June 3: Dieting in the Real World

So far, I've been sort of cyber-dieting.  Most of my work has been done from home since I began this diet.  Therefore I didn't face the same temptations may of you do when I was in the delicate early stages of setting up my new habits.  No office donuts, no pizza lunches, no breakfast meetings, no vending machines.

On Monday, I'm going back to work.  Maybe for a long time, maybe for a short time - by now, most of you know how I roll.   It has been hard to work full time over the past year, because, as many of you know,  I've dealt with a major depressive episode.

But the time has come to buckle down and make some money.  The new job is not exciting, but it's a job and I'll do my very best at it.  If I write an award winning novel or get some wild 6 figure offer from somewhere else, then I'll quit. Until one of those events occurs, I'm going to stick it out and give it my all.

So, now I'm going public.  It's a little scary to bring my diet into the Real World.  The few times I've ventured out, it hasn't gone especially well.  People I used to go eat chicken wings with have found it uncomfortable if I just get a salad with no dressing.  Although I'd never venture to comment on someone else's food, others seem to have no compunction about commenting on mine.  Will the temptation of the Snickers bar in the vending machine be too much for me?

It's almost like I've been sequestered for the past 6 months.  So, I've been planning my Real World debut.

1.) pack a lunch the night before
2.) bring plenty of cold water in my cooler bag
3.) bring more snacks than I expect to need
4.) find a quiet place to read a book during breaks
5.) when faced with temptation, eat a cucumber

My hope is that the habits I've spent six months instilling in myself are well-set.  Like every other event, whether it be a shopping trip, a birthday party or an impromptu visit to a friend's, I'm hoping the act of planning will help me stick it out as I enter The Real World.