Hello, my friends, welcome back to the Healthy Eating for Busy Women podcast. I’m happy you’re here with me. I am excited to be sitting at my desk talking about today’s topic, which is all about what to eat when you’re too busy.I know all too well that this is a really common struggle where we’re trying to eat healthy deliberately and have the healthy, consistent eating habits that we want.And it feels like once we enter our workday, those just have to come second place, and your eating habits end up feeling very reactive. And you just end up eating […0.6s] whatever is available.And then at the end of the work day, you think I just need my life to calm down, I need to wait till a better time to make this work.And I really wanna bust a lot of those myths today, because my mission is to help you see how the eating habits you wanna have, which might mean the weight loss you wanna have is always accessible to you […0.6s] now.And if it’s not feeling accessible, it’s likely because the versions of healthy eating you’ve Learned in the past weren’t meant to fit into your busy life.So we are going to talk all about those moments where maybe lunch comes up during your workday and you feel like you just don’t have time for it. Or rather than sitting down and having a meal, you just find yourself snacking during the day or binge eating those cupcakes that someone brought in for their birthday, whatever it is.Now before we get into the content for today, first order of business, if you have been loving this podcast, you’re a long time listener or if you just got here, I would so appreciate it if you considered giving this podcast a 5 star review and giving a little tidbit about what you loved about the podcast. This is what helps this podcast get seen by more women who it would help.So if what I talk about here is your jam and you love it, please let me know. And I always appreciate reading those comments from you guys. Also, I want to mention, and those in my membership will know this, I am doing the podcast for my office today.I’m back behind the mic. But why I’m saying that is because in the on your eating habits membership, you now get all podcast episodes on video and you also get early access to all episodes. So those drop on Mondays inside the membership. And if you’re not in the on your eating habits membership already, you definitely need to join. This is where you get […0.5s] all of my content, my process, my community. There’s so many bonuses in there that will help you. And the membership isn’t designed as homework you have to do when you feel really busy. It’s there for you based on whatever you need.So if that’s just to get started and take manageable steps, best place for you. If you want a more focused approach, we can help you do that there as well. And you will get coached when you join.So if you want these podcast episodes on video where you feel like we’re spending some time together, you will also get that as an added bonus. But […0.6s] without further ado, let’s get into today’s topic. And it’s just a fact, right?When your schedule is packed or you have a lot of unfinished to do with work, it’s so easy to bulldoze over your eating habits during the day. So again, most commonly, you will skip lunch, get meals only to realize you’re starving late afternoon or when you get home from work you’re exhausted, you’re stressed, and you will grab the fastest, most pleasurable food available because of course, you do something that happens a lot with solving for healthy eating that doesn’t work is we will solve for the symptom rather than the problem.So a really common thing is to say, oh gosh, I just keep getting fast food on the way home.I keep binge eating after work. And so that’s what I need to solve for, right? I need to solve for […0.5s] binge eating and I need to solve for grabbing the fast food. But really, when it comes to your health and any weight loss goal or health goal you have, we’ve gotta look at the cause.And the cause here is how you’re managing your eating habits during your day. When your body has already communicated its needs, when we’re not prioritizing our bodies needs during the day, our body is gonna step in very primitively and urgently, and make up for where […0.5s] you did not meet its needs ahead of time.And I know this sounds like a bit of tough love, but it’s not meant to be harsh. It’s just the facts right for all of us.I also have had to learn this lesson. If you do not proactively care for your body when it’s time to do so, your body will urgently and reactively provide for itself for you. And that will come in the form of cravings, food decisions. You don’t wanna be making stress and weight retention.So a lot of this today is gonna be […0.5s] centering us in responsibility, groundedness, control, and where we want to more proactively care for ourselves during the day.Something I talk about in my process a lot is stepping into our role as our own caregiver. Because sometimes we’ll wanna solve our eating habits very externally, I just gotta fix this, and I am here to help you do that.But also how you really take care of this problem is by raising the standard on […0.6s] the role you’re having in your own life when it comes to meeting your needs and your care. And I want you to even notice without any shame or judgment of yourself.If you’re genuinely viewing yourself as your own best caregiver, […0.5s] no matter what work situations coming up, how busy you are, how many unfinished to DOS there are, can you really trust yourself to meet your needs? Can you trust yourself to feed yourself appropriately even when there’s things to do?And can you trust yourself to not neglect yourself when it comes to your body’s basic needs like food, water or when you’re hungry or when you’re full?If the answer is no, and that’s coming up for you, it is okay. I really want to honor the fact that those of us in our current day society, especially western