Too busy to eat right? Not anymore!

“I want to eat healthy, but it’s just so hard with my work/school/family schedule!”

I hear you, I really do. Every other day, whether at work or on the go, I come across someone who is munching away on something unhealthy and then looks up with guilty eyes almost to say “I didn’t want to eat this, I swear, but I had no choice!”. And like I said, I get it. I get it because I was one of those people. I’m a Software Engineer working full-time at my present company, I recently completed my part-time graduate school program, and I’ve just launched a new start-up venture which I work on during the nights. Given that I was so tight on time, something had to give, and it just so happened to be my diet. I started skipping breakfast, and visiting the vending machine all too often as I was working long hours and would get hungry throughout the day. A few months of this, and I felt myself slowing down and lacking energy. So I finally decided to put an end to it and made three very simple changes which have helped tremendously. I now feel as good as ever, am once again in great shape, and am far more productive tha
I was during those few months. So, without further ado, my three simple dietary changes:

1) Eat a filling, healthy breakfast!

This one has by far had the biggest impact. I used to skip breakfast every morning or take a small cereal bar to go. I’d be starving again by lunch which would then lead to over-indulging. And even after lunch, I would never be fully satisfied. I would constantly get snacks from the vending machine to try and appease my appetite. When I finally decided to start eating breakfast, all of this changed. And I don’t mean a small yogurt either. Every day I’ll have any two of the four: eggs, oatmeal, high-fiber cereal, fruit. This gives me the proper energy to get my day started right and keeps me full through lunch! I now have a medium sized lunch, and don’t really get hungry again until dinner time.

2) Bring healthy snacks to work!

Ah, the vending machine. By far the best friend of many an employee. This was a tough one, but I finally decided to end my long-lasting relationship with the office vending machine. Instead, I’ve replaced my snacks with foods I bring from home. Every day I bring a bag of mixed nuts (a combination of almonds & walnuts, about 20 in count) and two pieces of fruit (usually an apple and a banana). If I do get hungry after lunch, these snacks more than do the trick. Healthy and tasty!

3) Hot Water & Lemon!

My favorite tip. For me, this has been the equivalent of striking gold. Aside from the many health benefits of hot water & lemon (some of which can be read here: http://www.ehow.com/list_6385874_benefits-hot-lemon-water.html), this is a great way to stay full. I usually have one cup immediately after lunch, which helps to fill me up. And if I do find myself getting hungry again and don’t have any healthy snacks, I’ll have another cup. Does the trick every time! Besides, I find it to be very soothing and a great stress relief.

And that’s about it! These three slight adjustments to my daily diet have made a significant impact on my lifestyle. In fact, several co-workers have incorporated the same techniques and, well, I’m happy to say I see far fewer guilty eyes staring back at me!

If you have any personal favorites for how you maintain a healthy diet with a busy career, I’d love to hear them!