Oh, kids. You would not believe the ‘fro I have right now…and the sunburn. I accidentally left the flat iron at home and failed to ask Pea Daddy to coat my back, so between my quasi-dreds and racooon eyes, I’m looking a lot like Christina Aguleria in the Lady Marmelade video. I miss you all and kind of miss home. Never fear, I leave you in good, non-”hasbeen pop star of the last decade” hands. I’ll be back tomorrow with another “postcard” from our last full day on the islands!

Heyyyy Pea Readers! I’m Susan, and I typically run my mouth over at Stepping Off the Coaster. I’m a big fan of THE PEAS, and while I would have preferred that Mama Pea let me go to Hawaii with her… having the opportunity to guest post on pretty much the coolest blog ever… is pretty nice too!

SO let’s get to it…

If you’re anything like me, you are constantly losing your keys…

OK, I’m not here to talk about THOSE kinds of keys!

While many who blog have already made the transition to healthy living, I’m still very much on my journey. That being said, I have, however, figured out a few things. For example, I believe everyone has a set of keys to success, and a big part of healthy living is finding our keys.

I grew up active, playing at least 4 sports every year during high school and even played basketball in college.

(Bonus Points for playing, “where’s Mama Pea” in this photo)

So during college I never really thought about being “healthy” b/c while I did lots of partying…

I also had basketball conditioning, practice, and team activities (like pre-season hiking)

So I didn’t gain weight and stayed pretty fit (of course I could have been a much better athlete if I’d actually been thinking about health, but that’s a topic for another post)

However, as college ended, and then law school… transitioning into a legal professional who sits at a desk for at least 8 hours a day… has certainly required the development of some new skills. Not rocket science by any means, yet they escaped me (or perhaps I wanted to deny their importance) for long enough that I think they are worth mentioning.

So I present to you some of my…

Keys to Healthy Living Despite the Dreaded Desk Job

1. Figure out what time of day works best with your schedule to fit in a sweat session, and make it a habit.

We all have time to get our bods a movin…

As for me, it has to be in the morning. In college you don’t have to think about this. There’s so much free time in a day! I battled it for a long time… at first, I haaaated getting up early. I had ALL the excuses: “I’ll go tonight,” “I’m tired b/c I didn’t sleep well,” “It’s raining,” …

No I mean, really… I had some prize winning LAME excuses. However, in the end, I admitted to myself it’s what works for me! I can’t sweat during lunch and then go back to work… nasty! And after work is for running errands, meetings, and HAPPY HOUR.

Happy hour is SO much more fun if I’m not feeling guilty about skipping a date with the elipticizer.

Whatever time of day it is, do it, and make it a habit… sources (I don’t remember which ones, but I promise I’ve read it) say that it takes 2 weeks to form a new habit… get yourself to the gym or out in the world to exercise, and in two weeks… you’ll have a new healthy habit!

2. Pack your breakfast and/or lunch at home and take it to work with you.

I obviously don’t speak for everyone, but by the time I get up and haul my cookies (mmmm cookies! oatmeal chocolate chip please) to the gym, then get ready for work and get out the door… I have not the time to stop and mow down some breakfast.

But I also know it’s no bueno to go to work without breakfast and expect that I’m going to get something healthy at one of the stores or restaurants in or near my building.

So packing my breakfast, or keeping a box of instant oatmeal in my desk drawer is key!

That way I can get to work, get settled, see what joy the day has for me… and then munch on some breakfast.

3. Keep healthy snacks at your desk.

Oh the joy of an office with monthly birthday celebrations, leftovers from meetings, and a constantly packed kitchen table…

I mean seriously, it never ends in this place!

So for just such occasions, or when I simply get hungry between lunch and quittin time, it’s KEY that I keep healthy snacks in my desk.

4. If you crave something, eat it… but before you do, bulk it up!

Ok, so it took me a LONG time to realize this, even though it seems so simple and intuitive, but… deprivation doesn’t get you anywhere in the long run. If I’m really craving something, I eat it, but I first stop and think about whether I can cut some of the fat, or bulk it up with veggies.

And when I do… I often realize the healthier version is not only lower in guilt, but actually tastes better and makes me feel better.

Like Pizza…

5. Have a go to fast yet healthy dinner option.

Sometimes, I just don’t wanna cook. So when I bought my new house less than a year ago, I made sure it was near my favorite healthy-ish fast food-ish joint…

When I’m exhausted after a long day of slaving away for the man, or don’t have groceries and don’t want to shop, or, when I’m just craving something quick and yummy…Laughing Planet it is! Their menu is full of organic food, brown rice, veggies, and they just happen to have the bestest baked tofu around.

6. Find and maintain a solid support system.

Mama Pea is one of my oldest friends, and such an amazing source of support and love. A smart and wonderful woman, mother, friend, athlete… oh, and she happens to be pretty darn hilarious too!

Mama Pea, thank you for letting me drop in, and thank you for helping me in this journey!! I’m lucky to have you in my corner, and I love you for it!