culture, we just are not taught to provide for our basic needs. We are taught to be cogs in a wheel in a sense and to produce and to hustle.And I want you to know that any results you have with work or your ambitions or outputs you wanna have in your life, do not need to be lessened because you choose to care for yourself, right?We’re talking about basic human needs, eating when you’re hungry, stopping when you’re full, and actually paying attention to those things because what can happen is when we have a to do list or the things that need to be done, we will justify just not checking in […0.5s] and feeding our body or meeting our needs.I remember there was even a time when I was really in that hustle mindset and I would even justify you guys not going to the bathroom when I needed to or drinking a glass of water to the point where I would feel faint, so dehydrated, truly miserable.And it really required me to notice that so humbly, oh my gosh, I am caught up in such urgency and hustle and overwhelmed with my work that I am not noticing that I’m not meeting basic needs of my body when it’s time to do so.Cause I want you guys, when I say basic needs with your human body, it’s not things that are gonna sacrifice a lot of time […0.5s] and energy.I want to challenge the narrative today and offer you that there is never gonna be […0.5s] a length of a to do list or a demand or a season […0.5s] where you realistically cannot meet your basic needs.You will always, if you choose to be able to have a meal and make space for that, you will always be able to go to the bathroom if you’re like me or get a glass of water if it’s feeling like that’s not available to you and you have no choice but to not make decisions that meet your needs, then that’s something we need to address.We need to understand the amount of overwhelm and stress and urgency that you’re having with to DOS, right? I was coaching a client on this recently actually, and she was struggling with this as one does.And she actually shared a thought with me that I thought was brilliant. She’s like, oh, so none of us are really being paid enough or really ever gaining enough from work task or to do list to neglect our basic needs. And basically she was saying, nobody can ever pay me enough or give me enough of an outcome from a job […0.6s] to justify that.And I’m not saying it in her exact words, she would say it much more brilliantly. But what I want you to get to for yourself […0.5s] is what is it gonna take with your own value system to never sacrifice those basic needs?Okay, what I find is will often come up with a little defensiveness maybe or excuses no, you don’t understand. My schedule really is just so busy.My time is just this. I have so many things which I could validate you all day long. I hear you, but what I want you to lean into and trust is that if you set the standard first from total responsibility and caregiving energy, no matter what, hand on heart, I will always make sure I eat.I will always make sure. Other examples, I have a glass of water if I’m dehydrated, or I will always make sure I go to the bathroom if I need to go to the bathroom. What changes when it comes to how you approach food and your workday.So what often happens when I watch my clients create this responsibility first is then they find really simple ways to fit it in. They start managing their to do list better. They actually prioritize their to DOS, so they can fit in meeting their basic needs with their work schedule.But you guys, the difference here in fitting healthy food decisions into a busy work day, it’s the difference of disembodiment and reactivity versus embodiment and being proactive, right?If you are feeling urgent, overwhelmed, stressed, you’re indulging all of your excuses and chatter about why you can’t just make things work. You’re going to be reacting, you’re going to feel very disembodied, and you’re not gonna feel safe.I want you instead to practice seating a really resourceful and responsible mindset, so you can feel that in your body, so you can feel safer to trust and say, hey, […0.5s] I will always make sure I’m fed, I will always make sure I drink a glass of water and I’m hydrated. And then from there, it’s not gonna make the stress go away with work.It’s not a quick fix, […0.6s] but watch how things do feel more manageable, because now you’re asserting the truth with yourself, the reality of what’s actually occurring. The stress brain lies to us a lot.And I want you guys to start catching it a little bit, […0.5s] a lot of it. I want you to start noticing when your brain is lying to you. And it says things like, well, I just can’t fit this in.Really. This is what I would have said to past cat. Really cat, you can’t just go pee real quick when your bladder is bursting you. Really cat, you can’t just have a glass of water for two minutes when you’re about to faint, because you’re so dehydrated.It never was true, right? I just needed to get back inside my body, take responsibility for my decisions, and know […0.5s] my stress brings a damn liar that will want to keep me hustling and neglecting myself. And for you guys, here’s the thing I’m gonna talk about a couple more points here.But […0.5s] first, I really wanna know what decisions you would make differently with food at work when you started with this responsibility mindset. I will always feed myself when I’m hungry. I can always meet my needs, and if I need to get a glass of water, go to the bathroom, and eat, I will do it.Start there, and now we can talk about what tactical solutions are available for eating healthy at work when you’re busy. Make sense, because here’s the thing as well, right? Most of you will know that to eat healthy, lose weight, hit your goals.You need to stop over eating, you need to lower your cravings and have these things put in place in order to do that.You need to actually have the ability to be inside your body in a safe way