Quick and easy ideas to keep you from sabotaging your diet when your too busy to eat.
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My wife is crazy.
Not crazy in the straightjacket, bouncing off the rubber walls crazy or the “Bitch I’ma kill you for looking at my man” crazy– but crazy in the fact that she wants 110% certainty that our wedding was going to go off without a hitch. She had spreadsheets for guests, expenses and things to pack in her overnight bag. She had spreadsheets and lists for spreadsheets and lists.
While in the chaos that was the week before the wedding, she was too busy running around putting the finishing touches on everything that she forgot to eat most days. Coffee in the morning and then days filled with vendors and last minute shopping. She would come home at night and tell me “I don’t think I ate today.”
That’s when I knew she was crazy.
How the hell can someone forget to eat? I have never forgotten to eat in 30 years. My eating schedule is runs like a German train schedule.
That’s when I became popular at work. I would have to bounce from meeting to meeting while still maintaining my workload. Gotta love the Lean business model.
Now I saw what my wife was talking about. I had forgotten to eat multiple times because of a stupid meeting about a meeting we are going to have.
I’m sure you’ve had your days like this. You realize you’re starving and grabbed something quick on the way home. My guess it was either fast food or gas station food – aka the staples of my diet in the teen years.
But it’s OK, we are smarter now and I’ll give you some ideas to keep you on the right track. We want you to look your best in your wedding dress and less like Moby Dick.
These are aimed at people on the Slow Carb Diet, but they will work for basically any diet.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE
MAKE A PLAN
“Failing to plan is planning to fail” – Benjamin Franklin.
He knows what he is talking about – he wrote an essay about farts. Need I say more?
Whether at work or running errands I’m sure you have a general idea of your schedule at least a day before. Take 5 minutes and plan your meals or snacks. There is always time while driving between stores or while walking to eat something quick.
If you are booked solid for meetings, leave a meeting 5 minutes early to grab some food or take your food with you to the meeting. As long as it isn’t disturbing (wrappers crinkling or smell like feet) no one cares. If they do say something, then use a line I’ve used before:
“I apologize for eating in front of everyone, but if I am to be productive in this meeting I need to eat something.”
Drop the mic and continue to eat your food. If they say anything they are either a) dicks or b) really hungry and jealous they didn’t think of that dope ass line.
Take Action: Take 5 minutes the day before to plan meals or snacks for a busy day.
BUY STOCK IN TUPPERWARE
If you search Instagram with the #mealprep you’ll get bombarded with pictures of fitness junkies (myself included) that prep their weekly meals on Sunday. Why?
If you prep your meals, then you are never without food and limit the “I’m starving. Oh look a McDonald’s.”
Meal prep= diet adherence through the roof!
This also cuts down on time during the week you could spend elsewhere instead of waiting in front of a stove or microwave.
If you know you’re going to have a busy day or week, then take one day and prep a little extra food and put it in Tupperware.
The next step is to take it with you. All the food in the fridge will do you no good if it stays there.
You also want to prep foods that will be feasible to eat. Cold scrambled eggs suck. If you’re not going to be around a microwave, then take foods that don’t need to be heated. Trust me there is nothing worse than trying to choke down cold scrambled eggs between meetings. It took everything in me to keep them down.
I never leave home for the day without taking at least some snacks with me. I brought 2 boxes of protein bars and a tub of BCAAs to Greece as insurance that I wouldn’t lose gainz.
Snoop had money on his mind – I have gainz.
Take Action: Prep some food and put it in Tupperware for busy days.
WORK MEALS INTO YOUR SCHEDULE
If you’re going to be bouncing from store to store, work a much needed break at a restaurant for lunch. It’ll give you time to decompress, collect your thoughts and sit for a second. 1 hour will not derail your day.
If you’re at work, it’s called a lunch break. Take it. The business will not collapse if you take an hour for yourself.
Take Action: Work a 1-hour break into your busy day to decompress and eat.
SET A REMINDER
Seem a little ridiculous to set a reminder in your phone to eat? Did you remember to eat last time you were this busy? Seems kind of appropriate now doesn’t it?
Take Action: Set a reminder (with alarm) to go off at meal/snack times. Five minutes well spent.
NOT EATING FOR A WHILE IS NOT BAD
The big problem with consistently missing meals is not the fact that you’re missing the meals. It’s what the hunger does to your brain. It’s the same as going food shopping while hungry. You tend to buy stuff you wouldn’t normally buy. How many times have you said “I just need to get something in my stomach” and then you grab a candy bar or a bag of chips to hold you over? Would you do that normally? Probably not, but the hunger made you do it.
Not eating for a while is just a form of intermittent fasting. As long as you get your daily calories in, it doesn’t matter if you consume those in 2 meals or 15.
If you have the will power to hold out for healthier food, then go right ahead. I wouldn’t advise this option especially just starting with a new diet. Don’t be a will power hero.
Take Action: Instead of being a hero and relying on will power, eat more frequently.
All the tips in the world are great but what happens if you completely disregard everything I put together up there? Like my wife, I am prepared.
At one point we are going to get caught with our pants down (figuratively, sometimes literally) and we are going to be starving with no heathy food around. So here are some Slow Carb approved snacks.
SNACKS TO HAVE ON HAND
GAS STATION / VENDING MACHINE
Nuts and seeds – Walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, sunflower seed, pumpkin seeds. Eat a handful, at most 2 handfuls. These are all highly addictive, high fat content and high calories. It’s good fat but the poison is in the dose. Stay away from trail mix because of the chocolate and dried fruit.
Veggies and hummus – Carrots, cucumbers, celery, peppers. Check the label of the hummus for sugar content. Cedar’s is a very good brand. My wife is Middle Eastern and it gets her seal of approval, so it’s good enough for this white boy.
Natural Nut butters – 2 ingredients nut of choice and salt. Any more is a bastardized version.
Beef Jerky – Look for a low sugar variety <5g.
Protein Bars – Go with recommendation from the Protein Bar article.
SNACKS FROM HOME
Hard Boiled Eggs – Not high on my list to carry around but not bad to bring to work in the morning. Good in all the right stuff, high protein, high essential fats and no carbs.
Deli meats – Opt for low sodium turkey or chicken breast. High in protein and usually low in everything else.
Kale Chips – Miss the crunch of regular chips? Use this recipe to create out-of-this-world kale chips. These are like cocaine minus the side effects and going down on the drug dealer.
Protein Shake – Bro tested. Bro approved. Take a scoop with you of a protein blend rather than whey. The blend digest slowly so you feel fuller longer.
MEALS TO GET AT RESTAURANTS
Mexican Food – Sub out taco shells or tortilla for extra beans.
Burgers/Sandwiches/Wraps – Remove the bread and add more veggies.
Salads: Skip the creamy dressings and go for oil and vinegar. Add some protein like chicken or steak.
Steak – Usually you can get a good steak without sauces but just skip the potatoes and get double veggies. 99% of the time this is no extra cost to you.
Fish – Skip the sauce and rice. Lemon to season the fish and ask for double veggies.
Chicken Wings – Make sure they are unbreaded first. Deep fried is OK once in a while but baking or grilling are even better. Some times if you bat your eyelashes you can get them to grill or bake them instead of frying. Use your charm.
Riceless Sushi – Sashimi is a good with soy sauce. Naruto Roll is made with cucumber slices instead of rice.
Do you have any eating tips or tricks when you are going to be all out for a day?
Did I miss something for in the vending machine or at restaurants that you want the other readers to know about?
Comment below.
Dave
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