What I've Learned from My Co-Blogger

Well, a lot of things, cuz he's pretty great. :-) But one of the biggest things T has said that has stuck with me is the idea that you need to set yourself up for success. If you have temptations in front of you, it's going to be hard to resist them. If you're only surrounded by bad things, you're going to eat bad things. But if you create an environment or a routine where you can easily make good choices, you will. That's a really important lesson.

Here's one way I'm learning to apply that lesson in real life.

I *hate* bringing my lunch to work. Even though every couple of weeks I go on a kick of thinking I'll do it and buying a bunch of entrees or soups or snack-packs to bring in, I really don't like doing it and almost never actually pack that lunch bag. The "lunch food" in my pantry often becomes a weekend lunch instead.

So -- I love to go out in the neighborhood for lunch, either to grab something quick to take back to my desk or to make it a social outing with coworkers. I work in a neighborhood with LOTS of options, from takeout delis to full-on white linen dining. When I'm *not* being particularly mindful about my eating, I have plenty of opportunities to get greasy sandwiches, chips, big burritos, burgers and fries and pizza, oh my!

BUT, there are also places with really healthy and interesting and tasty lunch options. And this week I've made it a point to go to one of those really great places -- Teaism -- and explore the variety of their menu. In 3 different visits, I had 3 totally different things and they were all delicious and fresh and - though they may not all be considered "light" - I know everything was pretty good for me nutritionally. Best of all, these meals were satisfying and because there's so much variety I didn't get bored. I had: grilled beef and veggie kebabs with brown rice with fresh mint and coriander; chicken udon soup; and Vietnamese shrimp spring rolls with miso soup.

Knowing that I have such a great restaurant with so much tasty variety nearby makes it very easy for me to make good choices at lunchtime, and to feel good about supporting a local business at the same time. Sounds like success to me!