If you are anything like me, you spend more than half your life at work. While that may seem frustrating and depressing, it can actually be a good thing as far as your nutrient intake and timing. Our time at work usually allows for structure and routine which is great for planning meals and snacks. With proper planing we can avoid sabotaging our diets at the vending machine and co worker's candy dish! Here are half a dozen suggestions to help use your work day to structure sound nutrient intake. 1. Use the workday structure to work with your diet--not against it. The great thing about being at work on a regular schedule is that you have built-in structure for your day. While you may not know exactly what stress is coming your way, you probably know when regular meetings are held and when deadlines are approaching. So, just like you would for any other important assignment at work, get organized! Set aside time to eat a healthy snack or make time for a work free lunch, if possible. (Eating while you work is one sure-fire way to mindlessly eat out of stress!) View your planned snacks and lunchtime as any other important to-do on your list! 2. Involve your coworkers in your fitness and nutrition quest. Many companies have fitness facilities, help offset the cost of a gym membership and offer things like walking clubs etc. If they don't, why not gather a friend... or 10 and start a weight loss club, walking club etc. Have lunch with a coworker who is trying to lose bodyfat and share nutrition ideas and recipes. 3. Plan your work day meals and snacks ahead of time. I recommend getting a dry erase board and sit down Sunday night to plan your week's meals. Divide the board into columns to represent each day of the week. Then proceed to write out breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack and dinner foods. Prepare as much as possible Sunday night and store in the fridge in containers. The morning of each day, grab your food and put it in a small cooler and take it to work. All your nutritional needs will be all laid out for you for the day! 4. Keep an emergency stash. For days when you forget your cooler, or find that your snack didn't fill you and give the energy to get through the day after that early-morning workout, it's a good idea to have a drawer in your desk full of non-perishable, healthy snacks. Easy go-to options are protein bars, snack portions of trail mix or nuts, beef jerky, and even instant or canned soup. It's best to pick items that are healthy, but not so tasty that you keep thinking about them all day long. So choose foods you like, but don't consider a treat. Remember, this is about preparation--not feeding your sweet/salty tooth (more on that later!). 5. Bring your water bottle to work. I bring a gallon of water to work with me every day. My goal is to drink a gallon a day. I leave the bottle on the desk or in a place where I can constantly see it. This way I will sip from it through out the day. When the gallon of water is gone, I will know I have reached my goal. If your goal is to drink eight 8 oz glasses of water each day, find a 64 oz container or pack five or six 12 oz bottles of water in your cooler. Many times we mistake thirst or boredom for hunger. drinking enough water will keep our stomachs full and flush out a lot of contaminants in our body. I can go on for hours about the benefits of water. 6. Keep a list of healthy restaurants. Let's be realistic, sometimes what we pack in our cooler just isn't gonna cut it. Or we may have to do a lunch meeting. Do some research and find restaurants that offer nutritious meals Plan ahead which entree you will choose as well so you won't walk into the restaurant and blindly choose off the menu Preparation and accountability are the two main ingredients for success in any area of life! Whether it be for a project at work, a business proposal, a sport or fitness program. By allowing yourself to have a game plan and then someone or something to keep you accountable for you actions and keep you on the right track, you are almost guaranteed success. "Fail to plan... plan to fail!"
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Josh McCabeAs a Personal Trainer, I am here to help you live the healthiest life style possible! This includes eating habits, workouts and just living well! Ask questions, share ideas and cheer one another on! Categories |
Photo used under Creative Commons from Mr. Vincent Freeman