Lessons From The Van

HEALTHY LIVING ON THE ROAD

Twice a year I take a week long cross country solo excursion from Colorado to Florida or vice versa. I like to keep my travel van in warmer climates. I generally take my time, only driving during the daylight hours and setting apart time before, during and after driving, to get in some movement and tend to the vigors of van life.

I must say that in the past, van or no van, I used traveling as an excuse to veer away from my developing healthy living lifestyle. But having recently ventured into the RV world a light went on….much to the dismay of my rationalizing brain. I don’t have to compromise on the road. I can do what I do at home. Plan my meals, batch cook, have everything already cooked or ready to cook, and have only those things on board that are part of the plan. The van has everything I need to store, cook and serve healthy meals. I can carry all the water I need, drinking and otherwise (I have a toilet on board). All it takes is a little preplanning and a HUGE MINDSET CHANGE.

But before I go into my eating plan, let me first set the stage for why keeping on the plan is important, if not vital. Traveling alone has its set of challenges. Endless decision making is the worst for me. And it’s all up to me! My mind is constantly toggling between endless thoughts: where to get gas, how are the tanks doing, and the batteries, who has diesel, how is my DEF, what’s my “miles to range”, what’s the weather like along the route, what time does the sun set, where can I stop safely to rest and eat… the list goes on. I alone am the driver, navigator, fuel monitor, weather man, battery checker, rest stop evaluator and safety monitor. Gone are the days of going to drive throughs and eating carb heavy, preservative laden foods that zap the energy out of me an hour later. Plus I have to worry about height clearance (one more decision). I also have to drive at least 5 hours a day. If I don’t fuel and hydrate properly, I would be like a marathoner that tanked in the first 5 miles. It would take me a month to get where I am going. Crazy, but that's what it takes, at least for “narcoleptic in the car” me:). Deciding what to eat would definitely put my already fried mind over the edge. Decision fatigue IS a thing. Not to mention that I am out of my element and comfort zone, so stress is a factor too. As a result I had to lay down some parameters.

I follow the Fasterway to Fat Loss meal plans most of the time. These meals involve 2 low carb days and the rest regular macro days. Here is my plan for the week.