Saying No

Saying "no" when someone offers you food can be down right awkward. I have had people look completely insulted as I say "no thank you" to the homemade pie they brought to our meeting. Food is a way to bond with people and someone put time and effort into making it, so it feels like an insult whenever it is turned down.

However, my first few months of being a new teacher, I gained a significant amount of weight. And I put it on quickly! Around this time two years ago, I went on a river trip with some friends from college. One of the rather drunk ex-fraternity guys looked at me and said, "Someone needs to stay out of the teachers lounge!". It honestly was the most horrifying moment of my adult life; it was painful and wrong of him to say. But...it was true. I never turned down food at school, at happy hours, at home. Anywhere. 

I called my mom and I remember telling her I had gained eight pounds and needed to start losing it. I remember saying "It's so much weight, I don't even know where to start." She gave me some advice that has stuck with me ever since, she said:

"Do one thing a day that will help you lose weight. Whether it's running three miles or saying no to a frosted cupcake at work. Either way, that's 300 calories NOT on your body."

That was such an "Ah ha" moment for me. I always felt like weight loss meant DOING something. It never occurred to me that saying "no" is a huge victory. Now saying no is like second nature to me; I've been over weight before and I don't plan on going back!

As I logged my healthy food, I also wrote down my "No's" to see how many calories I was sparing myself from last week:

• Monday: Student brought Shipley's donuts in the morning. "No thank you sweetie!" Saved 217 calories, 16 grams of sugar
• Tuesday: Apple juice and granola bars in the break room. NOPE. Saved 307 calories, 39 grams of sugar (Good Lord..)
• Wednesday: Frosted sugar cookies at an 8am meeting. Really? At 8am?! No. Saved 230 calories, 19 grams of sugar
• Thursday: Vodka Sprite at HH. Water for me please! Saved 240 calories, 38 grams of sugar
• Friday: Large Frozen Margarita at Mexican restaurant. No. Absolutely no. Saved FIVE HUNDRED calories and 10 grams of sugar.

Total for a week of just saying "no"? 1,494 calories. That is a half marathon worth of running to distinguish that calorie intake. And those are considered "snacks"!

This is why I say no, even if it's awkward! And the good news is eventually, people stop offering because they know you don't eat like that. Win-win.