**Ignore the bags of grapes in my picture. Grapes are loaded with sugar so I had to get rid of them. A.K.A – I’m an idiot.**
Like many people, our New Year’s resolution is to lose weight this year. As I wrote in an earlier post, the past several months have been incredibly stressful at work. So much so that despite 20 good years with company that we used to love, we started looking at job postings elsewhere. In reality, leaving voluntarily, pre-retirement, is not an option for me. I make a lot of money. I have a lot of vacation time and I like and respect my boss. The good news is that we have a new CEO and this guy seems to get it. I am hopeful for the first time in over a year that things are heading in the right direction. The bad news is that I am emotional eater. Always have been. When I feel down or stressed, I eat sweets. They’re my drug. My addiction. I mean, I love them when I’m happy too, but for the past several months, I have let it get totally out of control.
Now because I am a glass-is-half-full kinda gal, I will tell you that I am a good dieter. I know how to lose weight and once I set my mind to it, I can do it. The most important thing to remember is that you WILL not only look a lot better, but you will genuinely FEEL a lot better. And I don’t mean the short-term satisfaction from eating a really good brownie, but the all-day feeling that you can do anything. Eating a healthier diet with fewer processed foods and fewer carbs will give you more energy. You’ll have less joint and muscle pain. You’ll sleep better. Reading over this, I know all these things are true. Next time I am feeling like a need to eat a bunch of chocolate, I will have to come read it!
This morning I began the journey by meal-prepping for the week. Here’s what I put together:
Bags of cheese cubes
Bags of grapes
Bags of turkey sticks (Old Wisconsin brand. In the aisle with Jerky at my local Kroger)
Veggie salad containers with broccoli, cauliflower, green onion, cheddar cheese, grated Parmesan, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and Italian dressing
Salami-cream cheese roll ups
Cucumber-cream cheese sandwiches
10 hard-boiled eggs
Meal prep for a Cobb salad later this week (bacon, cheese, egg, green onion)
Celery sticks – These are for snacking and for chicken salad which I am making tomorrow.
Happy 2019! Time to get healthy and stop this madness.
