This may be a great reason to climb a mountain, but it is a poor reason to eat something. I was recently at a horse fair and one of my “roommates” (6 of us in a 3 horse slant load trailer), found herself eating CRAP because it was there. I must admit, I was also not eating as well as I would have liked.
I was working the consignment tack sale during the day- about 12-14 hours on concrete. I was allowed to take as many breaks as I wanted, but I didn’t. We were also fed lunch and had snacks available to us. However, I did not partake in most of it, as I felt it was just not good enough to do so. I had made sloshes and salads before I left for the fair, and I did well at eating this when I was back at the trailer. But I was not at the trailer till the sale closed at night, so during the day I drank a lot of water, and ate a few things just to keep me going.
Obviously, this is not how I should have been eating. I should have had something along with me that I could have taken to the sale and stashed in my work area. I’ll do better next year. Even if I were to just make a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for during the day, I would be better off than eating what was available at the sale, which was only slightly better than fair fare.
I try to be a bit more flexible about what I eat when I am out and about, but “because it’s there” is not a reason I want to use to eat something. Neither is “because I’m starving.” I want to plan ahead, and do what I can short of becoming a major pain to the other 5 people sharing my 3-horse slant-load accommodations. I only have so much room either under my cot or in the community cooler. I have to decide where my priority is.
My slosh is a given. It takes up minimal space considering how nutrient dense it is. A salad is questionable as it takes up a great deal of space. Something else I think about is how long will I have to eat this way? This fair was 4 and 1/2 days. I ate well for the days leading up to it and then for the couple days after it. I had my slosh each morning, and salad at night, so it was just the middle of the day that had questionable nutritional benefit. I didn’t dig into the chips and sodas and other assorted non-foods that were at the trailer and also the tack sale. I am not drawn to those items anyway anymore (for the most part), but even those that did call to me, I was able to tell myself I was not in a good position to partake.
At holiday parties, when it is one night of junk, I don’t worry about it. I eat well otherwise. My body has the ability (the tools) to deal with a night of poison. It simply pushes it right on through. But a few days of this and even MY body would be taxed. So, I think about that when on the road and elsewhere.
This is true for my exercise, as well. For the first two days at the horse fair, I went for a walk of a couple miles around the place. The next two days it was rainy, cold and icky. Luckily, I had been keeping up with exercise before I left for the fair and planned to pick it up upon my return. Also, I was working hard physically at the sale.
So, all this to suggest you set yourself up for success. If you are going to be away from home, what can you do to prepare? What can you take? How can you prepare yourself with nutrient dense food and optimal exercise to balance out the lack of when you get there, and then plan to get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible.
Whether driving past a Chic-Fillet or eyeing a bag of chips, “Because it’s there,” is not a good reason to dive in.