We've been on the road for a week, which really Got My Attention on how hard it is to eat sensibly while traveling...or working.
On the Interstate, Husband insists on "Grab and Go" dining,
which precludes a salad or anything with a fork.
That means this:
or this:
and God Help You if you suggest anything different - it simply doesn't fly with a
goal-oriented driver like my Husband. You can toss the buns, but after about the third meal of this, you realize you are only saving about 200 calories. One gets discouraged...
We visited his uncle, (who owns Andy Griffith's boyhood home in Mount Airy!) who loves Thai food, and there was nothing for it but to order up...there are no photos of that meal, but suffice to say that oil was a HUGE ingredient.
Once you get to the Beach, the Sunset Ceremony is a very special tradition that we cherish, whether with a house full of friends and family or just the two of us.
Which requires drinks to toast the sunset with. Which puts dinner later than usual, and means you go to bed on a full tummy. Lovely tradition, but honestly, a Diet Disaster!
We're back home in Atlanta now, and I'm getting some ribbing about serving "Roughage", but we are seeing instant results. The extra pounds are slipping off.
Which means this:
Never give up on your new eating plan...even after a week of really bad food and sitting in a car for days, which will put a couple or three pounds back on you - never give up on your new body. Just resume your sensible eating plan, and the pounds start melting off again.
I promise.
Calories in, Calories out. Don't eat more than you can burn off in a day.
Drink a lot of water.
Get back on your walking or workout plan.
Step on that scale religiously, morning and night, to track your weight. If you have to, get extreme for a day to dump those regained pounds.
After this trip, I am seriously thinking about developing a line of Yummy, Fresh, and Convenient fast foods that could be stocked in the bigger Gas Station chains.
Like this:
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| Image from Live In The Now |
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| Image from Neat Pins |
Now. Doesn't this look more appetizing than fried potatoes served in a cardboard box??
Anyone want to go into business with me??
Oh, yes... this means Husband has to drive, so I can properly use my fork....
Linda, thanks for the reminder to just get back on track after a little slip up. As you might know, my lovely Sis has been here for a week and of course we pulled out all the stops for her! Luckily it is summer, so it was less dangerous than in winter (when all the serious French meals are served night after night like a Best Of roster of rich foods) but still we have been indulging in ice cream and cheese courses.
ReplyDeleteAnd your idea is great. It definitely exists at many airports, so why not on the highway? Here in France you can often get salads (with little forks tucked in the packaging) or healthier sandwichs like smoked salmon but it is still industrial food--not very good and not very good for you!
Heather, come on over and let's get started on this new company - we'll be rich and famous and lean by February. At the minimum, we'll be lauded for offering Good Sensible Eating on the road...
ReplyDeleteI'm still dreaming of those beautiful garlic bulbs and tomatoes on your Market Post with your Sis - and hoping you'll cave in and show us more of the produce of Arles.
So good to hear from you!
Traveling can definitely be rough! We usually go to the farmer's market and stock up on things like dried fruit and sunflower seeds to stave off the inevitable stop for food. Then, we try to hit somewhere like Arby's where the chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat isn't entirely offensive on the calorie count. Most places, you're actually better skipping the salad since they put sugar on the lettuce to keep it fresh!
ReplyDeleteFor years I've toyed with the idea of opening a chain of fast food restaurants which specialized in "girl" food. Your idea sounds better
ReplyDeleteOh what a great sunset!! Nice shot! So beautiful! This post reminds me of Rain Man, a kind of road movie(it's about autism too), in which stunningly beautiful sunsets are featured. They are really amazing!
ReplyDelete"Calories in, Calories out. Don't eat more than you can burn off in a day." I must keep this rule, for I sometimes eat more than I can burn off in a day.
Here in Japan a variety of foods are available along highways but I believe that home-cooked meals are the nicest!
Sapphire, I'm remembering those sunsets in Rain Man now - and yes, they were sooo beautiful! A poignant and good movie.
ReplyDeleteHere in America, we have TOO much food available along the highways...and billboards advertising all the "quick eats" coming up at the next exit! You are so right - home cooked meals or sandwiches are always the best. Maybe the answer is to pack a cooler like my parents did back in the 1950's when we traveled on vacation. Now THAT sounds good!
Toad, I am serious - and see, you were already thinking about that. I think it would fly; the only problem is figuring out how to do it without loading up the food with preservatives, since it has to have a little shelf life. Hmmmmm...
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny...what the heck is "girl food"??
Meg, Holy Cow! Sugar on the lettuce to keep it fresh?!! I never knew that - no wonder I feel funny after eating one of their Turkey Sandwiches! Sigh...it is SO HARD to eat sensibly unless you are near your own kitchen. I think there is a niche out there; just look at the comments on this post!
ReplyDeleteThat's the part I'm working on. Lean, fresh, healthy. The antithesis of road food
ReplyDeleteToad, after eating lean, fresh, and healthy since April I feel so much better and food tastes good again. Really...well, REAL. Amazing thing.
ReplyDeleteMcDonald's is the biggest sinner when it comes to salad; Arby's is more likely to just put the sugar in the salad dressing. I read an article the other day where fast food workers across the nation agreed that the grilled chicken sandwiches are the worst thing you can get. When I did weight watchers for a while, I got really in depth with the fast food menus. The best things I found were the the chicken salad sandwich at Arby's and the fresco menu at Taco Bell (I know! I was surprised, too!).
ReplyDeleteMeg, all of these comments just tell me that there is a new awareness of what we are eating in the USA. I think we are finished with being fed highly processed foods that don't taste like food, tired of empty calories and chemicals, and so sad to see kids hugely overweight when they should be on the top of their game with their blazing little metabolisms instead of wearing triple X clothes. Time to do YFC instead of KFC - Yummy, Fresh, Convenient!
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteM's comment reminds me of the movie "Super size me". Sometimes still my husband and I get craving for McDonald hamburgers and fried potatoes. I can stand, but for him it is very difficult to resist his appetite.
Linda, it is a wonderful idea!! You will be an entrepreneur in food business too.
keiko
Keiko, I must say that I do love french fries... but I love steamed vegetables and good sauteed fish even more. I wish so much that someone would offer healthy food for travelers who want to "grab and go". Maybe someone will read this and make it happen!
ReplyDelete