Although I did spend a lot of time walking and exploring, I still drove somewhere around 19k miles in 90 days. That much time spent in the car could of been seriously damaging to my girlish figure, but I managed to set rules for myself and actually kept to them which resulted in the loss of inches and gaining of muscle.
Rule #1 - No Pop or Soda (whichever you prefer) It was water water water for me! I started out with a case of bottled water and when I got through that I bought another case and so on and so on. Since water is so heavy but not hard to find, I decided it would be one of the very few items I wouldn't stock up for the entire road trip and would instead purchase as I needed it. For emergency purposes alone, you should always carry bottled water in your car.
Rule #2 - No Fries or Chips! When you're on a road trip, avoiding fast food restaurants is almost impossible, especially when you're not sure just how far the next real town is in the middle of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, etc. You get the point. SO! If I was going to stop at a fast food restaurant, I could order what I wanted, just as long as I didn't order or eat the fries or order chips.
Rule #3 - Veggies and Fruits - Along with the water supply, I also restocked on vegetables like prepackaged carrot sticks as I needed. Avoiding snacking because you're bored is nearly impossible. Whenever I felt myself getting bored and wanting something to eat to pass the time, I either went for my carrot sticks or the massive amount of apple sauce I bought before I left! Costco is great!
Rule #4 - Breakfast is key! Ever noticed that what you eat for breakfast sets the tone for the rest of your meals and snacks during the day? I never allowed myself to eat breakfast at a fast food place and I never ate at any of the buffets my hotels offered for breakfast, unless I snuck in and grabbed a piece of fruit. I had a couple of choices for breakfast. Carrots, Apple Sauce, Low-Cal Breakfast bars, or Low-Cal Popcorn.
I know what you're thinking, popcorn? Yes, popcorn. Every hotel has at least one microwave for use. Popcorn is an excellent source of fiber, when you choose the correct type. Not a lot of my mornings, but a few of them I spent on the road with my popped popcorn! The popcorn was great for late night snacks too.
Rule #5 - Surf and Turf! I ate a LOT of steak and seafood on that road trip! I love both! Steak is better for you than hamburger, and as long as I stayed away from the deep fried seafood and ordered the grilled seafood, I was golden! Of course, no fries or chips also meant, no baked potatoes, au gratin, twice baked, mashed, etc. Always ordered steamed veggies and if I didn't feel completely satisfied at the end of my meal, I would order an extra helping of veggies!
Rule #6 - Energy! Since I do not drink soda or coffee but I also knew I would need a lot of energy, I took a lot of vitamin supplements. They helped keep my energy up, awake on the road, and also kept my immune system from crashing more than twice.
Rule # 7 - Walk Walk Walk Walk Walk - All of my hotels had parking, if I managed to put myself in the middle of a big city, I walked everywhere! If I didn't need to drive I would walk. I never bothered with trying to get a parking spot up close, I parked in the back, or I parked in the farthest parking spots from my destination (within reason). It was great!
