Getting a handle on food during hard times

When life seems to be spinning out of control whether it is a difficult situation at work, troubled finances, a stressful marriage or relationship, you feel that you can no longer limit your food choices. Food is then your number one drug of choice. 

Ever been there? I have.

Whether we are at the beginning, in the middle, or having just reached our weight-loss goals, focusing on what you don’t eat will make us feel constantly deprived. And deprivation leads to frustration, desperation, and potentially failure. 

Instead, we have to focus on everything we are gaining through this process. It is always helpful to remind yourself that what we are giving up in the short term will help us get what we really want in the long run.

No matter what issue you are currently dealing with, remember that setbacks are not failures. They are a temporary interruption in our path. You can have a bad day, a bad week, month, or even year, but you can always start where you are and change your own ending. 

Weakness does not mean defeat. Mistakes are part of existence as no one is perfect. Mistakes help you learn and grow in life. They create the opportunity for new thinking. New and expanded points of view are generally a good thing.

While current reality can be challenging and disappointing, by taking a longer-term view, you can reassure yourself that current realities will shift, and good things will come—ultimately—from today’s experiences and lessons.

When life is hard, make sure that the foods you are reaching for aren’t only packaged snacks and be sure to include things like fruits and non-starchy vegetables in your snack choices.

Eat healthy during office hours

Considering that on average, we spend most of our waking hours at work, it only makes sense that the food choices we make at work can have a significant impact on our ability to lose weight.

Office environment with an endless list of corporate events that provide a readily available feast of sugary indulgence can easily sabotage even the most willful dieter. 

We can’t avoid the employer events that involve food. We just have to figure out the best approach to deal with temptations at those events. Make sure that you don’t show up hungry and focus on interacting with people, not eating. Show up with confidence knowing you have the tools and mindfulness needed to enjoy everything about the event.

Peers' attitudes and behavior are linked to success in weight loss. While peers' encouragement helps, dieting failures or negative attitudes among colleagues can discourage people from sticking to their own weight-loss plan.

Co-workers who try to tempt you even though they know you are dieting, or who try to make you feel silly or even guilty for trying to stay healthy, can be the biggest stumbling blocks to eating healthy at the office.

When it comes to the office, your co-workers are your peers, and you might even spend more time with them than anyone else. Ideally, just as in your regular life, you'll find co-workers with the same common goals of a healthy lifestyle. 

I am lucky to work in an office where the environment is generally healthy. My most important co-worker brings a salad to work every day and I am inspired by his healthy eating. However, many (if not most) office environments are not quite like mine.

No matter what your office environment is like, you can still take action to make sure your workdays are healthy and energizing, not enervating and fattening.

Craving sugar can be controlled

Many people struggle with sugar cravings. I am one of them.

Our modern lifestyle often includes processed foods, irregular sleep schedules, artificial light, and inactivity. These factors all contribute to sugar cravings, weight gain, and mood problems.

Yes, I am addicted to sugar. It became obvious after eating not a healthy food lunch last week. I felt hunger for something sweet after my lunch and I supplemented it with four bars of chocolate snack. That made me realize that sugar controls me.

I am writing this post to help me go back to eating food that supports weigh lose and overall health.

Craving sugar when I do not need to eat can be controlled.  I know I can override it. It will help me to physically and mentally feel better. I will be able to handle stress and overcome daily challenges more effectively. And I do not want to hunger for something sweet half an hour after my lunch or dinner every day. 

The answer lies in my choice of foods at main meals and generally resuming the eating style that helped me lose 91 pounds in the past. One of the pillars on my method was not allowing myself to become hungry. That is what I will focus on to help me move away from craving sugar.

Giving up sugar can feel unpleasant. Getting there will be tough and fighting off the cravings will be a constant battle.  

I don’t want my next blood test to show that I am close to pre-diabetic, or worse yet, already in that level. That fear will be my best motivator.

Demonstrate physically that I am listening

This year, I want to continue to try to improve my listening to my team at work and those I am closest to in life outside work.

To show that I am listening, I make eye contact with the speaker and react to their words. I don’t just smile and nod to be polite. I react authentically and show the speaker that I am interested. It is normal and usually encouraging for the listener to look at the speaker. 

