Did you ever have a moment when you're walking through the airport, or through a hotel lobby and then the aroma of chicken wings, or pizza comes over you? Your mouth starts to water, and then all of a sudden you're hungry and craving food. Not just any food, but those of which you've just inhaled? You just cant get the thought of devouring those chicken wings, or pizza out of your head. It happens ALL the time to me. And the bad thing is sometimes that's all there is around to eat. It's not possible to get a salad, or cereal. Depending on where you are, the time of day, or how much time you have, your healthy choices are very limited. And because of that, you could easily fall prey to your cravings. My cravings are pizza, chicken wings,and barbeque ribs. My fondness for chicken wings makes my late night hotel arrivals very,very difficult. It actually makes MOST of my hotel stays difficult. Especially if they have awesome wings( like they do at our hotel in San Juan). Most hotels offer chicken wings , and some type of personal pizza on their late night menu. .As for the pizza it's a bit easier for me to resist because I only consider getting pizza when I'm in Philadelphia, or New York ( and maybe New Jersey !). My excuse is because I live in California.and it's hard to find a place that makes great pizza. So when I'm back in Philadelphia at my crashpad , I will have a slice, or two sometimes( strong emphasis on "sometimes"). There are several pizza places that deliver, AND I just found one within walking distance! And when I'm in New York City I cannot resist getting a slice of pizza from Ray's pizza...there is a Ray's pizza on just about every corner in Manhattan! And the trick is to find the "Original Ray's". They all taste good! Now I dont do it often, but when I do..I enjoy every bite!
And to be honest, it's ok....you cannot deny yourself of your cravings. I'm not saying that it's ok to eat them every day , but if you can control it , it's ok to have that slice of pizza, or that order of chicken wings. Or if you're at a cook-out and all there is are hotdogs and hamburgers, and you like hotdogs and hamburgers, it's ok to partake. The trade-off is that the next day you have to eat really clean, AND add an extra 10-20 minutes to your cardio activity. , That could be taking the stairs all day, running 10 extra minutes, walking 20min more, ect. Now for those of you who dont have the willpower to do that and cannot stop at eating one slice (or two), I'd just refrain from entertaining your cravings altogether and follow my suggestions below. It's ok to eat what you like sometimes. You're not doing it everyday, so every once in a while is ok. If you deny yourself , you'll binge on what you're craving when you do lose your willpower. Then you'll feel guilty about it and fall off the diet and excercise routine that you worked so hard to maintain. .
Now for those times when you have to be good, there are ways to handle those cravings and satiate your tummy. What I always carry is packet of tuna, tortilla wraps, an avocado and oatmeal , along with protein powder , a pint of shelf chocolate organic low fat milk, and a piece of fruit like an apple or bananna. I also carry some sort of protien bar, turkey jerky, and almonds. I have all these items in my cooler. These items dont require any refrigeration , so you can leave them in your cooler and forget about them ( except for the avocado and fruit)With these items you have breakfast, lunch, and dinner..plus a snack or two. The tuna ( which I like the flavored ones like Lemon pepper or Sweet and Spicey) can be combined with a couple packets of mayo, half of the avocado, and wrapped inside the tortilla to create a Tuna wrap, which can be eaten for lunch or dinner. The protein powder and aseptic chocolate milk makes an awesome protein shake which can be had for breakfast, along with the piece of fruit. And if you have more time, you can put some salad greens in a plastic container, and some in a baggy ( for later).You can add the lettuce to your wrap, or put the tuna on top of your lettuce and have an awesome salad. And if you're not a big fan of tuna, you can get chicken in a can or pouch and do the same thing. Also, the grilled chicken strips that come in a resealable pouch are "da Bomb", wrapped up with lettuce and a bit of dressing. But just remember that the chicken strips must be refrigerated.Starkist also makes tuna and salmon fillets in a pouch than you can throw on top of your lettuce, heat up, or throw into your tortilla and they dont have to be refrigerated either.
Also dont forget to drink your water. And if you're tired of plain water, I recommend MIO liquid to flavor your water. It comes in many flavors and you can squirt a little into a glass of water, or bottle of water for just a hint of flavor, or more for a refreshing beverage.
kraftbrands.com/mio/ But drink your water, or some tea..it will help to get over that craving.
Take car, stay fit, and happy travels!
