3 Ways to Combat a Case of the Mondays

Does you recognize this scenario:

Last week you over did it on several occasions, fell off the wagon with your exercise and proclaimed  today (Monday) would be a great day for a do-over and start to your diet and fitness plan back up. At the time Monday seemed worlds away. Since Monday was sure to be the first day of the rest of your life you might as well give yourself a send off saying goodbye to the "bad" foods you will never eat again. Flash forward to this morning you find your packed lunch full of leftovers from the weekend binge and you wouldn't want to waste it; there are starving children in Africa after all.

You feel defeated but have a few options:

• Toss the food and pick up a healthy lunch alternative to stay true to your goals 
• Eat the lunch anyway and start tomorrow but Tuesday is trivia night, Wednesday is your off day from working out and before you know it you are back on the weekend binge cycle... there's always next Monday. 
• Find a way to make the best choice within your options. 

Here are three tips you can apply TODAY even if your bag lunch leaves something to be desired in the healthy department. 

• Cut your food into small pieces- Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where George took a cue from Mr. Pitt and attempted to class up the Yankees organization with the way he ate his Snickers bar? This classic episode can help you keep your food intake in check: cutting your food into small pieces give the appearance of abundance on your plate. Slowly eating each piece gives your body the time it needs to alert your brain that you are full helping you to avoid another over indulgence.

• Veggies First-  If you managed to get something that passes for healthy in your lunch be sure to eat the vegetables first treating heavier parts of the meal as the side dish. Veggies didn't make the cut? Grabbing a side salad is an inexpensive way to supplement your lunch. Just remember that not all salads are created equal. Go for clear dressing on the side and dip your fork into the dressing before each bite rather than pouring the dressing over your salad. 

• Portion BEFORE you heat & eat-  Just as you should avoid serving family style at home the same idea works in the office too. Lets face it, if you spent the past few days making less than stellar food choices chances are your Tupperware is another opportunity to over serve yourself. Avoid letting the portion distortion carry over into the week by putting the remaining leftovers back in the fridge. Finish your meal, drink some water, and wait about ten minutes before reevaluating the remaining leftovers. Better yet, take a quick lap around the office or even just to the restroom to give yourself some time to really consider if you are really hungry or just considering it because of your proximity to the food. 

Remember life is a series of choices that take you toward or away from your goals. This Monday morning aim for making the best choice within any give set of options. You can do this just choose to be successful by making choices that are in line with your goals.