I broke my ankle at the end of September, and didn't go back to work full time until yesterday. I enjoy my job and I'm not ready to retire, but I have to admit that my work poses challenges to healthy living.
First challenge is lunch. I have three choices for lunch. I can bring something from home. That's the best choice, but boring. There is a cafeteria on the first floor of our building. Their food is full of fat and salt, and not even that good. Then there is a Chinese restaurant next door to the office where the food is excellent, the prices are reasonable, and the staff is friendly. My first day back at work I went to the Chinese restaurant where I had my usual order of hot and sour soup and chicken cashew. Great food. Not so great to track it later, even though I brought home half of the chicken cashew.
I packed a lunch today.
Second challenge is finding time for exercise. I work what's called a 5/4/9 schedule. I work 9 hour days (or more) and get every other Friday off. With a half hour commute each way in traffic I don't usually get home until almost 6:30 pm. By the time I change clothes I am starving and my blood sugar is low. My husband is certainly ready to eat. But, if I eat dinner first, it's almost 8 pm. before I can get on my treadmill, and I go to bed at 10. Last night I gave up exercising in favor of sitting with my daughter as it was her last night before flying back to the west coast. Tonight I did the treadmill before dinner, but that made dinner time even later.
I don't want to change my work schedule, because I love having every other Friday off.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fit regular exercise into my day?
While you think about it read the following poem by Langston Hughes, which is a real favorite of mine.
Necessity
Work?
I don’t have to work.
I don’t have to do nothing
but eat, drink, stay black, and die.
This little old furnished room’s
so small I can’t whip a cat
without getting fur in my mouth
and my landlady’s so old
her features is all run together
and God knows she sure can overcharge—
Which is why I reckon I does
Have to work after all.
