Lemondrop

Our busy workdays don't really take our health into consideration -- just ask the Lemondrop editors, who swore a few weeks ago in their "9 to Fine" get-fit initiative that they'd be back in their skinny jeans by summer's end despite having typed more miles from the comforts of their cubicle than actually running the same distance.

Still, these cubicle-bound ladies are doing a helluva good job at discovering muscles they never knew they had and logging every morsel and sip that hits their mouths. But no matter your tools, the bitter reality remains: By 5 p.m., you're often too tired from kicking out of a pile of work to find energy for your actual kickboxing class that evening. To stay motivated, you have to give yourself a 9 to 5 reality check worth scheduling into your Outlook calendar.

Jess Underhill, a personal fitness instructor and Fit Chick in the City blogger, has offered to help us tackle our work-day fitness fails. With her expert advice and my kick-in-your-butt reality checks -- plus a little sage advice from the Lemondrop ladies themselves -- you've got the inspiration to transform a 9 to 5 diet disaster to a 24/7-healthy you!

Leave a comment below and let us know how you deal with your own 9 to 5 diet dilemmas!

MORNING
What the Expert Says: Get a workout partner to meet you at the gym. "Knowing that someone is waiting for you at 5:30 a.m. makes it a lot harder to stand them up," says Underhill.
Your 9 to 5 Reality: Late-night TV means bedtime isn't until after midnight -- and what friend of mine is going to volunteer for such early-morning madness?
Get a 9 to 5 Reality Check: If you can't get your heart pumping before dawn, Underhill suggests moving as much as a kid with ADD during the day. Use your Outlook calendar to schedule on-the-hour alarms for 10 minute stair-run breaks of 5 flights or more. Work abs at your desk by squeezing them toward you and pushing your shoulders back and sitting up straight – hold for the duration of writing an email. Lucky enough to have a private office? Keep a yoga mat under your desk for mid-afternoon crunches and stretches.
Lemondrop Editor Tip: We all have different gyms, but that doesn't stop us from calling each other in the morning for a get-yer-butt-outta-bed-and-to-the-gym wake-up call. (The conversation usually includes something along the lines of "Think how much better that happy hour beer will taste if you work out now.) We even do this with friends in other time zones. Sure, you could go back to bed, but when you're IMing with your phone buddy at work during the day, you'll have to tell her you wussed out, and that's just embarrassing .


The 9 to 5 Dilemma: I'm not hungry for breakfast until I get to work.

What the Expert Says: Keep a week's worth of breakfast-friendly foods in the office fridge, or even a box of high-fiber, whole grain cereal, like Kaishi, at your desk.
Your 9 to 5 Reality: I arrive to work, and I'm immediately slammed with emails and calls. I hardly have time to grab my morning coffee, much less pour a bowl of cereal to eat!
Get a 9 to 5 Reality Check: Invest in cubicle-friendly foods that you can nosh on practically hands-free (since phones and keyboards own your fingers most of the time, anyway). For protein, Underhill suggests individual ketchup-packet-size servings of Justin's Nut Butter. For a dairy fix, keep Laughing Cow cheese in the fridge. And for a quick and easy carb-and-protein combo, try a Luna protein bar for 12 grams of tummy satisfaction.
Lemondrop Editor's Tip: Don't let being too busy keep you from eating right. You inbox is still going to be there when you get back, so take 10 minutes and hit up the grocery story (or even Walgreens) on your way to work Monday morning for Greek yogurt (or anything with more than 10 grams of protein per serving), almonds or any of the above snacks. Also, those weird, microwavable egg-white things are pretty tasty and super-healthy (like the Eggology to-go kind); try it with salsa or keep some chopped-up veggies in Tupperware in the fridge and -- voila! -- instant omelet!

AFTERNOON
What the Expert Says: Like you would for a meeting, you have to plan ahead for your lunch, too. "Knowing that you have a lunch meeting means eating a larger than normal breakfast and having a small, high-protein snack before the meeting," Underhill says. She suggests adding extra protein over carbs to your morning meal, like an extra egg and some cheese in an omelet for an added 100 to 150 additional calories.
Your 9 to 5 Reality: Once the meeting is over, I'm famished! All I want is whatever fast food is around the corner. White Castle, anyone?
Get a 9 to 5 Reality Check: Eating White Castle isn't how Cinderella got her great figure, so why do you think a fast food joint is going to keep you looking svelte? Pack a PB&J for post-meeting emergency nourishment, and then find the nearest cafe for healthy greens and lean protein.
Lemomdrop Editor's Tip: Remember that cereal, protein bar or egg whites from breakfast. They taste good all day long.


