Ugh, I feel like crap.

I’ve been traveling all day. Only airplane food was available. Carb heavy and tasteless as usual. Did you know the airlines are charging for everything now, even water!

Anyway, I got to the hotel just now and everything’s closed except for the bar.
Only typical bar food is available: chicken wings, nachos, fried chicken tenders, cheeseburgers, etc.

What a choice. Don’t eat and let my metabolism slow down (which is the exact opposite of what I recommend doing in my weight loss book). Or eat a bunch of fried food that will leave me feeling heavy and lethargic.

I ordered the cheeseburger.

Now what you have to understand is that I was a vegetarian from the time I was 8 years old until I was 30. I read Upton Sinclair’s book “The Jungle” which is abut the meat packing industry when I was 8 and then stopped eating red meat for the next 22 years.

When I turned 30 I did a lot of self reflection and realized that not eating meat had turned into a hangup. A food issue. And that a nice steak now and then wasn’t going to kill me.

I had given power to the food and not to myself. So I took it back and had a T-bone.
It was sooooooooo good

I didn’t eat a nice, juicy steak tonight though. I just had a heavy, greasy hamburger The kind you have to soak the oil out of with your napkin before you eat it. Squeeze it and the thing oozed out liquid heart attack juice all over the plate.

So hungry though… and nothing else to eat.

That’s the problem all over America isn’t it?

Whether you’re driving down the highway in search of a bite to eat or stranded in an airport or shopping in the mall, we are presented with an array of blindly bad food choices. Sugary, salty, carbo loaded, high calorie, low nutrition foods.

When I was in Europe they had vegetables and fresh foods all over the place. Why don’t we?

The solution is always within.

I always seek to change myself rather than rail against the shortcomings of the world around me. It’s the only way to be happy. You are the only person you can change after all. Just as I am the only person I can change.

You may learn from my experience, but ultimately it is you who will have to decide to put into practice or discard whatever it is you have gained from having come into contact with me (or anyone else within your sphere of influence).

So here is what I am going to do….

I vow to start packing food with me when I travel.

Simple right. I will bring along some carrots and nuts and whatever else I can stuff into my carry-on bag and then next time I’m presented with bad bar food or going to bed hungry I will not have to chose either.

That’s what my weight loss book is all about after all, empowering yourself to make healthy food choices no matter what environment you are in. Real, permanent weight loss is difficult to achieve if you’re always reacting to your environment. Real weight loss is achieved when you adopt a mindset that gives rise to proactive habits and behaviors.

NOTE: Comments are now closed. Here’s was was posted…

Minneapolis Magician

Wow, I’ve experienced this Joshua. Isn’t this a shame that when you travel, your choices are so limited! Great post!

Maxine

Try not to worry about it. It’s not like you have a greasy cheeseburger every day. So you lasped once, try to fo better now.

Alheli

I ALWAYS CARRY A FEW LUNA BAR’S IN MY PURSE OR PRIA BARS AND I ORDER HOT TEA AND I MAKE THAT MY MEAL UNTIL I CAN HAVE A HEALTHY NUTRITIONAL MEAL BECAUSE I KNOW HOW BAD YOU FEEL AFTER A JUNK FOOD HANGOVER
ALHELI

Dr. H. Lechter

My dearest Joshua,
Perhaps you should try a little lamb for your late night food problem. Me, I like to bring some “finger” foods and kidney pie. Yummy, Yummy.
Say hi to Clarice for me.
Lovingly,
Hannibal

Grace

I know Diane ^ suggested that food that is packed can be harmed by x-rays, but if it’s taken out of the bag and handed over, you can request that they not put it through any machines (although I’m not sure that x-raying it really does much harm…at least, not anymore harm than what is done to your physical person when walking through the little doorways). People do it all the time with infant foods (although, they may ask you to taste it in order to prove to them that it is safe).

That’s too bad that you ended up with such nasty choices in food. Sometimes, you just gotta make the best of what’s available. Would it really have been much worse to just not eat anything?

It’s funny how this issue bothers so many people that I know, yet…apparently not enough people for there to really be a difference. I know some food chains are trying, but they are still few and far between.

You are exactly right, though, when you say that it is ultimately up to an individual to take care of themselves in any circumstance.

Oh, and I hope you get over your “junk food hangover”. Haha!

Diane

But if you carry food in your bag, it will run through the x-ray machine. I don’t want to eat or drink anything that has been x-rayed. What we need is an inexpensive fast healthy food restaurant chain. We can find healthy food from place to place, but it is always so much more expensive.

Heide Jandura

You’re the best.
Thanks and have a great day.
 All the best with your health.

Warmly,
Heide..;)

Dawn Beebee-Doss

Point well taken Joshua. I am constantly disappointed with the food choices available in the US. Every airport, train station and sidewalk cafe in Europe offers fresh, healthy food choices. Why is that so difficult to do here? I understand that demand drives the production, but I really think that if the healthier alternatives were available, most people would take advantage of them. Another thing we do in the US is IF there is a healthy alternative, we double the price for the privilege. Good article.

JOANNE

DEAR JOSHUA,
SINCE HAVING HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING YOU IN JUNE, I MUST SAY THAT NOT ONLY HAVE YOU HELPED ME TO CHANGE MY LIFE, BUT THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND ME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU…
SINCERELY,
JOANNE

P.S. EVERYONE MAKES A CHOICE NOW AND THEN THAT’S NOT ALWAYS BEST ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT BEST AT THE TIME.

Elly

Joshua,
I don’t know of any airlines that I have been to that allows you to take on food, unless you buy it in the airport. I use to pack goodies with me cause I knew how long it would take to be served and now everything is thrown out before you get to the x-ray machine. Eat before you go and order a speciality menu ahead of time from the airlines if possible. No one flies for the outstanding menu that is served anyhow, but we must all eat. When I don’t travel alone, I usually give the foods that I don’t want to my partner and we share the rest.

Thanks, Elly , New Jersey

Joshua

Wow. That’s a lot of feedback within a few hours of this article going online. Thanks for your input everybody.

DAWN: You make a great point. IF there is any fresh produce or healthy food available we are charged double for it. I figure I’d rather investment in my good health now rather than deal with low energy or a compromised immune system later though.

DIANE: I don’t know the effect of x-rays on food, but I would imagine that all the food in the airport kiosks and resturants has also been x-rayed. If it’s not, then that’s another gaping hole in our airport security!
GRACE: Good tip! I’ll do that on my return trip and let everyone know if it worked in next week’s email.

DR. LECHTER: You are always quite the gentleman aren’t you

ALHELI: I’m going to research and write an assessment of those energy bars for a future post. I know a lot of them are high in sugar but haven’t compared the various brands yet. Might be a good idea. I’ll look into it.

MAXINE: Very true. I hope that others will benefit from my experience though. Once the post was written I went to sleep happy.

Again, thanx to everybody for participating in the conversation

Joshua Seth, CHt 

UPDATE: I just flew to Chicago this morning to perform / speak at an event. I brought a container of trail mix and a power bar with me and had no problem at security. Of course, neither of these items are liquids so I didn’t even need to take them out of my carry-on bag.

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