Travellin Soldier
A new enemy has emerged in my battle against the bulge — travelling. Yup, I am headed out of town for a conference next week, which means I will be eating out for 4 days in a row, then returning home to an empty fridge. This is the sort of thing that requires a battle strategy. Kind of like Risk. (Yeah, the board game.)
Breakfasts
To avoid consuming half of my daily calories before 9 am, I am going to bring breakfast with me. Cheerios? Oatmeal? Not blueberry fritters? Suggestions anyone?
Lunches
I am going to eat my starches/grains (i.e., potatoes, whole wheat pasta, brown rice) at lunch time. I try to do this anyway, but writing it down makes it seem forserious, and might hold me more accountable to it. Especially as I am going to report back on how this is going on this here blog.
Dinnas
So I am going to stick to the veggies/meat thing for dinner. Hopefully there will be menu choices that don’t involve veggies and meat being doused in sauces or things that curb the nutritionalness of it all.
Snacks
Going to bring snacks along for the ride, so that when I fell like snacking, which I will inevitably feel like, I’ll have something not terrible on hand. Any suggestions what to bring?
Portion Sizes
The thing about eating out, maybe especially in the US?, is that portion sizes are GIGANTOR. Note to self: you do not need to polish your plate, nor get a doggy bag.
Activity
W00t, my fancy hotel has a fancy gym. So I am pretty much set activity wise. I could go for a run to explore the city, but in all likelihood I will get lost. (My sense of direction is about as awesome as my willpower to avoid shortbread.)
Okay, so that is the game plan. Comments? Other suggestions? I could use an ally or two along against this front.
November 9, 2008 at 5:04 pm
For breakfast, I suggest fruits like a banana or an apple to go with your cereal or oatmeal. For snacks, I suggest granola bars. I think there are varieties that are with less sugar so these can perk you up without really shooting your sugar to the rooftop.
Good luck. I know how difficult it is to control your diet when on out-of-town sorties, especially when you don’t prepare your own food. I look forward to reading your post after the conference. Have fun!
November 9, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Thanks CatWoman! I shall have to find somewhere to pick up fruit, as I cannot cross the border with it. I find granola bar shopping to be difficult. Some of them have wicked-high fat content, and those that do not often taste like sawdust. Or at least how I imagine sawdust would taste.
November 10, 2008 at 5:50 am
The granola bar I take is the one produced by Quaker Oats. I pick the one with 25% less sugar. And believe me, that doesn’t taste like saw dust, or anything close.