Summer Travels

If you are like me, you may be struggling to stay healthy during your summer travels. Long road trips with repeated nights eating out, can lead to many extra calories. We want to enjoy our favorite foods and good restaurants, but how can we do it with out ruining everything we have worked so hard to maintain. First we have to think about what we can and can not control during our travels. With a little preparation, snacks for the road are one of the best ways to make sure our calories don’t get out of control. Research has shown that each additional snacks eaten away from home adds an average of 134 calories that day, compared with the same meals or snacks prepared at home. Snacks you can bring yourself can definitely be more nutritious with less calories than the quick stop at the convenience store. And don’t even get me started on how many calories are in a Big Gulp Fountain Coke. It is devastating. Some of my favorites for the car are bananas, grapes, carrots, 100 calorie snack bags of almonds (as opposed to the big bags at convenience stores). And if you have not found them yet, you can get individual servings of peanut butter. With a throw away knife and a loaf of bread, why can’t you make a little sandwich in the car or have with an apple. Yes we want to indulge at times at fancy restaurants while we are on vacation, but put together a little plan of action at the beginning of each day that will work for you when eating out. • Choose one meal a day to add a few extra calories (or indulge) and bank extra calories in the other meals. You don’t have to over do it at Breakfast, lunch and dinner. • Think about what may not be important to you and ask to leave that item off your plate. Do you have to have the fries or coleslaw that comes with the meal? • Take out the mayo, butter or cream sauce that adds extra hidden calories. • Get a double portion of the vegetables in place of the heavy starch. • If you love the desert, cut back on the meal to save those extra calories. • Ask to cut the meal in half and place in a to go box before the food is served. • Split it with a friend • Slow Down! Talk, talk and talk some more about the days events between each bite of food by putting your fork down and letting your food settle before you take another bite. I promise it won’t go anywhere.

Ok So I am leaving for a family vacation this week, we will see how I do. I have two strategies for my plan of action. Choose one a meal a day to be my favorite and my splurge and to eat it slow and talk to my kids about the day’s event. What will be yours?

To learn more about how to devise your own Wellness Plan and have your own personal Wellness Coach in exercise, nutrition, weight management or stress management, contact me at 409-550-7606 or Crystal@crystalclearchange.com