When You're Super Over Hungry!

Have you ever overbooked yourself, not packed any or enough food, lacking time to stop in a grocery store and pick up a healthy snack or lunch?  You find yourself running all over town from appointment to appointment, using your mental & physical energy, and while you feel exhilirated with your work, you just aren't fueling yourself enough.  I know this isn't just me! 

How to not do this!

So I could tell you, pack more snacks, cook in advance, buy foods that travel easily, etc etc. And that would be good, useful information. But what happens on days, where that just doesn't happen? I've gotten pretty good about packing food for my full day, but there are some days that I either would rather sleep an extra 20-min or just downright don't feel like packing food.

Here is a solution for those days! And a solution for when you get yourself into over hungry mode.

Here is a game plan for you to follow for when you are super over hungry and how to not overeat and/or regret your decisions! This is specifically directed toward the end of day timeframe!

1. Go straight home. Don't go to the grocery store. Don't go get take out. Don't order pizza from your phone. Go home ;-)

2. Drink a big glass of water or unsweetened green tea. For a brief moment, you will trick your body to think it's gotten something into it. This will help you execute step #4!

3. Preheat the oven to 400. This is a Monica optional step, but involves preparedness. That way, while you are doing step #3, your oven is prepped in case you need it!  My favorite quick meal is to bake up some salmon and eat over a big bed of spinach & garlic.

3. Stop---think---Plan. When you are super hungry, every kind of food looks good, and if you don't take time to evaluate, you can end up eating way more than you want too and make really bad choices. Your goals that you have been working so hard for all week can suddenly be thrown out the window as you give in to whatever the largest portion of food you can find.

Instead, go for a 2 part meal: 

1. Plant Strong "Appetizer": grab carrots, peppers, cherry tomatoes, celery, an apple, grapefruit, or peach. Any fruit and veggie will do. Eat it, this will hold you over. Then proceed to step #2.

2. Entree: think lean & green. Pick a protein and a veggie that is either already prepared, or that you know you can prep pretty quickly. Stick to the protein and veggie.

While this is cooking, drink another glass of water and find a task to do around the house (do dishes, put in laundry, vacuum the floors...something that keeps your hands occupied.

4. Eat and feel awesome! Following these steps should help you get full, and avoid overeating/ruining your day/goals.

How do I know this? 

I experience this at least weekly. An active day without enough food packed or just a long stretch or meeting where I forgot about packing a snack. These steps will help you conquer the urge to hit up your favorite takeout place and order too much food (with the rationale that you'll save some for lunch for the next 2 days--don't listen to yourself!)

If you think I'm nuts after reading this--I'm envious of you, because you haven't experienced the above... bravo! (and tell me your secret!)

For the rest of us, print this out and keep it with you for when you have that overwhelming, "oh my goodness--it's been 10 hours since I ate feeling!"