Alright, I see my friends are way past me in their posts for the A-Z Blogging Challenge.  I procrastinate, I fuss-budget about and I get behind in these posts.  Today, I am writing a quick post about organizing for weight loss, according to me.  I haven’t done any research in preparation for this post, this is completely off the cuff.

I really try to be organized.  But throw exercising and thinking about what I am going to eat for the entire day, and sometimes it all seems a bit overwhelming.  For instance, preparing food to take to work requires planning, having appropriate food in the fridge and complete sets of Tupperware containers.  Most of the time I can find lids to the Tupperware containers, but I have no idea where the bottom parts of the Tupperware are. Most likely they go to the same place the other sock of my favorite pairs of socks go, but realistically they are most likely in the back of my son’s cars, in a pile on the floor. How do the lids end up back in the drawer, but not the bottoms? It’s a mystery.

My husband did my me a huge favor in the Tupperware container issue, and bought me one of those fancy packs that come with its own color coordinated containers (with lids).  Bodybuilders use these bags to carry their meals around. It comes with a freezer pack, that keeps everything nice and cold.  Problem is, it doesn’t come packed with food, already prepared and ready to go. I wish it did, boy – would that be nice.

I have the one on the right – with 3 containers

On the days, I have not gotten off my butt early in the morning, to get my meals ready for the day, I must depend on what is available in our hospital cafeteria.  And most of that food, honestly is not conducive to sticking to a diet plan.  I used to eat the items on the salad bar, but discovered I was getting these weird fevers, every time I at the spinach/mandarin/chicken salad.  I no longer eat from the salad bar at work.

Usually there are leftovers from the previous night’s dinner.  And we always have a huge bowl of brown rice cooked and ready to go. I throw a small portion (1/2 cup) and the leftovers into a container.  I will quickly prepare a salad with romaine lettuce, spinach, cherry tomatoes and little tiny mozzarella balls, with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  And weirdly enough, the salad is usually my favorite part of my lunch. And I will include some grapes for dessert.  The grapes are really good this season. For my snacks, I include a protein bar, a pack of mixed nuts and some yogurt mixed with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries.  Oh, it is so scrumptious, and I don’t get hungry through the day (in the past, being hungry would send me off on a hunt for chocolate).  And it all fits in my little bag with the ice pack.

Preparing for exercising after work, is not quite so tricky.  I leave my bag of training equipment; my kickboard, training fins and hand paddles, in a bag in my car.  Packing the bag with my swimsuit and a towel was initially a bit tricky, but I have streamlined this process.  I usually swim about 3-4 times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and the weekends. I have a bag with my combination lock (I love my combination lock – it reminds me of school) lotion, hairbrush and I pack my swimsuit and a towel before I leave for work. If I don’t take my swimming stuff with me, I end up going home, with good intentions of picking up my swimming gear and immediately heading out to the gym – but that never works.  I will sit and talk with my husband, have a cup of tea, and before I know it, it is too late to go to the gym, because I have to make dinner, feed the dogs and so on and so forth.

Of course, I feel like a pack mule, when I leave the front door to go to my car, with my various little bags.  But that’s okay – it will be worth it in the end.