The road. It can be an amazing place. It can also be a minefield of temptations if you don't prepare yourself ahead of time both mentally AND with a few healthy snacks in your bag for those moments when "the munchies" strike. My favorites are Quest bars & pre-portioned baggies of nuts. Delish!
Besides being well equipped to fight the munchies, here are a few other tips I learned on the road this week as I navigated a client site I affectionately call "Candyland" & three meals out each day with team members whose main priorities were most definitely NOT balanced meals & a healthy lifestyle.
Besides being well equipped to fight the munchies, here are a few other tips I learned on the road this week as I navigated a client site I affectionately call "Candyland" & three meals out each day with team members whose main priorities were most definitely NOT balanced meals & a healthy lifestyle.
Passion Fruit Tea & Spinach Feta Wrap! Tip #1--There is ALWAYS a Healthy Option:
The first day we did a Starbucks run I got my normal morning beverage (a skinny vanilla latte @ 120 calories) & Pumpkin Bread (390 calories)--because who can resist pumpkin ANYTHING in the fall?! Not horrible...but not great either. And quite honestly, once I get too far behind on calories, I get this kind of, "Well...this day is a loss. Why not go completely nuts?! Pass the chocolate..."
SO...on day 2, when we did our Starbucks run, I made a different choice. Passion fruit tea with sugar-free vanilla syrup (ZERO calories) & a spinach feta wrap (290 calories). A better start to the day put me in a better mind space to decline chocolate. Well...sometimes. :-)
The first day we did a Starbucks run I got my normal morning beverage (a skinny vanilla latte @ 120 calories) & Pumpkin Bread (390 calories)--because who can resist pumpkin ANYTHING in the fall?! Not horrible...but not great either. And quite honestly, once I get too far behind on calories, I get this kind of, "Well...this day is a loss. Why not go completely nuts?! Pass the chocolate..."
SO...on day 2, when we did our Starbucks run, I made a different choice. Passion fruit tea with sugar-free vanilla syrup (ZERO calories) & a spinach feta wrap (290 calories). A better start to the day put me in a better mind space to decline chocolate. Well...sometimes. :-)
So many flavors so little time! Tip #2--Tea Time for Two (or Three or Four) Cups:
Am I the only one who thinks coffee without half & half is a form of cruel & unusual punishment? Seriously...that creamy goodness & a little sweetener makes coffee one of the best things on earth. Love, love, love, LOVE!
BUT...half & half has calories...quite a few of them, actually. And the way I drink coffee, that adds up to a full meal across the course of the day. And so I figured if I wanted to keep drinking hot beverages to get me through the 8-10 hours of standing on my feet, I should switch to tea. Six cups later, I'd tried every variety without adding a single calorie to my daily total. SCORE!
Am I the only one who thinks coffee without half & half is a form of cruel & unusual punishment? Seriously...that creamy goodness & a little sweetener makes coffee one of the best things on earth. Love, love, love, LOVE!
BUT...half & half has calories...quite a few of them, actually. And the way I drink coffee, that adds up to a full meal across the course of the day. And so I figured if I wanted to keep drinking hot beverages to get me through the 8-10 hours of standing on my feet, I should switch to tea. Six cups later, I'd tried every variety without adding a single calorie to my daily total. SCORE!
Find a healthy eating buddy! Tip #3--Find a Healthy Eating Buddy:
When there's someone else who wants to eat healthy, find that person & make a pact! I found out one of my students has the same love of rice cakes that I do. SO...we agreed to skip the bowls of candy & sugary granola bars to share something we knew we'd enjoy & feel better about...rice cakes with Justin's Nut Butter (we choose honey peanut butter...yummm!!!). Even when I wanted to grab a mini-Snickers, my buddy kept me on track. Brave man to get between me & the chocolate!
When there's someone else who wants to eat healthy, find that person & make a pact! I found out one of my students has the same love of rice cakes that I do. SO...we agreed to skip the bowls of candy & sugary granola bars to share something we knew we'd enjoy & feel better about...rice cakes with Justin's Nut Butter (we choose honey peanut butter...yummm!!!). Even when I wanted to grab a mini-Snickers, my buddy kept me on track. Brave man to get between me & the chocolate!
So there ya have it. A few tips I learned during a VERY challenging week. Did I fall prey to the "Candyland' temptations? Yes. I am only human, after all. But did I also find a way to make better choices as often as I could so that my foray into Candyland wasn't such a big deal? You betcha!! Make the road a place you love...especially if your life requires you be on it frequently. The adventure is a great one if you cut yourself a break when you find yourself smack dab in the middle of the Gumdrop Forest!
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