Sometimes traveling while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle is challenging...but you can do it!
I went to a local Pittsburgh chain tonight for dinner, right next to my hotel because I hadn't tried it before and I figured there was probably at least ONE decent option for me there. I can pretty much make any restaurant work for my lifestyle.
Yeah....this restaurant is now on my "avoid like the plague" list that includes ALL fast food restaurants (I don't count Subway as fast food), any buffet restaurants, and pizza joints. The one thing I could make work- a chicken salad. First, I had to pay extra to have grilled chicken breast instead of fried and then I had to say remove the french fries (yes french fries- who puts french fries on a SALAD?!?!), cheese, and eggs (these aren't bad, I just don't like hard boiled eggs). Apparently because they couldn't believe that I could just want a small amount of ranch as I asked for, they brought me a BOWL overflowing. Really?!?! I actually started laughing when she put it in front of me. Could there possibly be a person that would use all this ranch? The sad answer- there probably is, which is why she brought it out like that. Gross.
In the present state of our country, with continued attention given to the obesity crisis, I'm surprised and disappointed to see that such a place still exists in such a blatant form. Almost all restaurants- even McDonald's (shudder) has a "healthy options" menu. I tried to modify a different meal- but they didn't serve non-breaded fish and all their vegetables are cooked in butter and they wouldn't cook it without. Really?! I should have walked out at that point, but I was determined to prove the point I have made to several friends and family members that you can create a healthy option at any restaurant, even if you have to modify it a bit.
Well, thank goodness this isn't a common problem I have! While on the road especially, I avoid my trigger restaurants and foods. Between Panera Bread (O how I love you, Panera), Subway, Applebee's (holy weight watchers menu, batman!), Ruby Tuesday's, and some others- I have plenty of yummy options to chose from. What helps me is planning and knowing exactly what is a true healthy option for me and then sticking to it. Also, I refuse to stay at a hotel that doesn't have a gym, even if it's just for one night. Luckily, my company is able to accommodate this request- which is awesome! A nice bonus- the RVP (boss of the Northeast region) is a big gym rat along with me, so we always workout next to each other during regional meetings. Basically the entire high teer of management in my company consist of big fitness nuts which is a great continual motivation when the CEO of your company is working out in the gym with you at national meetings. I love my job!
Bottom line is, if you want it bad enough, you can keep losing weight while traveling. My coworkers especially seem to be in disbelief of my continual weight loss. My job has me on the road driving at least 1.5 hours each day, 4 days a week. It means a lot from them because they truly understand the demands of the job- which are often exhausting and stress filled. Often times I am gone from my house 3-5 days in a row at least 1 week a month, often 2 weeks a month. Sounds like fun, huh? You try it and tell me what you think ;)
Showing posts with label obesity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obesity. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Why is it so hard to believe?
I've had this happen before but for some reason it really got under my skin tonight...
I like to workout in the morning, before work, to start off my day on the right foot. Obviously, that doesn't always happen. This morning was one of those mornings, due to an early morning work webinar. So after a super long work day, I made it into the gym at about 7pm tonight. 2 years ago, this would have been where my excuses reared their ugly head and kept me from going in at all. But luckily, it is not 2 years ago ;)
The end result of coming in that late- I didn't see the same set of "usuals" that I do in the morning, but I go enough at random times to always recognize somebody at the YWCA at any given time, which is one of the reasons why I love the Y. Well, the whole point of this rambling tonight was a conversation I had with the Y receptionist when I was buying some personal training sessions. I always thought she was a nice lady and she even took my water aerobics class last year a couple times. Upon giving her my YWCA ID to pay for my PT sessions, she started going on and on about how she hasn't seen me around in months and I look so different since the last time I was in the Y. I very politely told her that I typically work out in the mornings and just because she hasn't seen me, doesn't mean I haven't been here. She gave me a look like I had lost my mind and said "Well, I thought you had quit, but it looks like you had weight loss surgery. After all, you couldn't have lost so much weight only on your own."
::insert fuming thoughts::
ummm....WHAT?
After mentally screaming, I smiled instead and told her that I didn't have weight loss surgery, and I have been eating healthy and exercising. She continued her disbelief by looking at me like I was crazy, scoffed at me, and mumbled something about "some fad diet." Luckily for me (and her), a friend from Saturday morning spin class walked up and started raiding the free cliff bar basket which got us talking about our love of cliff bars. All throughout talking, my heart was pounding and I wanted to cry.
