The Trip-Essentials to Return Home Pleasantly Surprised

Hello Everyone,

Let’s jump right in.

Pearl One

Time to talk travel! It’s mid-June and every trip will throw its own special curve-ball our way, but here’s how to knock it out of the park. Today I’ll detail exactly how I prep to maintain my Smart Eating Lifestyle while on vacation.

As I’ve mentioned I’ve been a freelance family travel writer for 18 years. When I first started writing, I’d already lost the 55 pounds and there was no way I’d throw a monkey-wrench into my life by re-gaining pounds every time I took a trip. Even gaining just ten pounds here or there would add up quickly.

Smart Planning

Maybe one day we’ll have drive-thrus where we can order fresh strawberries and cold, ripe cantaloupe, grocery stores that make it easy to find the healthiest food quickly, and restaurants that serve sane, “we care about our customers” portion-sizes. For now, we have our culture: food-porn for as far as the eye can see.

You know how we cut back on frittering money away when we have a trip coming up soon? We may eat out less, adhere to no-spend weekends, and shell out as little as possible before our getaway?

Well, I do the same thing with my weight. I might cut back on food a week or two before the trip.
 
I also plan to the detail like a woman with her hair on fire. The plan is unique to each trip: a week in Hawaii’s plan looks different that a week on a cruise ship.

One

A week before the trip I organize my thinking. With firm kindness, I tell myself – at least every other hour for many days — that I’m living a smart eating lifestyle. I’m not on a diet. There’s nothing “to go off of” when I’m on a getaway. It’s a lifestyle, a lifestyle, a lifestyle.

Two

As you go forward, remind yourself that everything’s hard in the beginning. Once you get accustomed to travel-eating it becomes like riding a bike.

I write in my journal the many strategies I’ll use to maintain. Here’s an example of what my pre-trip writing looks like:

• I keep healthy and satiating snacks in my purse at all times on the trip; staying “full enough” is your go-to throughout your vacation.
• I manage restaurant food by planning. For example, prior to eating in a restaurant, I’ll google the menu and choose my plate in advance (those allergic to food items use this strategy regularly; no need to feel weird).
• I plan to eat a large breakfast, medium lunch, small snack, and tiny dinner while on the trip.
• When eating out at restaurants, I always “eat before I eat.” Meaning I have something small, but substantial before stepping into a restaurant. Does it “ruin my meal”? Yes, it does, Dad, but that’s the whole point.
• The eat before I eat strategy means that I travel with bananas, small travel-friendly packs of peanut butter, apples, granola bars (1/2 of a Cliff bar is a favorite of mine) and so on. I never allow myself to eat without curbing my appetite first with a small snack.
• I also bring a cold tote and ice-blocks and use the hotel room’s mini fridge/freezer. My goal is to always book hotels with mini-fridges but if I didn’t, I can usually rent a small frig from the hotel staff.
• Using a mini-frig means that I can eat half of my dinner entrée and take the rest back to the hotel in a doggy bag or Tupperware I brought from home. If I forgot ice blocks, I use the hotels ice machine. (Both baggies and dry-cleaning bags from the hotel are great for holding ice.)
• If I have dessert at dinner, I’ll only eat a bite or two, and then I’ll dump salt on the rest of it (lol, I’ve never used the salt-maneuver, but in a pinch, I’d salt and pepper the hell out of dessert).
• My real plan is to bring a dessert back to the hotel and finish it in the morning with my coffee. Here’s a post on why I eat dessert in the mornings only: Brownies for Breakfast. I’ve eaten this way for years and it absolutely keeps the pounds off.

Three

You and I have gone on and off diets for decades, right?

In the past when we’ve traveled, we’ve told ourselves that we’re going off our diet because we “deserve” to eat on a trip given “how good we’ve been all year.” That, in fact, we’re “not living” if we can’t sample the destination’s cuisine.

And this is how we’re playing games with ourselves.

Sampling cuisine is one thing, overeating for a week is something else entirely. I could argue that downing the bread basket before the plate of hand-made pasta arrives to the table, is ruining the experience of tasting fresh pasta.

But here’s the thing: it all comes down to how we talk to ourselves. It’s important to remind ourselves that we’re not “going off” anything. We live on a Smart Eating Lifestyle — period.