The 9 to 5 Dilemma: I work for a cushy corporation that stocks its kitchen with the unhealthiest of snack food. How do I avoid this all access to gluttony?

What the Expert Says: Ever avoid an ex so that you'll forget about him? Avoid your work kitchen the same way – in this case, absence helps the stomach to forget. "I tell people to just never touch it. Once you start eating the unhealthy snacks, you'll give yourself permission to have them again," Underhill says.
Your 9 to 5 Reality: How can I avoid the kitchen when my desk is only two cubicles away -- and I can smell everything that enters and exits?
Get a 9 to 5 Reality Check: When the need to indulge in kitchen fare gets to be overwhelming, then it's time to eat! You don't have to pick up a leftover cupcake from the office fridge. Instead, turn to a healthy (but still sweet!) alternative like dried fruit, (healthy) chocolate-flavored snack bars or an iced coffee with vanilla soy milk.
Lemondrop Editor's Tip: Free office food is our Achilles' heel. Whether it's leftovers from a fancy, catered meeting for people with corner offices, a birthday cake for a co-worker, or the dreaded Office Feeder, free food is the worst kind of temptation. All we can tell you is to remind yourself, "I know where my next meal is coming from. I'm not broke and starving. I DO NOT NEED THIS FOOD." Good luck.

EVENING

What the Expert Says: Underhill says no-no to nuking. Try frozen stir-fry over a TV dinner, like this one from Amy's Kitchen, an all-natural, preservative free frozen meal company.
Your 9 to 5 Reality: I don't even have the patience to make a stir-fry – I'd rather veg with a jar of peanut butter and call it a night.
Get a 9 to 5 Reality Check: Unless you're horribly PMSing, a jar of peanut butter -- or a jar of just about anything, for that matter -- does not count as dinner. If the commute is so stressful that you can't cook anything fresh, then use the stress-free weekend to cook your meals in advance. Think lots of lean meats like chicken and pork, vegetables, whole wheat pasta and quinoa rice. (Check out our post about how to make a week's worth of meals in only an hour of prep for $25.) Or, en route from work, stop at the grocery store and pick up a rotisserie chicken. They're $4 to $7, which is less than ordering in Chinese, and you can use the leftovers will last a few days and are great to throw on salads and tacos.
Lemondrop Editor's Tip: We really can't say more than Sammy already did. Girl's got it right. (And we're really big fans of rotisserie chickens.)


What the Expert Says: "Never feel pressured to drink," Underhill says. "No one says you have to finish the drink, or keep up with everyone else at the table."
Your 9 to 5 Reality: I can't turn down a drink from my superior, and he's the type who hates to see my glass empty.
Get a 9 to 5 Reality Check: Show off the healthy you with an excuse to order that club soda and lime instead. "I promised my trainer that I wouldn't drink this week," is an easy one liner Underhill suggests using as an excuse to skip out on drinking altogether. "I have a 5K that's coming up next week and I'm not drinking until after the race," is another little white lie that just might work in your favor. "Showcase your personality beyond the business. It's more natural conversation, and health is a common denominator between people," Underhill says.
Lemondrop Editor's Tip: Order a soda water -- they'll never know there's no vodka in it). Or go the Diet Coke, heavy on the rocks route -- it will melt down and look like a cocktail in no time. (You can also do ginger ale and say it's ginger and whiskey). Basically, just fake it.


Sammy Davis spends her days doing what any thrift nut loves most: finding beautiful vintage clothing to bring into the closets of the contemporary NYC girl through her company, Sammy Davis Vintage. When not rummaging through secondhand stores across the Northeast, Sammy's planning RoadHug USA, a road trip to discover this country's best food, fashion and music. Got a question about fashion or just want to shout her a holler? Drop her a line here, and she'll hit you back ASAP.