No Comma, No Full-Stop

When your eating pattern earns you a nickname, then you know the matter is serious.

I have never really paid much attention to the fact that I am always nibbling on something until one day when I caught my colleague looking at me and she said, "Ah Uche, you are no comma no full-stop". I was lost in surprise for a moment because I did not know what she was talking about. However I didn't stay lost for very long because she went on to tell me how she has been watching me for sometime and noticed that I was always putting something in my mouth or chewing on something. It seemed like every time she looked at me (and it was a lot because my table was right in front of hers), my mouth was moving.

I admit when I first heard that, it didn't sound too good but on reflection, I realized she had spoken the truth. Alas, I am a chronic nibbler and always need to have my mouth moving. It really is a case of a sentence that goes on and on without punctuation, or as my colleague so nicely captioned it, 'No comma, no full-stop'.

Initially I was so mortified by this trait of mine that had been brought to my consciousness and so I tried to stop. But I found out that by constantly denying myself something to nibble on, I would build up an appetite and then go on to overstuff myself. So I decided not to beat myself up about it but control it so that it works for me and not against me.

To help me do this, I have created a nibble plan for 2017. It's a plan that allows me to eat multiple times a day so I don't feel like am denying myself, but also necessitates that I nibble only on the right things so there is minimal impact on my weight and my overall health.

So in terms of actual meals, my plan is to eat about 5 times a day albeit small meals. I usually start my day with a cup of green tea, and for the most part won't have anything else before 11am. Staples on my list include cereal for breakfast, different types of salad for one of my lunch meals and fruits for dinner.

In addition to this, I intend to have a bowl of nibbles with me all through the day especially on work days. My nibble bowl consists of strips of carrots, cucumbers, nuts, raisins, coconut chips, jelly gums and dried mangoes. This will be where I quench my constant cravings for. And to tie it all up, lots of physical activity and workout will ensure I do not put on the pounds.

So that's the plan people, I am embracing all sides of myself and making it work for me. Selah!!!