Staying on Track as You Go Out of Town or on Vacation

I went out of town for a family function this past weekend; it was not my first trip away from home since I started my new eating habits. But I was more aware of my food due to the fact I wanted to keep track of my intake for running and my bowel problem. My first concern was breakfast, but I have a cooler and ice packs, I needed enough yogurt and breakfast bars for 3 days, that all went in the cooler and I had room for more for my next trip if it’s longer than 3 days. I then had my coffee in individual packs with powder creamer/favor packs, no problems having my bowel starter for in the mornings. I bought fruit and veggies once I got to my destination. Now only lunch and dinner to worry about, making sure my host knew I don’t eat beef and I need veggies at every meal, this was not a problem. Everyone was very accommodating and they made sure I had protein other than beef, with a wide selection of veggies.

Every meal went off without a hitch; I did well with breakfast, lunch and dinner. So what is my weakness, what is the one thing that will throw me off my new lifestyle… snacking.

There were snacks galore, I keep a minimal amount of snacks in my home and I try to make sure they are healthy. But this weekend it was snack hell; Cheetoes, peanuts, ice cream cones, corn chips & cheese cake salsa dip, Birthday cake (for the event), it was like the Willy Wonka Factory edible room (it wasn’t that bad, but you get my drift). I tried to be diligent and not snack, but on the day of the event I lost my head. I had a bite of all of it. But to my surprise I did not park myself in front of any one snack and go to town. I had a handful here and there got my fill and moved on, I sampled and did not fill up, and I did OK. I was happy I enjoyed the food, but extremely happy I didn’t over indulge. 

So when going on an out of town trip or vacation, pack as much of your own food that you can, make sure if you are staying with friends or family they know your diet of what you can and cannot eat. If you must eat out, pick sensible places that will have food you can eat. Make sure your room (if not staying in someone’s home) has a refrigerator and is close to a grocery store; thank you Google Maps. Enjoy your trip, sample the food (snacks) but don't over indulge, if you follow these simple guidelines, your trip will be fun you will not feel guilty and you will not have to run extra to work off the over indulgence.