Eating Right on the Go

I'm writing this blog from 30,000 feet as I fly home from a 2 day work trip to AZ.  As I'm sitting here- I've run out of reading material and pulled out my bootcamp food journal and spent some time contemplating my food choices over the past week and a half. It got me thinking about how challenging it can be to stay on track when taken out of your "comfort zone" of home. At home you stock your own fridge, have healthy takeout menus memorized and a standard meal schedule. Travel can really throw that off. Which got me thinking about how to eating well on a trip, whether for work or play is always a struggle. There are so many easy excuses to make- but a few days in a row of poor eating can really put a dent in a healthy eating habit.
This trip I managed to do decently- I stayed in my calories and had salads both days for lunch but I'll be honest and confess that dinner last night in my hotel room was a mini bottle of chardonnay (120 cal) and snack sized bags of pretzels (110 cal) and beef jerky (80 cal). 300 total. Completely balanced right?? :)
I realized there were 3 factors that got me through the trip semi-decently without doing major damage to my healthy eating, so I thought I'd share: 
Preparation. I packed snacks. I brought in my purse for easy access a Lara bar, a Kind bar (new fav- 190 cals, coconut/almond goodness and all whole ingredients) and a packet of instant oatmeal. I ate all of them over the course of the trip and each saved me from what could have been a bad food choice in a pinch.
Friends. I love this. The first night I was at a happy hour at a sushi restaurant and discreetly texted Julia under the table "How many calories in a Kirin Light?" Within seconds I had my answer (fyi 95 in 12 oz- not bad!) And was good to go.
And this morning- running late to a meeting stopped at the only food spot in the area- Dunkin Donuts. Being a West Coast native these are few and far between so I text my East Coast bestie Brooke "help what do I get?" And soon was on my way with a 310 cal egg white mcmuffin.
And of course the Smart Phone. Love websites like Calorie King, the Daily Plate, and most chain restaurants that list their calories online. A quick google search can help me determine calorie counts on just about anything- including the 70 calories in a bag of Southwest peanuts I'm eating as I write this.
So- as Verizon might ask, "What's in your network?" Have people, plans and tools that support you and you will succeed. A quote from my bootcamp journal reads: "Today's preparation determines tomorrow's achievement". I couldn't agree more.
XO
Chel
PS.Quick update- I lost 1.6 lbs at my weigh-in this week. Not as dramatic as I would have liked to seen for my first week back in bootcamp & calorie counting but right on track with my goal of 1.5 lbs per week.
PPS- Travel snacks!
KIND Fruit & Nut Bar, Fruit & Nut Delight, 1.4-Ounce Bars (Pack of 8) 
Larabar Original Fruit and Nut Bars 18 Bar Variety Pack