Travel and eating....

You're in the car for an inordinate period of time. You get hungry and realize that a blizzard of decisions begin to swirl in your mind. It is then that it hits you  that most choices for food on the road - other than stopping at a sit down restaurant - comes in buns, flour tortillas, or deep fried. Then, you think to yourself, my temporary inactivity won't help what I am about to eat. At that point, you either give up or give in. You have to eat. It's part of what keeps you awake on the trip. It's a bit of work but eating on the road shouldn't be something you fight to keep off the weight.

My suggestion? First, leave as close to your normal meal time as possible. So that we know, this is about being in a car for an extended period of time.  Keeping yourself on a schedule is important to keeping you from eating too much. Second, pack a lunch. I've invested in an insulated lunch box with a frozen gel pack to keep my food cold and ready to go. Lunch is usually what you consider a sack lunch - sandwich, fresh fruit, fresh veggies, maybe a bag of baked chips, a bottle of water, and a measured portion of home made trail mix. Third, if you stop and must purchase something to consume - sometimes habits are hard to break - buy either another bottle of water or a V8 juice. With only 70 calories, the juice will fill you up without creating a  tipping point. Whatever lunch you don't eat, you can string out over the day until your next meal but remember always eat in control and in portion. I have a tendency to eat small every two hours while driving long distances. Last, when you do eat, do it to keep yourself from quickly becoming more hungry but don't idly eat. Idly eating is the same thing that happens when you sit on the couch all night. Driving distances can be much the same thing. You have to focus on everything around you but driving can become a familiar activity as well.

As always, stop every once in a while to do some stretches and breath oxygen. Always keep on your schedule. Yes, I do this when I travel. Have lost another pound and a half.