The Key to Success: Planning and Commitment
I feel that if you are going to lose weight and keep it off, you must work on your own eating program and not just go on a diet. For long-term success facing your food challenges will be the key to winning at the losing game. As many of you know, I have been in this process for a few years. I started my journey at 326 lbs and I am now 202. I still have areas that challenge me and I strive everyday to eat healthy and exercise to keep my body machine in great shape.
Challenges and Solutions for Travel Eating
Some of the challenges that I have worked on over the years are: eating out, eating three meals and three snacks a day, attending events where meals are served, and family birthday parties. I am still challenged when I travel. When I go on a trip there is a switch in my brain that says, “Oh, I am on a trip and it is a vacation and I should be able to enjoy all these new and different foods.”
Five years ago when I went to Florida, I did not gain a pound. That happened with planning and commitment. Tomorrow I leave for China for two weeks. I had a wonderful conversation with Jackie Keller, Founder of Nutrifit, who is my food coach. She said the most important thing I can do is to make a plan and to be very specific about how I plan to accomplish my eating goals. When I am really busy I write a detailed “to do list.” This guarantees that I successful accomplish my goals for the day. I must do the same with my eating and exercise. Even though trip is over a two-week period I must follow the same process.
Here are some of the specific steps I plan to take:
1. Call the airline and make sure that the meals that they are serving fit my eating plan. Besides the dinner, they will serve several snacks. I will have the dinner but I am prepared to have my own snacks.
2. When I am so pushed the day before I leave I often overeat so I have made a wonderful vegetable soup with all the vegetables that are left in my fridge. If I get stressed and want to eat, I will have some of the soup.
3. The first day I will travel all day and only get a dinner that night. I will prepare 2 sandwiches, several vegetables and some fruit so I will not have to depend on fast food in the airport.
4. I have my pedometer with me and plan to walk a minimum of 12,000 steps a day. I would like to be above 15,000 when I can.
5. I am taking a lightweight scale to weigh myself along the way and make sure that my weight is going in the right direction.
6. I take an empty water bottle in my carry-on bag so that I will have my own water container on the 15-hour flight.
7. I take a lot of 20 to 30 min projects as well as an I Pad that is loaded with my own movies and a couple of books on tape so I do not get bored and look for food on the long flight.
Well, here I go. In the next column I will share my experiences with you. Remember it is the small steps that make a big difference in your health, you weight and your happiness.
