#87, Prevent Snacking & Grazing Weight Gain on Your Road Trip

I remember my first ever family trip. We went to San Diego when I was very young, around six years old. My younger brother and I were just discussing this, and the pack of gum we were each allowed to pick out. Each of us was allowed to pick out a pack of gum before our trip began. I’m pretty sure mine was juicy fruit gum because I recall the yellow packaging and the fact that I seemed to need a new stick to refresh the flavor not long after unwrapping each piece. My pack of gum didn’t get me to California, but for the few hours it did sustain me, I was highly entertained and gleeful.

I am not the only one who has long trips in a car firmly fixed to snacks and eating. In fact, the idea of getting in our SUV for our trip to Texas without snacks seems laughable. What would we do with all that time? Thankfully, we recently visited family in Dallas and I did find out that snacking while traveling does not have to coincide at all! Mercies upon mercies. 

This spring we traveled to Dallas, a trip that takes our little family over eight hours, and I did not snack in the vehicle at all except to enjoy one candybar on the last day of traveling. I hacked the system! And it wasn’t all that difficult.

The first thing I did was simply consider: Why do we want to snack? The answer is, we are not used to sitting for long periods of time without entertainment. Snacking provides oral pleasure and something to do with our hands. It also can keep us awake if we are the ones driving. So, before we began the trip I listed all the reasons why I would want to snack. Here is my list:

• It will keep me awake.
  
• It will keep me from being bored.
  
• It will provide comfort if the girls are being difficult.
  
• It will keep me from feeling antsy.
  
• It will prevent me from getting overly hungry.
  

Then, I went back and figured out all the OTHER things I could do to solve those same problems. 

• I might need to stay alert and awake if I’m driving. I can do this even better by downloading a racy novel and listening to it with my headphones. I also will remain alert if I’m engaged in conversation with Jovani, my husband, which is good for our relationship as well.
  
• If I’m not driving, I can get bored or antsy. That same conversation with Jovani will help me immensely. We could also listen to a novel as a family. Adela and Jovani both love a good outdoor adventure story so I can look into that. Also, I can come fully equipped with coloring and paper-pencil puzzles that keep my hands and mind busy. 
  
• I do not need to withdraw with food if my girls are struggling. Instead, it is a great opportunity to teach them life skills (that DON’T involve food) while we make it through the trip together. We can play games, sing, and talk. This gives my husband and I a great opportunity to engage with our girls while modeling for them healthy ways to pass the time when you're feeling antsy or bored. 
  
• I actually don’t need to worry at all about getting hungry. On our trip this spring I made sure we had a few healthy snack options just in case, but there are so many opportunities to dine along the road that we never were overly hungry. We also stopped to eat if not a little before I was a -4 on the hunger scale or just barely arrived at the hunger level that suggested it was a good time to eat. In fact, because I didn’t over eat, I noticed that I didn’t feel exhausted or worn out when we arrived at the hotel or home again. My body was energetic and focused. 
  

I want to give you a little homework assignment. If you are going to go on a road trip, I want you to make a list of all the reasons you might want to eat on your trip. Then, write down some options that give you solutions without turning to snacking or grazing. IF you have any physical objects that might help, make a little travel bin with all the supplies you need. What might even be extra fun is to go to the dollar tree with a list of supplies and pick up coloring supplies and crossword puzzles. Download audio books and podcasts you have been interested in trying out. Make a list of road games you can play with your kids and conversation topics you can have with your travel companions. Just think of the incredible bonding time this can be for you and your family. 

My last piece of advice is to dive into this with the plan to continue on your weight loss or weight maintenance journey. Don’t begin this adventure with a less than hopeful attitude, but instead, begin with the belief that you are going to do this. Approach the issue with God in prayer. Make your desire to snack your reminder to connect with others and your Father in Heaven like a built-in notification to your soul that you need something else. 

Now, you might be saying right now, that’s all fine, Lora, but what do I do when we actually get to our destination? How do I handle dinners out and ice cream shops? What do I do when we go to a family gathering or meet up at an artisan bakery. Oh, my dear friend, I’ve got some great tips for you. For sure. So, don’t miss the next episode.

If you could do me a big favor and share this episode with a friend, that would be wonderful. I am on a mission to help more women find Christ-centered weight loss. I want them to find freedom from both their food addictions and the dieting mentality. 

It was lovely having this conversation with you. I’ll be back next week with another great episode. Until then, safe travels.

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