On The Go? Fit And Fabulous Reminders

Today was one of the worst days I have had in a while.  Recapping, I woke up to find my car window had been shattered--someone had broken into it in the middle of the night and taken some things of value.  After waiting around for a few hours to repair the damage/file the police report, I was then late to my lab (and believe me, this professor makes a scene out of it!)  I then rushed straight to my acting class downtown, only remember 3 hours into the class that I had left my keys INSIDE the drivers side lock while I was paying the meter.  Needless to say, a very nice homeless lady had taken my keys and was watching my car for me, so the day ended on a positive note.  Regardless of running around and having a million things on my mind today, I managed to stay conscious of my diet (which I hope all of you are doing as well!)  Given that I had about 4 hours of downtime this morning while waiting for the glass repairmen to come, I wandered into the kitchen, opened up the refrigerator out of boredom, and began mentally craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  As I began removing the jar of peanut butter from the refrigerator, I began to realize that I wasn't even hungry (I had just eaten a bowl of cereal!), and that eating this sandwich was merely a way of distracting myself from the process of waiting.  So naturally, putting the fit and fabulous mindset to work, I shut the refrigerator, grabbed a good book, and began catching up on some reading.  Before I knew it, the repairmen were here and I was off to school.  Stopping myself from pointlessly eating that pb&j sandwich, or habitually grabbing that handful of wheat thins, I saved myself at least 400-500 calories today that I didn't even need.  This goes for most all snacks we eat out of habit.  The body does not need food nearly as much as we'd like to believe.  A healthy reminder is that we should eat until we feel satisfied, not until we are completely full.  Sticking to a diet of many small meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism busy, as well as decrease your appetite.  And when you feel hungry, pour yourself a tall glass of water and drink it before you begin eating.  It will surprise you how often we mistake hunger for thirst.  Reflecting on today, I am surprised I did not settle for less healthy foods, as it is more tempting to do so when you are on the go and do not have the time to plan your meal out.  Luckily, I ALWAYS keep at least one, if not two pieces of fruit on me at all times.  These are my lifesavers--healthy carbohydrates that you should be eating every single day.  My favorite at the moment are crunchy red apples--I never leave home without one (and when I'm craving sour candy, I bring a sour apple to substitute for the craving.)  Try bringing fruit or vegetables with you when you leave your home for an extended period of time, whether it be a small bag of carrots, an apple, a banana, etc.  You will begin to notice that it will fuel you for longer than you'd imagine, and it does wonders for your budget!  It is also very empowering to look back on your day when you think about what you've eaten, and know how healthy you've been in your choice of snacks.  Remember, you are what you eat!