How to do it right

As I've already mentioned before, I've had many times where I've let my self control take a break and I overate in a social situation. This last week, I got one right.

We had an all day meeting at work, with a catered breakfast and lunch. Since I knew about the meeting, I asked our office administrator what was on the menu. I've got a great relationship with her, so she knows to look for me before events like these. Often times, knowing what's coming is the most important step.

For breakfast, we had the usual plate of supermuffins and breakfast cakes. Some of the "cinnabuns" were bigger than the desserts my wife makes in our kitchen! Knowing what to expect, I ate breakfast at home and had a cup of coffee at work.

It's also important to set your environment up for success. I sat down for the meeting and promptly moved the large bowl of pretzels down the table to the other end. I knew that if I sat in front of them the whole day that I'd eat the whole bowl. Thankfully, I got by without snacking.

Lunch was a great mexican buffet. You have to learn to "read" these buffet lines to find the best food options. This one had:

• Fajita Chicken
• Fajita Beef
• Tortillas
• Spanish Rice
• Tomato and Cucumber Salad
• Salsa
• Cookies

Fajitas are usually grilled, so I knew that in moderation they'd be a safe bet. I served myself a little chicken (3 pcs. about the size of my thumb), a healthy portion of the grilled tomatoes and onions from the fajitas, a decent scoop (about 3/4 cup) of spanish rice, some salsa and half a plate of the awesome cucumber salad. I skipped the cookies entirely.

The meal was filling, tasty, and relatively low in points. When I got hungry in the afternoon I had a small handful of pretzels to hold me over.

No one noticed my reduced calorie meal, and I got the satisfaction of telling my wife that I made it through that situation without going overboard.