This mentality that she illustrated is very frustrating. I know that when people say this, it's not meant as an insult- but to my brain that's easier said than done. I know that it typically shows how insecure they are with themselves because they don't think it could be possible to lose substantial weight because they have never been able to do it. Some people with this mentality are obese themselves and in denial about their ability to change their own lives.
A part of me feels sincerely sorry for these people- because I used to be there and I KNOW how it feels to be out of control of your own life. To have an addiction so bad that you eat to the point of feeling sick because you hate yourself. And then you eat again the next day in the same way because you are so depressed from all the weight you have gained and just don't care how it will affect your life, only that you want to keep binging. Obesity is a vicious cycle that is hard to break. All addictions are hard to beat, but with an alcohol or drug addiction you can simply quit that vice and never touch it again. Try quitting food and see how that works for you. ;)
All that being said, I am trying to get over this frustration, but it's hard. People that feel the need to question me and are then surprised that I was able to actually change my life without a drastic surgery hurts. And to add insult to injury- not believe me when I explain what I have done?! Why would I lie about it? Do you think this has been easy for me? HELL NO! Sometimes it feels like I am swimming up a raging, grade-5 river rapid. But, all the hard work has been worth it!
What have I done so differently? I have taken all of my previous excuses and thrown them out the window and instead grasped onto why I want to lose weight ---> because I want to be healthy and live a long and happy life. I was sick of being sick and tired all the time! Finally I have complete control of my life and my happiness and I am not letting go!!
I like to workout in the morning, before work, to start off my day on the right foot. Obviously, that doesn't always happen. This morning was one of those mornings, due to an early morning work webinar. So after a super long work day, I made it into the gym at about 7pm tonight. 2 years ago, this would have been where my excuses reared their ugly head and kept me from going in at all. But luckily, it is not 2 years ago ;)
The end result of coming in that late- I didn't see the same set of "usuals" that I do in the morning, but I go enough at random times to always recognize somebody at the YWCA at any given time, which is one of the reasons why I love the Y. Well, the whole point of this rambling tonight was a conversation I had with the Y receptionist when I was buying some personal training sessions. I always thought she was a nice lady and she even took my water aerobics class last year a couple times. Upon giving her my YWCA ID to pay for my PT sessions, she started going on and on about how she hasn't seen me around in months and I look so different since the last time I was in the Y. I very politely told her that I typically work out in the mornings and just because she hasn't seen me, doesn't mean I haven't been here. She gave me a look like I had lost my mind and said "Well, I thought you had quit, but it looks like you had weight loss surgery. After all, you couldn't have lost so much weight only on your own."
::insert fuming thoughts::
ummm....WHAT?
After mentally screaming, I smiled instead and told her that I didn't have weight loss surgery, and I have been eating healthy and exercising. She continued her disbelief by looking at me like I was crazy, scoffed at me, and mumbled something about "some fad diet." Luckily for me (and her), a friend from Saturday morning spin class walked up and started raiding the free cliff bar basket which got us talking about our love of cliff bars. All throughout talking, my heart was pounding and I wanted to cry.
This mentality that she illustrated is very frustrating. I know that when people say this, it's not meant as an insult- but to my brain that's easier said than done. I know that it typically shows how insecure they are with themselves because they don't think it could be possible to lose substantial weight because they have never been able to do it. Some people with this mentality are obese themselves and in denial about their ability to change their own lives.
A part of me feels sincerely sorry for these people- because I used to be there and I KNOW how it feels to be out of control of your own life. To have an addiction so bad that you eat to the point of feeling sick because you hate yourself. And then you eat again the next day in the same way because you are so depressed from all the weight you have gained and just don't care how it will affect your life, only that you want to keep binging. Obesity is a vicious cycle that is hard to break. All addictions are hard to beat, but with an alcohol or drug addiction you can simply quit that vice and never touch it again. Try quitting food and see how that works for you. ;)
All that being said, I am trying to get over this frustration, but it's hard. People that feel the need to question me and are then surprised that I was able to actually change my life without a drastic surgery hurts. And to add insult to injury- not believe me when I explain what I have done?! Why would I lie about it? Do you think this has been easy for me? HELL NO! Sometimes it feels like I am swimming up a raging, grade-5 river rapid. But, all the hard work has been worth it!
What have I done so differently? I have taken all of my previous excuses and thrown them out the window and instead grasped onto why I want to lose weight ---> because I want to be healthy and live a long and happy life. I was sick of being sick and tired all the time! Finally I have complete control of my life and my happiness and I am not letting go!!
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