Grazing.

Cows do it and I guess I will too. I have always been one to eat all day. Every few minutes. Or few hours. I felt the need to be chewing, or nibbling or hell even devouring something. That's a part of who I am. It won't change I just have to admit it CAN be an issue and change it slightly.

Hello. My name is Valecia. And I. I am a grazer.

Generally with a day at the restaurant. (I'm a waitress/manager) It's some a pancake, a glass of chocolate milk, some fries (with mayo and hot sauce or ketchup and ranch), chicken strips, or a burger. All day until I go home and say, "Baby...what's for dinner?" Not knowing that I have probably went over my day's allotment of calories before I even punched out and came home. FYI I generally stop at Mrs. Fields' for a cookie or Target for a snickers on my way home from work. It makes my fight with public transportation a bit easier.  Until yesterday.....

So I became conscious of my grazing and realized it was a big part of who I was and I wasn't going to stop it. I was just going to get far better at it. Yesterday morning I got to work a bit early so I could enjoy a bowl of mixed fruit (cantaloupe, honeydew melon, banana slices and red grapes) topped with strawberry go-gurt and a low-fat granola. As the customers came in in droves and waitressing kicked into gear I found myself hungry about two hours later. My choice? Half a cup of fruit. Two hours later? A side salad topped with two ounces of salsa and 2 tablespoons of light ranch. Two more? A bowl of cream of potato soup topped with a light sprinkle of cheddar and a tablespoon of sour cream. With that I had finally made it through the work day. I steered clear of Mrs. Fields and Target for the obvious reasons. I came home and snacked on an apple. When the scary question of dinner arose for me and the beau he immediately said, "Hamburger and fries". Which lit up in my head turkey burger and baked sweet potato fries. Oh and a tasty side salad.

It was a very difficult day but I made it. One day at a time. In a restaurant full of greasiness. I made it as an unhealthy grazer on the pattern to reform. I'm proud of yesterday...now onto today.