Resolution 18: Eating Light at Night

Eating Light at Night

Unlike most of my blog entries, this one is going to lack research to support my goal. That's right, I am going rogue on this one. This week, I lean on nothing more than instinct. 


Most days I eat lighter during the day, thereby ingesting the bulk of my calories after I return home from work (between 5:00 and 6:00 on most days). On a typical day, I take in around 300 calories for breakfast, maybe a 100 calorie snack, and then about 400-550 at lunch. Then, as the stress of the workday fades away, my discipline fades with it. Part of this is because Scott and I often enjoy dinner out with friends or family, and I commonly lose dietary focus when having a good time. Another reason I take in extra calories at night is simply because it is in the evening that I find myself fighting certain cravings; primarily, I crave sweets--chocolate mainly. The third and final reason: at night I simply have more time to eat. Add these three together and it not surprising that I consume the largest increment of my calories in the evening. 


Even though I commonly am able to stay under my calories allotment each day, I don't think it is healthy for me to be consuming almost half of them in my final meal of the day--especially since some evenings I may not eat dinner until about three hours prior to tucking myself into my bed. Sometimes, when I finally submerge myself in sleep, I am still significantly full from dinner or a nighttime snack. My gut tells me that is simply not the best way to go about calorie consumption. So, this week I start to change this trend. 


Today was day one of this goal, and I am really proud of how it went. I started with my typical breakfast of 300 calories; I had an apple as a mid-morning snack; I ate my 600 calorie lunch of whole wheat pasta, chicken, and veggies (made for me by my loving husband); and then for dinner, even though out with my parents and surrounded by tempting  Mexican goodness, I consumed no more than 600-700 calories by sharing an entree with Scott. It was by no means a perfect day, but it is indeed a step in the right direction. Now, I keep the momentum going into the rest of the week.

An update on last weeks resolution:

I did a lot of research and made a handful of phone calls, and here is what I have decided. 

1. I am going to try out Breathe Yoga Studio. I like the idea of this place for a variety of reasons: (A) it is close to home and therefore convenient, (B) it has a variety of classes so I can work my way up from a beginner level, (C) it has a "punch card" option which means I won't need to worry about missing classes on set dates--perfect for my crazy schedule, (D) I think I will enjoy yoga, and (E) the price is right, especially with the discount provided for teachers. 
2. Scott and I purchased a summer membership at The Links of Bryon. There are few reasons why this was a perfect option for us: (A) by sharing a membership with my husband I have an exercise partner; (B) I really enjoy golf; (C) the executive style course is perfect for me, who is learning, and my husband, who is still recouping from his shoulder surgery; (D) we are able to golf for "free" at a variety of area courses with our membership; and (E) the price was perfect, especially with the 15% by enrolling in April. 

Now that the plan is laid out all I have to do is follow it.