Where did YOU go for lunch today?

I know some of you are cringing at that question because perhaps your answer was "I hit the drivethrough on my way to run an errand during my lunch hour!"  Or maybe your answer is "What lunch? I had two screaming kids wanting to be fed and I ate cold spaghetti out of the fridge in between serving them!"  Hey, it happens right? 

I had an exceptional lunch today.  I am allowed an hour for lunch.  I don't always take an hour because I can shave off time at the beginning or end of my day by working through lunch, and sometimes that is necessary to care for my two children.  But today I ran the emergency stairwell in my building for 20 minutes (and, my quads don't like me very much right now!).  I can't do this every day, but every day I can is definitely ONE STEP (or several steps) in the right direction.  It is hard to find the time to workout, but if you think about it, I just made the time.  I brought my lunch (and many healthy snacks, but I will describe what works for me on eating at a later time).  I ate a healthy light snack about an hour before my "lunch."  Then I exercised, and followed that with a more substantial lunch.  In just roughly 40 minutes I exceeded my Time Limit AND my Money Limit.  The Time Limit is fairly straight forward - I fit in exercise, but instead of heading out to lunch, I also used the time I would take to go and get that lunch (drive time) and turned it into quality exercise time. 

I also saved a TON of money.  I typically, if I went out to lunch, would spend anywhere from $5 - $7 on a lunch.  If I make lunch and bring it from home I typically spend $2-$4.  So, I save anywhere from $1-$5 a day by bringing lunch.  Do that one time a week and you save roughly $4-$20 a month.  Or even $52 to $260 a year!  Do that two times a week and you save $104 to $520 a year!  And so on, you can do the math.  the numbers are staggering.  I almost NEVER go out to lunch, so I figure I save over $1000 a year!  And, when you bring your lunch, YOU control what you eat.  Furthermore, my workout was FREE!  I didn't need to go to a gym to hit the stairs in my building, both saving on a gym membership fee AND gas money!

Now if you don't work during the day and typically don't hit the drive through on a regular basis, your savings will obviously be less.  But planning a healthy lunch for yourself at the beginning of the day, maybe before the kids get up, to fit in between the "I want" and "I need" from your kids can help you be sure you are fueling yourself as well as you fuel your kids.  And, if the weather permits, maybe you can all go for a walk AFTER lunch.  I know my pre-schooler has a hard time sitting still long enough to eat a meal - but when I promise a walk if she eats a good lunch, well, it is amazing what that motivation can do! 

So, what is a healthy lunch?  I hope to bring you more ideas on that this week, but don't let that Knowledge Limit hold you back, I am sure you have some basic ideas of your own you can draw upon.  So, where are YOU going for lunch TOMORROW?  Leave a comment if you wish, it will help you feel motivated to do something other than the drive through if you post it for yourself, and others, to read!  (Hey, that is exceeding that Motivation Limit too!)

For now, my lunch break is over!