and make resourceful decisions. If you’re reacting and saying, I just can’t make this work, I’m too busy, I’m too stressed, you will not be able to notice when you’re full, you will not be able to notice when you’re hungry, and you will not be able to make really simple, resourceful eating decisions.And notice that we will all have those moments where it’s all just too much and we can’t deal. The first step is providing that safety and responsibility and then know you can always make it work with your food decisions. So let’s go to the most on ideal scenario maybe. Let’s say that it’s a super packed schedule […0.5s] and, maybe you have no option but to door dash something to your office, or maybe you have to eat on the go to another appointment, or maybe the food options you have right in front of you for the next 10 minutes are the cupcakes or sandwiches or whatever someone brought in for the birthday or Celebration.Alright, any situation, I don’t care. I want you to also practice the responsible grounded thought of, […0.6s] I can always make it work with what I have, cause it doesn’t need to look perfect. It just needs to get done. I can make it work with whatever food choices I have available.This is something that will always be true if you are in that grounded mindset, and you don’t indulge perfectionism. I can always make it work with whatever is here. Here’s what this realistically ends up looking like, and these are gonna be very random examples, y’all.Let’s say that someone brought in these treats and pizza […0.5s] for a Celebration, so maybe what that looks like is for that day. You have a slice of pizza and then a little cup from one of the desserts, […0.5s] alright, not the healthiest, but you’re not gonna over eat, […0.5s] and you’re going to be fed.Let’s consider another example. You have to get takeout, we have so much drama around takeout, cause we think it’s unclean.Make the best decisions you can with what’s on that Doordash menu, right. Estimate an amount that you think will allow you to feel full, but you’re confident you’re not overeating. Having to get something on the way to an appointment, maybe you’re driving.Alright, again, do what you can, even go for the quickest drive through or gas station, whatever it is, and think, maybe I will get a meal bar, and I will get a drink of water, and I’ll get some hard boiled eggs over here, and that’s gonna make me feel satisfied. I’ll feel full. It’s not ideal, but I can make it work.This is why you guys, and I’m very big on this. I am not very, performative with healthy eating. I was at one point 1,000,000%, but now the more I have mastered naturally healthy eating, the less performative I am.You will not see me posting perfect meals to sell to you, this influencery aesthetic, Instagram worthy, Pinterest worthy view of what healthy eating looks like. My eating decisions, y’all, they are not aesthetic or cute or pretty. They look like garbage […0.5s] on the surface half the time. They’re not sexy, […0.6s] but they get the job done because the skill I have developed in what I teach is resourcefulness and responsibility. I am never performing anymore with healthy eating, I am just getting it done, and I want the same thing for you guys, and you can get there. You will get there.What would it look like just to make it work, and instead of indulging, oh, I need this perfect food plan or choices to see it through. You just start making some of your own decisions from resourcefulness.I had this come up with a client as well. And it became this ongoing joke and our coaching where she had so much drama around food at the airport and again, I have been there to you guys. And she was like, cat, the problem is that I don’t know what to eat at the airport. And I was like, what is the problem?Here she goes, well, I feel like there’s never the food options I want that feel the best for me. And I was like, why is that a problem?After some coaching, we realized that the belief she was having, well, if I don’t have the types of foods I wanna eat and that aren’t ideal, I can’t lose weight.This was the lie her stress brain was telling her. It was making mistakes really high. And so through some coaching, we said, if that wasn’t true at all, and you could always make it work, […0.5s] how would you keep losing the weight even when traveling?And she goes, well, I would have half of one of these sandwiches and I would have a tea. And, I think as well, she said, I’ll have a couple hard boiled eggs, and that will fill me up. And I was like, great.Then where the coaching went for her is allowing that to be done. Her body wanted to add urgency, her stress brain wanted to lie and say, oh, you need to be more perfect.No, when she acclimated to being resourceful and letting what works be enough, the weight started coming off. Alright, it became more accessible to her. She started feeling better, and she started feeling very healthy. So I’m hoping this is landing for you guys as to what’s really gonna be necessary. I always want to give you guys the support you want, and always let me know how I can more support you. But I am also wanting to balance that with what I think you’re needing to solve this problem for that last time.That is what I am always focused on helping you do. And while I could provide here some meal plan options that you could honestly find anywhere on social media or Pinterest, like what to eat options.That’s not gonna help you. Most of you who are here with me have a lot of knowledge of nutrition, or at least basic knowledge of what foods are healthy. You don’t need all that, you already know that.The problem is that you think you can’t make it work when you have whatever food options are available, you don’t need to be perfect. You can always make it work.Go with the best decision you can make. That’s actually what is gonna allow you to eat healthy behaviorally, no matter where you are or what circumstances are