Not the rule

For anyone who is new to my blog, my job is a huge roadblock to my healthy living. In my first 2 years of employment, I gained 50 pounds. Still to this day, I am fighting to lose that 50 pounds (and then some; from before).


I am an emergency dispatcher for a local fire/rescue agency. Overtime is mandatory, and I know I shouldn't "complain" about having overtime, especially in this economy, I am more so trying to explain my situation. I work shift work, my hours vary. My typical week is 2 ten hour days, 2 fourteen hour nights and 4 days off. So I have an 8 day work week, so my "days" at work are constantly shifting. It took me about 6 months to get accustomed to my schedule. I don't mind it so much now. 


My job, is basically to sit at a desk and answer the phones and dispatch on the radio. Heck, I even have a phone in the bathroom with me. It's a high stress job, there have been many links to indicate that this type of work leads to an increased chance in diabetes type 2. That scares me...


Well over this past weekend, I was at work on a very long shift, and my eating choices were not all that great. I did a lot of snacking. When trying to stay awake when most of the world is asleep is hard, I used to snack a lot, I've gotten into some good habits of walking (pacing) back and forth in my little office, or drinking water. This weekend, was not one of those stellar times, I didn't track my food, and ate everything without any regard for if I was actually hungry. 


I ate this weekend with reckless abandon, and I needed a wake up call to remind myself of why I don't want to be the weight I am for the rest of my life, I want more. I don't want to be a statistic, I want to beat the statistics. 


Don't get me wrong, I love my job, my work is very rewarding and I am helping people who are having an emergency.


So yesterday, I tracked all my food, and I was WAY over on my calories, but I didn't care, I tracked it all. Because that is what I need to keep myself in line. If I see that I am going over in my calories, then I will be able to make smarter choices and pay more attention to how my body is feeling (hungry), and choose water to start off with. 


I want to be the exception, not the rule...