Day 12

Times of Danger

At 2 or 3 in the afternoon I am usually tired and hungry, not to mention irritated at life in general. My cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) level is dropping, I’ve been working all day. I am hungry and out of sorts. I may walk down to the Doctor’s Lounge and look longingly at the trays of cookies and pastries. But I keep walking, because I have planned for this time in advance.

This is a time of danger, a time you must plan ahead for. It is tempting to grab a chocolate chip cookie or a candy bar, or you may want to get a sugar and caffeine boost from a can of pop. Don’t do it.

What you should do at these times of danger is have a banana or a cut up apple. If you need the caffeine boost, have a cup of tea with a little honey in it. In fact, the best thing is to plan a mid-afternoon snack: some fruit, tea or coffee, half a homemade turkey sandwich. This will perk you up and help you avoid the eat whatever is in the break room syndrome.

The other time of danger is after dinner, if you are the kind of person who likes to kick back with a little TV. There’s something about TV that makes you want to snack. You can put away a huge amount of calories in short order just watching American Idol. Again plan ahead. A cut up apple, a small turkey sandwich and a glass of water are a heck of a lot better than a bag of chips and a cola, followed by a dish of ice cream and some cookies.

Plan for times of danger. Make sure you are prepared with a low calorie snack.