There is definitely nothing healthy about jet lag. Nothing. Period. End of story. We just returned from an international trip, and I've been finding that jet lag is the culprit for my dieting downfall. It's not easy to be up all night long, watching the kids, and keep myself from eating. And what do I want in the middle of the night? Junk. That's what is going to feed my head that's spinning and my nerves that are shot. So, I found that I spent the first few nights indulging in all sorts of terrible things - ice cream tastes wonderful in the middle of the night. There must be something magical about ice cream that makes it transform into a nurturing blanket of calm at 3:00 am. But, the next morning, that calm is certainly gone, and the pounds aren't.
So, what is one to do? First, I started to get the kids into a routine and forced myself to do so as well. Munching isn't quite as tempting if we are going to sleep at 12 as it is at 4 am. Next, I made myself actually evaluate my level of hunger before I indulged. Was I really hungry or just bored and tired? And what did I really need? During the day, I started to cut up all sorts of vegetables, so that at 2 in the morning when I had a baby in my arms, I could grab for something healthy rather than another cookie or granola bar. Fortunately, we are all sleeping again and this issue is behind us. Hope it helps any of you who are travelling or returning now that the summer is ending!
