A challenge indeed, here is how it works out for me. I wake at 0500 and take a shower. Then I eat breakfast prepared by wonderful husband. Breakfast is almost always the same, eggs or egg whites, uncured turkey bacon, and OJ. My supplements consist of an Alive energy multivitamin, 2 fish oils, tumeric, COQ10, and Horse chestnut. I then get ready and leave at 0620 to get to work at 0700.  Also 2 cups of coffee before I leave sweetened with Organic Stevia. Then a full mug of coffee for the road. I always pack a bag full of healthy food to take to work. So, around 10:00 I eat my snack. Snack usually consists of a protein bar and more coffee. At 1200 I usually eat some fruit or nuts. then I eat lunch at 1400 or 1500. My lunch is almost always chicken, vegetables, and a starch. Oh and coffee. By 1700 or 1800 I try to eat another snack. Usually peanut butter and celery or a tuna pack. I get off at 1930 and then I don’t eat again until breakfast. Seems pretty healthy and low cal right?  Well, here’s what I don’t mention and that I have a problem with. Even though I pack and eat all the good stuff, there are always sweets lurking around, sneaking into my mouth. Like, the donuts brought in by the coworker, the delicious fresh baked cookies at the coffee shop, and the huge yummy rice krispie bars in the cafeteria. Or the sweet little chocolates in the managers office that I have to walk by 20 times a day.    12 hours is a long time, and unless I’m super busy, I fall victim.   

 For some ungodly reason, I can’t resist. I try but it doesn’t work. So I add onto all the good stuff I eat…a bunch of CRAP…and even as I am stuffing it in my mouth, I know its poison and I’m ruining all the good I’ve done, but then I shrug and cut another piece of cake. I know how I’m supposed to eat and I can do a good job of eating all of the right things. But when sugar stares at me in the face, I can’t stop the attack. I’ve even said to myself, I’m only going to eat the icing, not the bad cake, and then, I eat every ounce of icing around the cake and even cut pieces to just eat the icing, throwing the rest away. I have a serious problem, but only at work. At home, I can resist it, easily. At the grocery store, I resist it. I don’t even buy it, don’t want it.  So, how does one eat on a 12 hour shift? Well, I thought I was doing a good job, but obviously I’m not. I can resist pork, beef, bread and pasta easily, but sugary sweets, nope. I think I need psychiatric help, and that’s my story.