Eating Intuitively

So, here I am trying to sneak in a few days off.  I thought a nice long weekend without thinking of work would be a nice break.  I went for a hike yesterday, but today I dealt with work issues.

It’s great that we are so connected with wireless phones, laptops and wireless internet connections.  It gives me the ability to work from home sometimes.  I don’t have to trek across town when there is an issue.  The only problem is that it makes me very accessible, even on vacation.

When I looked at my phone today, I saw a couple messages.  A text message and a voicemail.  I had apparently missed them when the phone was on vibrate.  I cringed.

The messages were alerting me to some issues at work that would end up taking a few hours away from my relaxing vacation.  It actually totally disrupted my vacation.  As much as my manager wanted to minimize the impact, the damage was already done.

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What does this have to do with healthy eating and losing weight?  Well, I, personally, need to have a nice balance between work and my personal life.  When I feel like work is encroaching upon my personal life, my stress level goes up.  When stress is high, my defenses against unhealthy eating are weakened.  One should not lead to the other, but it does for me.

I need to find another outlet for my stress.  Eating extra barley with butter and salt is just ridiculous.  It doesn’t solve the problem.  Exercise seems like a good solution, but I cannot exercise and solve work problems.  I’m out of ideas.  I once squeezed a stress ball so hard until red goo covered my manager’s desk.  I need more ideas!  What do you do to deflect stress?

Breakfast:  Cranberry Orange Pastry; Egg Whites; Applesauce, unsweetened; Bread, oatmeal; Morning Coffee

Morning Snack:  Beef, lean, trimmed; Mandarin Oranges

Lunch:  Chicken Noodle Soup; Cucumber; FF Dressing

Afternoon Snack:  Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

Dinner:  Homestyle Beef with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy; Brussel Sprouts, cooked; Mandarin Oranges; Oil, canola, olive, peanut, safflower; Barley, cooked

Dessert:  Microwaveable Chocolate Cake

Drinks:  Crystal Light; Diet Pepsi

Exercise:  none today.  I’m still recovering from yesterday’s hike.

Pedometer:  ?