle and in eating healthy. At least for me, even consuming a small amount of sweets just makes me crave more where as if I just stay away from it altogether I feel way more balanced and under control, and good. I did learn something that day, though. Next time I am forced to take a stocking full of candy from someone, I need to immediately give it away or immediately throw it away, whether it's wasting it or not. I'd much rather waste it in the trashcan than in my body! Not to mention my face broke out a couple days later, and I'm assuming it's because my body wasn't used to all that chocolate and sugar. Gotta love the holidays, and stuffing yourself with tons of sugar and fat (not!).