Ever have a week with lots of curveballs? I know I do, and last week was one of those weeks. I got invited to several last minute social outings and had a client cancel a contract, an income source I was depending on this semester. On top of that, an ankle injury caused Pamela to tell me to take a break from working out and running to give it time to heal. Three different problems or stressors that would have, before Pamela and this fitness journey, made me jump off the bandwagon and wave happily as it drove away.
Last Minute Social Outings
Ozarks BeerFest, Happy Hour with the colleagues, and a late-night birthday party at Farmers Gastropub. One of those per week, and I’d have been golden, but three in one week? Eek.
The happy hour with the colleagues was the easiest to handle, because we met at Houlihan’s, and they have their nutrition info online. I checked it out before ordering, and, thinking it would be my “beer day” (Pamela has limited me to one a week), I had a couple. Splurge night. Easy peasy.
Then I got invited to a late-night birthday party at Farmers Gastropub, a local eatery here in Springfield, so no nutrition information available. I did a little research online and decided to order rum and Diet Cokes because they have fewer calories than beer. When I got hungry, the kitchen was closed, but they had chips and salsa. Not the best appetizer they offer (their hummus is yummy and it’s a healthy choice), but better than fries or nachos, which is all you can get at bars sometimes. Heading home late at night with a slight buzz, I really wanted some Taco Bell or McDonald’s, but I was strong and avoided those pitfalls.
Oh, BeerFest. I stuck to small tastes of beer, a strategy Pamela and I discussed (I had a few days’ notice before this outing), and I avoided the barbecue they offered (lots of sugar in the sauce) and got chips and salsa, avocado chicken phyllo (also full of peanuts), and some pita chips with queso, all homemade. It was an environment where it’s hard to make healthy choices, but I did okay, maybe a 6 out of 10.
Job Loss
Remember in my first post where I said I’m a stress eater? Well, what makes you more stressed than losing a major source of income? I found out right after I left Thrive Personal Fitness on Friday, and I was floored. I knew this was some sort of test, so I resisted diving into the buffalo chicken mac and cheese Rob and I had made earlier in the week, a delicious casserole that packs nearly 1,600 calories per serving. I avoided the Cheetos and candy in our snack cabinet. But I think this extra stress wore me down, and I felt the “need” to eat and drink more during the next couple days than I would have without this extra stress. Overall, I didn’t binge like I usually do when situations like this come up, so chalk that up as a win.
Ankle Injury
My right ankle has been bothering me off and on for a couple weeks, but it’s come to the point that Pamela called a break. During our planned training session on Friday, we instead talked over food, which was really great. That is (obviously) my biggest struggle, so I really enjoyed the time to talk through it. We always discuss my food journal at the end of a session, but I was able to ask several questions I had been meaning to ask and just kept forgetting, and we talked about how I could succeed at the BeerFest.
So this week was rough emotionally and calorically, but the biggest lesson I learned was I don’t like the unexpected! Who does, right? What I need to do is have plans in place to assess the food situation in front of me and know what the best option in. I also learned that I need to find some new healthy comfort foods. This time, I relied on a delicious Luna bar—Blueberry Bliss—to make me feel like I was indulging without the added calories and sugar.
What are some strategies you have for avoiding stress and figuring out the best option when you don’t have time to plan around an unexpected outing?
