Traveling and Weight-Loss Management: Welcome to my Angst: The 1500-mile Icelandic Road Trip

Today’s post involves a problem that I am very fortunate to have. I am lucky that I have the opportunities to travel. But the reality is that sometimes, traveling and weight-loss management are two diabolically opposed forces. For me, the basics are as follows:

• I lost about 70 pounds twelve years ago and then another 25-30 four years ago. I maintained this (?too low) weight for about a year and then gained about 5-10 back and have maintained this for a few years . For the mathematically challenged, that’s about 90 pounds of weight lost.

• I love to travel and visit new places in the world.

• I have terrible anxiety about gaining 90 pounds. Or even 10. Or 5.

Today's post will be photo-illustrated by our recent trip to Iceland ...

The face of terror...


...I wasn't terrified of driving in torrential rain

...nor the driving in torrential rain on the gravel road that went on for about 70 km...
(I credit my driving skills to years of car-racing video games)

...I was scared of the cumulative effects of a few of these...


...and these...

...and what this "six-pack" of chocolates would do to my dreams of ever having a "six pack" again. Sigh.

Of course I don’t ever believe that I will gain huge amounts of weight in a week or two, but there is a constant nagging fear that this particular trip will be “the beginning of the end” of my successful weight loss management.

I come from a long line of people who love to eat, drink and be merry. It’s part of my genetic makeup. Wanderlust also permeates my DNA and I married someone who eats, lives and breathes travel. Our mutual love of travel is one of the reasons we got together, and one of our favorite things to do as a couple. Yes, I'm a grown woman and still carry a huge backpack when we travel.

I do feel sorry for my husband, Derek because he is the only person who has to hear my neurotic ramblings about how much I’m destroying my diet on each and every day of a trip. Calmly he tries to remind me that “this happens every trip” and “you’ll get back on track when we get home.” After all of our travels together over the many years, it would seem logical that I would recognize the truth in his words. But when it comes to this topic, logic has nothing to do with it.

When I travel, I try to follow some basic guidelines just to keep things in check AND to be able to enjoy all of the culinary pleasures that our destinations have to offer us. Whether it’s a local specialty dish or the country’s revered carb, I want to partake in it. In fact, one of our favorite past-times when visiting foreign lands is slowly perusing the supermarket aisles. And don’t get me started on the chocolate or the ice cream.

Here I am casing the joint. I love me a good foreign Supermarket.

Soft serve. It doesn't get much better.

Here are the tricks that I have used in order to keep things in check while on vacation:

• Pack healthy & filling meals and snacks for the plane because you have no idea what will be served, if anything at all. These days airlines are charging for everything. You’ll be lucky if they toss you some peanuts with your free bevvie. Beyond that, it’s all you, baby. Sometimes, they have healthy options that you can buy. Sometimes they run out of those healthy options. Just before they get to your row. I usually clean the perishables out the fridge and bring most of them with me. This has saved me on more occasions than I can recall.
  

• Exercise most days, as my energy will allow: If I can find a gym, this is often the best option. If not, I will create a plyometric/sprinting/circuit routine on a country road, city park or hiking trail. I bring resistance bands and my mini ipod shuffle. If I’m really short on time but want to stand in a puddle of my own sweat and be unable to sit down for a few days, I do my Hotel Room Lunge and Squat Workout. Exercise allows me to start the day off right. Plus I love a good dose of endorphins, don’t you?

Only once did I locate a "Gim" in Iceland- that was how our hotelier pronounced it. We liked the sound of it and it has stuck. I now go tell Derek that I am off to the Gim.

If there is no Gim in sight, you need to make do. Plyometrics, anyone?

The Boy gets some serious plyo-air.

Butt-kickers (I don't recommend doing these in flip flops by the way...I was just to lazy to put on my sneaks.)

Sumo Squats- perfect timing- a tour bus passed by at that moment.
P.S. Thank goodness for stretchy jeans.


Leg Lifts, or just goofing off?

• If possible, eat only one meal per day in a restaurant. The other two meals could be simple picnics or self-catered, often with food bought at a supermarket. The ‘meal out’ sometimes includes alcohol, and almost always involves a dessert or two. And bread. And the local specialty of the house or region. I try to eat things that I can’t readily find at home.

Local Icelandic Beer was consumed.

Smoked salmon on nutella reduction: Don't knock it 'til you try it.



Local Specialty: Lobster Soup

More salmon. On top of amazing things, with amazing sauces. Sorry, I'm a bit rusty on my food blogging skills.

I picked a good week to avoid dabbling in vegetarianism.