And the idea of “deserving” to — what? – overeat food? What you actually deserve is to be at the pant-size you most prefer and stay at it.

As for “not living”: we’re not allowing ourselves to really live when we don’t feel wonderful in our own skin.

But when you do come across a food-item that’s special to the region or extraordinary in some way, enjoy. Order a plate and plan to take the other half back to the hotel.

How I Do Fast-Food on a Trip

If I’m on the road and get hungry, I’ll google the closest Chick-fil-A. I always order a salad at Chick-fil-A (go light, light, light on the dressing). I love their “market salad” that’s a bed of beautiful spring mix topped with fresh apple, blueberries, strawberries, blue cheese crumbles, walnuts, and granola. I didn’t add the granola to mine. I only use the crumbled blue cheese like it’s dressing.

If there’s no Chick-fil-A around, I’ll stop at Taco Bell and get a bean burrito “al fresco.” One.

The whole idea is tide myself over until I can get to a kitchen and eat smart food.

Again, I make a new plan for every trip. I anticipate every speed bump and I usually don’t need fast-food because I packed healthy bites in my cold-tote (large or small).

For planes I keep two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with me in my purse. Yes, it’s a lot of calories, but airports are exhausting. You don’t want to get tired and hungry: pretty much ever. Tired + hungry = overeating that triggers an entire week of overeating. If you get tired and hungry, you’ve let yourself down. It should essentially never happen to you.

So, I plan before a trip, make adjustments during, and plan for re-entry back into real life. On the day we’re headed home I plan to have smart food available to me all day. So, if my scarfer loves to drive home with candy, I easily ignore it because I have sliced apple, a cheese sandwich and a small yogurt in a bag. When I get home I don’t overeat from the stress of travel because I’ve left something in the freezer for just this moment. Or because I’m a pineapple-nut, I’ll leave a can of my favorite brand on the counter to remind me to eat smart. When i get home, I immediately throw it into the fridge and eat half the can within about 15 minutes. Everyone will have their own “re-entry” food plan. ♥

Pearl Two

I didn’t use a scale until I’d reached my preferred weight, so when I was developing strong habits, I focused on strengthening my habits versus a number on the scale. If you really give it some thought, smart eating habits drive the scale down whether you’re eagle-eyeing the scale or not.

But if you’re married to your scale, let me share this important truth. Let’s say you’re watching your scale like a hawk, the scale bounces around especially when we’re holding (once called plateauing). On one morning the scale says, “167.” The next day it raises to 169. And on the third day it bounces back to 168. All of the bouncing may really be hard for you, so remind yourself often that weight bounces around just before it finally settles on one number. Once it settles on a number, let it stay there for a month or two. You want to give the cavewoman time to adjust to your new weight before you start to lose more. ♥

Pearl Three

Our Sequence Slot!

The Automatic Sequence:

Situation (something concrete): I’ve reached my preferred weight, now I’m terrified of regaining.

Thought: I’ve always re-gained lost weight. Always.

Feeling: I feel wobbly and out of control about what happens next.

Action: I eat junk-food.

Result: I feel gross having eaten stupid-food and am now even more afraid that I’ll re-gain my loss.

New Sequence with chosen thought

Situation (something concrete): I’ve reached my preferred weight, now I’m terrified of regaining.

Thought:  I tell myself: “we’re in a new century when we know so much more about keeping the weight off using habits. I need to stay focused on strengthening my smart eating habits. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this.” Your chant.

Feeling: Calm.

Action: I eat grapes and cottage cheese for lunch.

Result: I ask my scarfer to keep treats up high and far from me where I can’t see or reach them. ♥

Pearl Four

One-thousand-percent loved The Real Americans: A Novel by Rachel Khong. It took a minute, but nine pages in, I was hooked. The characters are drawn as if they’re real people and the plot itself is outstanding. And the book has one of my favorite things: It’s a story set in the U.S. but is about the Chinese culture.

If you need an easy, but absorbing book, this read would be awesome for a long wait in the airport, on a plane, in a train, or if you feel like hanging out at the neighborhood pool. This is a definite book-dessert. ♥

Pearl Five

Set your goal so big that if you achieve it would blow your mind.” ♥

Anonymous

Have a beautiful weekend!

♥, Wendy

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