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Sometimes, a diet is really hard to follow when life throws you curveballs. Curveballs in the form of long days and late nights eliminating time to cook, friend and family gatherings out at restaurants or events that host an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Whatever the curveball may be, trying to diet while you are out to eat or grabbing something quick on the way home late at night is really, really hard to do.
And it’s times like these that make me realize that planning ahead is an integral part of being successful on a diet.
This weekend I was faced with a number of times in which I knew food would be out of my control, but instead of ignoring my diet, I decided to plan ahead to ensure that I ate well and avoided bad, tempting foods.
On Saturday, I had the second part of my organizational retreat. I knew that lunch would be provided and that it would be pizza, soda and chips. Obviously none of those items fall under the Jumpstart Diet, so I decided to pack my lunch and bring it with me.
I made a turkey sandwich, cut-up cucumber and fat-free ranch dressing, yogurt, green grapes and a bag of pop chips. I may have looked a little bit ridiculous showing up to the retreat carrying my My Little Pony lunchbox, but I didn’t feel ridiculous eating my healthy lunch while everyone around me pigged out on pizza. In fact, I felt great.
Later that day, my roommates and I took a night trip up to Tallahassee to visit my best friend who goes to Florida State University. I knew that we would be faced with eating dinner out once we got there, but I resolved to watch what I ate.
We ended up going to a Cuban restaurant called Gordos, which had a menu loaded with fattening sandwiches, fried food and hamburgers. Luckily, I was able to find a grilled chicken salad on the menu that was delicious AND healthy.
So, I didn’t have to sacrifice my diet at all that day.
Today I was faced with yet another challenge, as one of my other organizations hosted a pool party and provided pizza, yet again, for lunch. But I thought ahead and made myself lunch BEFORE going to the pool party, so that I wouldn’t be hungry once I got there and I wouldn’t be tempted to eat pizza.
This weekend showed to me that sticking to your diet is doable in all circumstances.
If you know that you’ll be faced with temptations at a party or an event, try and eat ahead before going so that you won’t be tempted to eat once you’re there.
Or if you can’t eat ahead of time, try bringing your own meal with you. You may feel a little silly showing up to a party with your own bagged lunch or dinner, but your body will surely thank you later.
And if you are planning on going out to a restaurant to eat, (and you can’t eat ahead of time at home, because that is always an option) make sure to read the menu thoroughly so that you don’t overlook healthy alternatives. In this day and age, even the greasiest, most fattening of places is now offering healthy options for dieters like us.
No one ever said that dieting was easy, but if you make a conscious effort to plan ahead and watch what you eat, you’ll surely succeed!