.

Due to the sometimes-foul weather, many of our picnics were inside our VW Polo with spectacular views of glaciers, harbors or waterfalls. Or mini-mart parking lots.

Check the klassy decor at this road-side cafe: Ice cream cones holding fake flowers, stuffed into coffee pots 'vases'...ironically, this cafe had the best lamb soup we found in 9 days in Iceland.

• If possible, bring my mini-blender to allow me to make my shakes for breakfast. (THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE IN ICELAND). For those die-hard readers who have been on this journey with me for a while (THANK YOU!), you will be correct in noticing that I recently did a 180 on the blender issue…Back in October I was very proud of myself for leaving my blender behind. After much deliberation, I decided to ‘cry uncle’ and let the blender back in the suitcase. The reason? The ONLY breakfast ‘food’ that fills me up and keeps my hunger in check throughout the day is a big fluffy smoothie. It even seems to carry my satiety after lunch. I can’t explain it. It’s just a fact with my crazy body.

Even healthy, balanced breakfasts from Icelandic Breakfast Buffets do not work for me...I am rendered starving all day long.

When battling unstoppable hunger, even the scenery reminds me of food: "OMG! Look at those huge marshmallows!"

• Pack several pounds of healthy snacks of which I usually consume about half. I pack energy bars, nut butter envelopes, single serving packs of nuts, oats, beef jerky, Primal Strips Seitan Jerky (Thai Peanut!) and 100-calories packages of candies that I love... just in case of a chocolate craving. I also found some single serving tetrapacks of hummus at JFK that I will need to hunt down for my next trip. (These are genius single servings that are SHELF STABLE!) Once at my destination I hit the grocery store and buy fruit and veggies, as well as yogurt if a fridge or cooler is available. Icelandic Skyrr was good, but in my opinion, Greek Yogurt is King.
  

Single-serving shelf-stable hummus!
(poor quality photo due to turbulence at 30,000 feet and an iphone camera)

So despite these safeguards, I still suffer diet-anxiety on trips. While I’m adoring the dark rye seedy bread that was baked in the steam of the local hot spring or the amazing lamb soup, I am also beating myself up for knowingly and willingly “going over” my calorie limit for the day.

Speaking of lamb soup AND dark rye bread...

My question to myself is this: why oh why can't I do what “normal” people do? Normal people go on vacation. They eat and drink more than usual, know that they will gain some weight and shrug their shoulders saying “oh well, I’ll just take the weight off when I get home.” I believe that it is my fear is that one day, I won’t be able to take off the weight that I inevitably gain on vacation, and it will be the beginning of the end. What if? What if?

Gratuitous adorable foal photo.

Invariably, we have a marvelous time and I DO gain a few pounds. The last time I had a big trip, I did not get right back on track as I mentioned in this post. And frankly, it did mess me up for months.

After we left Iceland, we met my brother and SIL in London. I also got the rare treat to meet up with this fabulous blogger from Salad And Sequins! She did a great recap of our visit here.

Is Tamzin adorable?

She came bearing many gifts including the darling badge I'm wearing...love love love it! Also love the presence of the London Cab in the background.

Thoughtful smoothie-friendly care-package from Tam.

Then Derek, my brother, Steven, SIL Arizbe & I boarded a cruise that was such a caloric disaster that it made any concerns I had in Iceland look utterly laughable. As I don't like to whine on my blog (that's what Derek's ears are for), I will spare you the gory details. Perhaps I'll do a photo recap at some point, as we had an absolute blast, and paid much homage to my Dad, who was very much with us in spirit.

Last week when I returned home, I was actually thrilled to get right back into the food-in-moderation camp and so far, I do feel 100% better for it.


I also did go to Ross and stocked up on new, cute sun-dresses and mu’u mu’us (aka Maxi-dresses) so that until I’m back to feeling really comfortable in my own skin, at least I can feel comfortable in my own clothes.

Oh look! Blue skies ahead!

**Special Note to Bloggers using Windows Live Writer...SOS! Help a girl out! I can no longer load my newest photos from Picasa to Windows Live Writer, but I'd love to do a Wordless Wednesday Post on Iceland. Frankly I don't think I have enough time or energy to attempt it in Blogger. Sigh. Thoughts?**

Q: Do you have any tips for traveling? Do you experience travel angst? How to you deal with the ever-present conflict of wanting to enjoy your vacay and not-gaining-weight? Will anyone else cry big wet tears with me when Maxi-Dresses go out of style? Do you have trouble with WLW and Picasa photos?