So, it' s no secret that I've somewhat relaxed my death grip on what foods I will and won't allow to pass through the doors of the temple that is my body (please to take note of tongue firmly in cheek). This is both a good and a bad thing; at this point I've probably tilted a little too far in the direction of relaxation. But I still try to make good choices as often as possible, shooting for 85-90% of the time. It's more of a maim grip at this point.
I get in the most trouble when I don't have a plan, a written plan, for what I am going to eat on a particular day. If I have not written out this plan, which works like a little contract for me, it is much easier to slip in more calories, fat, sugar, and carbs than I should have on any given day. Even when I have not written my food plan, most days I sketch a rough mental plan first thing in the morning, or right before I go to bed. It's not as good as writing it, but it's still a plan. When I sit down to eat, I mentally review what I've already had that day and police myself on what I'm putting on my plate right then. I try to eat only until I approach fullness. If I need a snack later, I have one.
Travel is one of those things that makes it more challenging to eat healthfully. Normally I wouldn't even consider eating a bagel. Oh, it's not that I don't like them (especially the everything bagel schmeared with olive cream cheese from Nussbaum and Wu), but they have a lot of calories and carbs and very little to offer in the way of nutritional value. However, they are free in the President's Club lounge, and when you're leaving the house at 4 a.m. for your 6 a.m. flight, it's certainly easier to pop by the lounge at the airport for your free breakfast (and they won't let you bring in outside food). Sure, I could have a banana instead, but it's just not very satisfying. A bagel for breakfast once in a while is not going to kill me, but free-bagel-over-fresh-fruit is still a bad attitude.
So, I try to make up for it with lunch. Take yesterday, for instance. Had my bagel at the lounge, and at my next connection, Houston, I went in search of a nice salad to take on the plane. And there were plenty of salads, salads galore. Nice, fresh salads. Not one of them less than seven bucks, and that's if you didn't want protein. That's just for lettuce in a plastic box, with a little bit of cheese and some shredded carrots sprinkled on top. I ended up paying an exorbitant $9.50 for a chef salad from Panopolis. That was a plastic box of lettuce with half a hard-boiled egg, an ounce of cheese, and a thin slice each of ham and turkey. There was a sign requesting feedback, so I emailed my opinion of this price-gouging and corporate greed. Got two very nice replies, too, from two managers of the food concessions at IAH, apologizing for "failing to meet my expectations" and explaining that they had to keep the prices that high for various reasons (the unspoken one being PROFIT MARGIN --- gotta keep those executives in their Beamers and Benzes). But that's neither here nor there. I just wanted to bitch about that.
The point is, I actually considered just going to Wendy's or McDonald's and getting a hamburger; but ultimately, I knew it would suck, I wouldn't enjoy it, and while it would fill my stomach it'd be poor quality nutrition. I could have eaten a couple of the protein bars I carry with me, but sadly, I am not and never will be one of those people who can see food as nothing more than fuel.
The salad was good and fresh, and it was a good choice. But in the future, I'm going to have to go back to my old Death Grip techniques of bringing food from home to make sure I get something that is healthy, nutritious, satisfying ... and doesn't require selling a kidney.
Speaking of travel, I have finally heard about my homestay for my next gig, and it sounds like it will be really nice --- they have a gym in their home, so it seems unlikely they would object to my daily bouts of P90X. I was worried about having to do a lot of jumping around in somebody's upstairs room or otherwise disturbing my hosts. I'm still a little concerned because I do not have my own transportation, and I'm told the home is 15-20 minutes from the rehearsal site by car; and I just never know what the cooking situation is going to be. Most of the time people don't think to clear space for you to keep your food; often they are very generous and want to feed you themselves, which of course I am leery of because I have to be in control of my food. It's the not-knowing-til-you-get there that bugs me. If I know ahead of time what sort of situation I have, I can make plans to deal with it.
But, this is my life now, and it's just something I have to figure out.
That, and how to put together a magical, gorgeous wardrobe that is perfect for any climate or situation, lives in my suitcase, and thus never has to be packed.
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