coming up, combined with the maturity and the responsibility of, I will always make sure I’m fed. I will always make sure my needs are met.So I wanna go through a few tips or talking points real quick, rapid fire for you guys to keep in mind.First, I want you to know that prepping lunches or planning lunches […0.5s] can be a great, or planning lunches can be a great thing. Use that to support yourself if it makes your work day easier, but never use it as a crutch.Never allow plans or prepping meals to be what determines if you make healthy decisions with food. So in other words, if you prep meals and plan what you’re gonna eat for lunch at work, great, it’ll probably make the day go by easier. But if you find you’re in a human week or stress is high, or time is limited, and you couldn’t proper plan, let yourself be resourceful with any food that’s available.Do not convince yourself that because you didn’t proper plan that, that actually is the problem to solve for note, healthy eating decisions are made in a single moment with whatever food you have available.The healthiest eaters that have the results they want and they’re able to make it work are because they’re resourceful. It’s not because they always do it right. That is the big secret we wanna learn. So if you can prep foods or snacks ahead of time, amazing. Do that to reduce that decision fatigue. But do not let prep become a crutch that keeps you from learning how to eat healthy resourcefully when plans change.Another tip I wanna offer is to schedule […0.6s] check in points or meal times like meetings.So it’s so crazy, right? Because so many of us as busy women will be very type a and will schedule meetings, will show up to them on time. We really have that together, but we will not treat our body the same way. We will not hold it in that high of a regard.The regard you hold showing up to work, I want you to imagine if you held that same regard and standards for your own care, for your basic needs. Imagine if past cat held peeing when she really needed to go to the bathroom to the same standards as her work meeting. I am kind of poking fun, but I’m also very serious.This is a problem that as women, we really have and it didn’t come from us. It came from patriarchal thinking and a history where as women, we were really taught to earn our place. And we were taught to just give and that we have to earn receiving.I want us to be aware of this narrative. If this relates to you, it might feel unnatural to hold yourself in a high enough regard where your care is non negotiable.We’re talking about basic needs, y’all. We’re talking about feeding ourselves, right? I even noticed that in my brain too where neglect feels very familiar and I’ve gotta catch that. And I think as women, this is something collectively we wanna start doing and normalizing. Another tip I have is to stop normalizing skipping meals. I think that another tip I have is to stop normalizing skipping meals because we’re busy.I think it’s interesting because as busy women as well will have a lot of humor and relatability with being too busy for things like this is the funniest thing in the world. And I have been there too.There is no judgment or shame […0.5s] from me around this, but notice when you make light of the fact that self neglect happened, oh, I was just so busy to eat lunch today.Today was so crazy. Together as a community of women who are looking at being healthier, I want us to stop a moment with hand on heart and say, my love, oh my goodness, well, let’s make sure you eat. Let’s make sure that happens. How can we help?I want us to stop making light of self neglect because I think it’s a really easy thing to do when it’s familiar. But something that’s really interesting in coaching is I will see a lot of my clients make light out of behaviors that actually are self neglect and not from a shameful place.We’re never doing this on purpose, but I want us to hand on heart really look at that and say, oh my gosh, this is something I actually wanna change and I don’t wanna normalize skipping a meal because of what it does to my body.So it’s that fine line with being responsible but not shaming ourselves for what we see, right?The last tip I have is to make sure to always build resourcefulness without rigidity. Resourcefulness means you can always make it work, and you’re opening up your brain to all of those solutions. Rigidity is if something doesn’t happen, then the result can’t happen. If you didn’t pack a lunch, then you can’t lose.Then you can’t eat healthy that day. If there’s someone who brought in cupcakes and pizza, then you can’t eat healthy that day.If you’ve got to get take out, cause you’re between meetings, you can’t eat healthy that day. You’re gonna have to start tomorrow. You can always make healthy eating decisions behaviorally, which is what will create the result.The stakes are not that high, my friends. Healthy eating is never about controlling every variable that happens. It’s about being resourceful in any situation. So much of how a lot of us were taught in the diet industry is that it’s about controlling every single foods available, every calorie, every macro.But it’s about being resourceful, that is actually the thing you’re likely missing. So I hope that this was helpful to you. I hope that you enjoyed your time with us today, where we just got to talk about a really relatable topic.And if you want the next step with me, where you’re interested in this work, but you wanna see if it’s for you, I actually have a mini course available. It’s totally free, and you can start there to see what my coaching and my work is like.So if you’re interested, you can go to cat rentas com forward slash course, and you can sign up and receive everything right away.It’s called Solve Your Food Struggles in 5 Days. It is so much fun and I’m happier here. Thank you for listening, and I will see you again very soon. Alright, have a good week.