Interview Eating

Can "interview eating" be considered a category of why we eat the wrong things? I vote Yes. And as you may already have guessed, this is not a random suggestion on my part!

Actually, the interview went quite well. I was not enthused about the job before I went, as it seemed like the same old, same old, and it is another mat leave position, meaning I will be job-hunting again in a year's time. But worse - I felt like a complete dork in my interview clothes.

I purchased an inexpensive outfit at Great Canadian Superstore yesterday (where you can't try things on), since I had no skirts that fit me properly that I could wear with the one blazer that still fits me and my white blouses were all heavy, long-sleeved beasts that would have had me wilting in our sunny weather. So for $51, I acquired a pretty white short-sleeved blouse, a white cami to go underneath it since the blouse was a bit sheer, and a periwinkle blue silk skirt. I thought the skirt would look particularly elegant, despite my avoirdupois, as it had some very large pleats that I expected would make it hang gracefully under a blazer and look somewhat tailored.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The pleats made it balloon out so that I looked about 30 pounds fatter than I am, not to mention that it simply hung wrongly, as if I have no clue how to dress myself. And - special bonus! - almost every time I washed my hands I managed to splash a few drops of water on the skirt. The silk skirt. Ayup. Polyester could care less if it gets wet. Silk is not so forgiving.

The good news is, once I put my blazer over top, the skirt was forced to lie down in submission, and the dried water spots weren't particularly evident in its folds. Of course, I could have done without the center seam of my pantyhose bursting open when I bent over, but that didn't show either. Rule #1 of being interviewed - don't act like you know there's something wrong with your attire. If you don't look, they won't either. (Of course if you have spilled a huge cup of coffee on yourself or somesuch, you are better off to apologize with a joke and then quickly move on.)

Even better news, the interview went well! I actually changed my mind about the job. Very nice bosses, and the work would have lots of variety and new things to learn. I have sent my follow-up emails and now just have to hold my breath for two weeks! It did go very well, but you never know who your competition is. True, they can't beat perfection (joking...) but maybe someone came in without water spots on their skirt!

Anyhow, I subsequently returned to the office. I had had a snack before I left, since a growling tummy can be most embarrassing in an interview, and had to choke down salad greens and chicken breast for lunch. After that, the adrenalin crash really caught up with me, and I felt distinctly wilted. So I ate a bag of salt and vinegar pita chips, mostly because the vending machine was sold out of potato chips. Baked Lays my fat arse. They're like eating soy cheese, a product so disgusting in flavour and texture that you would really rather go without.

Then I went to a colleague's birthday celebration, where mini-profiteroles were on offer. Oh my goat. I ate one that was covered in white chocolate, thinking it was like a Timbit, and it had the most delectable coffee-cream filling you can imagine. I wanted to eat the entire platter. I stopped at one, but I have to admit that was because I was afraid the filling was real cream and I would be sprinting to the Ladies later. Diarrhea trumps willpower every time.

But now what the heck do I eat for dinner? I think I have used up all my protein, carbs, fat and dairy portions for the day (plus 10% bonus calories for junk food). I suppose I will need to add in exercise if I want to have a hope of losing any weight this week, since eating salad mixed with salad and topped with salad is like...eating Baked Lays.

I will do better tomorrow, though. I must.