While maintaining eye contact is the key, I want my eye contact to be gentle and not too firm as it can come across as intimidating. Yes, eye contact can be intimidating, especially for more shy speakers, so I maintain eye contact without staring or glaring. I try to gauge how much eye contact is appropriate for any given situation, and of course, I combine eye contact with smiles and other non-verbal messages to encourage the speaker. 

Activating smile power, when appropriate, is always a good approach, and I hope that my genuine smile tells those around me that I am approachable, cooperative, and trustworthy. Facial expressions trigger corresponding feelings, so the smile I get back, hopefully changes that person’s emotional state in a positive way.

I also keep reminding myself that I have to control my need to contribute to the conversation. It is a particularly good rule to keep in mind for anybody in a management or leadership position, because anything you say can quickly overwhelm a discussion and make people shut down. 

Perception is a powerful thing, so I do want to look like I am listening. You will probably think that I try to manipulate the perception for my audience, but my intentions are good here. It may be unavoidable, if I am to continue to make a conscious effort to demonstrate a better listener’s body language. 

The more conscious I am of these factors; the easier active listening will be for me.

How I practice active listening

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, and while they are talking you say, “I see,” “Hmm,” or even “Interesting”… but when they are finished, you ignore everything they said and go in with your pre-planned response? That’s called passive listening. 

When we practice active listening, we make the other person feel heard and valued. In this way, active listening is the foundation for any successful conversation. It serves the purpose of earning the trust of others and helping you to understand their situations. 

Active listening at work is particularly important if you are in a supervisory position or interact with colleagues. Active listening allows you to understand problems and collaborate to develop solutions.

I am trying to do better with active listening. Today I am sharing some of my verbal behaviors to show that I listen well when somebody talks to me. My next post will be about nonverbal behaviors I use to indicate I am paying attention. 

To show that I understand what the person is saying I paraphrase what the other person is saying to show you get the meaning. I ask open ended question. I ask questions that don’t have a simple “yes” or “no” answer to keep the conversation flowing. 

In addition, I try to include validation. I reinforce what the person is saying by indicating I understand. I also use the speaker’s name. That helps the person feel more valued by repeating their name at various points in the conversation or when I want to show I hear them.

It is pretty easy to nod my head and even easier to use the other person’s name. However, showing that I am not only paying attention but also comprehending takes some practice.

I remain committed to practice active listening and become better listener. I will also remember that listening is an active contribution to conversational dynamics rather than a passive act of receiving information.

Feeling a little anxious

If you are feeling a little anxious right now, you are not alone. At times like this, it is easy for fear to creep in and leave us feeling unsure of ourselves and afraid of the future.

After two years of a pandemic that has no end in sight, I feel burnt out and exhausted. 

Reflecting on such difficult times, made me approach 2022 resolution differently.

I did not make New Year's resolution. But just because I did not make pledge to make changes at the beginning of this year, it doesn't mean I am not interested in self-improvement. 

Here are my specific goals/changes, I want to commit to in 2022.

• Resolve to connect with my friends at least once a week
• Spend more time outside on a daily basis
• Listen better
• Revisit any goals that I abandoned during the pandemic
• Build self-care into your daily routine, like making time for a daily walk
• Set healthy boundaries with people who tend to drain my energy
• Get up and move my body regularly

Setting goals and making room for reflection can positively shape our lives. We still have so many choices, even though a global pandemic continues.

Every year is a journey

Every year is a journey that your heart goes on. Staying healthy and strong along the path of life is a hope that each of us holds on to. And it is a hope that can become a lovely reality. 

Though the roads we take can sometimes be difficult, those are often the ones that lead to the most beautiful views. 

The world is amazing place, and life is an adventure that can surprise you every day. 

Many of the moments ahead will be disguised as ordinary days. But each one of us has the chance to make something extraordinary out of them.

Be good to your body. It is the only one you get.  Listen to the wishes of your heart. It always seems to know what is true, what is right, what to do, and where to go with your life.

In 2022, I wish you stars to reach for, dreams to come true, and memories more beautiful than words can say. 

There is more to life than the number on the scale.