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James and I have weird lives.
I’d like to blame it on the website and all the side-gigs that come with being the faces of The Fit RV, but honestly our lives were weird long before the website started.
Our official wedding pic. Enough said.
One of the weird things we do on a rather frequent basis is long road trips… and when I say long, I’m talking RIDICULOUSLY loooongggg.
And typically those have to happen over a short period of time. We’ve become conditioned to these long hauls, and have loads of strategies and rules in place so we can keep our FitRV groove on even though we’re stuck in Lance’s pilot seats hauling butt for up to 12 hours a day. Because, if you’ve ever roadtripped cross-country, you know how easy it is to make some rather unhealthy choices. Like this one:
BOREDOM EATING.
You’re rolling along. Say it’s I-80 Nebraska… yeah, I know, you’re shuddering in commiseration. Six grueling hours to get through what-I’m-sure-is-an-otherwise-lovely state. But when you’re stuck on I-80 with its scenery that doesn’t really change, you start feeling a bit like the RV version of Sisyphus. Two hours into the six hour stretch, I’m pretty much brain dead.
Wait. Didn’t we already pass this same exit two hours ago? Or was it twenty?
There’s a point where you’re desperate for something to do, anything, just to break up the monotony. So you reach down for your bag-o-snacks, rip open the bag, and start munching away.
And you keep eating. And KEEP EATING; because why not! There’s nothing else to do! You’ll be in Nebraska the rest of your life anyways!!!
Yep. Still Nebraska.
Boredom eating is a real problem on road trips. To deal with it, we’ve imposed this Rule of the Rig:
No eating and driving.
When we completely remove the option to eat while the RV is in motion, we’re eliminating the risk for overeating out of boredom. So you eat when you’re stopped and that’s it. No negotiations and no cutting deals with that sneaky voice in your head.
Hope you’ll consider making it a rule in your rig too. We give ourselves way too much leeway when we hit the road, telling ourselves since we’re on vacation, we get to take vacations from exercise and healthy eating too. I call bull on that. That’s just the sneaky voice again, finding any way it can to get you to resort back to your lazy nature. RESIST IT! Be stronger than that. Healthy choices need to be a consistent part of your lifestyle, and that includes vacations and roadtrips and RV rallies and reunions.
Being strict about our eating habits is one of the requirements for aging well and staying healthy long into our retirement years. I say it all the time but here goes again: Life is way, wayyy, better in a fit and healthy body. So pull over, have your carrots and hummus, and then roll on, fellow road warriors!
Rooting for you!
xoxo,
Trainer Stef
I know that you have changed to a composting toilet but I would like to see a black tank test for black tank treatments. I thought the flushing system post was so revealing of how worthless some of the products really are when you think they are the perfect solution. Do I treat or not, enzyme or probotic,
We pre-pack tons of healthy snacks (carrots, berries, homemade trail mix, sliced apples, granola bars, etc) in single serving reusable containers. This way, if we have the urge to eat while driving, we are allowed one item to munch on! We also make ourselves stop and stretch whenever we cross a state border (works for north-south trips mostly).
Glad you’ve got a system in place that’s working. Love that you pre-portion them, too!
To help with boredom with the long drives, we use the FIELD TRIP app. FIELD TRIP lets users find and learn more about places near them. You can actively search using the map, or the app can run in the background on your phone as you travel, with cards popping up when you’re near featured spots. You can configure settings so the cards are read aloud as you encounter locations. We’ve found some interesting places, even in the vast openness of Nebraska.
LOL! Totally agree Field Trip app is a fun way to make the drive more interesting! We recommend it, too! xoxo
I looked for the Field Trip app on Google Play and got a bunch of gooey gooks. Is there another app within the apps?
Hey there! Sorry, I’m not familiar with the Field Trip app!
BLASPHEMY!! Blasphemy, I say! lol
Brings to mind when I had a McBurger opened and on my right knee
while in the parking lot at a Mcburger shop…
Jake, my little chihuahua/ terrier mix, had his eye on it.
I opened a packet of ketchup and began to squeeze out the
tomatoey goodness at the same moment he made his move.
Jakey got the Mcburger..I got ketchup on my knee.
My wife got a good laugh.
See?!?! Told ya not to eat and drive!!! 😉 xoxo
Excellent advice as always! Grazing is a killer for the blood sugar while driving.
Wow, this post is so serendipitous. I’ve been trying to ween myself off Gym membership and get my home gig set up again. I was looking at bands and balls and another TRX but kept meaning to check your site for what you guys carry on the road. This prompted me to check and found another post:
https://www.thefitrv.com/fitness-tips/fitness-equipment-we-travel-with-in-our-rv/
I’m glad I did, was just about to get a Bodylastics package.
Thanks for all your wonderful advice and sharing you and James do, your spirit and energy is just the best. Sending good vibes, hugs, and high-fives.
Be well, Stay safe, party on.
Awww, Vince! Glad you found an old post of ours useful, so cool! Good for you for getting your home gym all planned out! Gyms can be great, but are definitely not necessary to stay fit. Sending good vibes back your way… stay fit and strong, friend! xoxo
That same rule can apply to much of life. Eating while reading, watching TV, chatting, almost any time you are just sitting, is seldom a good idea. I fear I do it way too often, particularly in the evening. I have seen it said that eating should be “mindful” – that is, it should be the primary thing you are doing and you should be aware of it.
What an excellent point that it can be applied to much of life, I love this! And yes, mindful eating is a similar concept as it allows you to be aware while you’re eating. When you’re eating while distracted or bored, you set yourself up for over-indulging. Glad to hear you identified a weakness of yours (evening distracted eating)… that’s the first step in changing an unwanted habit! xoxo
Thank you very much for talking about exercising and getting off this couch I’m going for both knees on the 17th of this month and thank you very much because I’m 72 years of age and I got to get away from the TV and do my exercises I really do appreciate it thank you thank you
Best of luck on your knee surgery! These days, the recovery on knee surgery is much improved, so I’m confident for a speedy recovery. Just think how amazing life will be a couple months from now, pain-free and ready for new life adventures! xoxo
Excellent advice … now if only I can convince my husband. Boy, can I relate to your take on Nebraska – it never ends and each exit looks the same lol.
LOL!!! Poor Nebraska. That stretch of interstate makes it such an easy state to pick on. 😉 xoxo
This good advice has become our style too, even more important when road tripping is full time, or more than half time, like for us.
Glad to hear it’s worked for you!
Oh come on…don’t pick on Nebraska too much! 🙂 We live in Omaha and have made that trek across I80 many times…and yes it is boring! 🙂 You are welcome to stop in Omaha sometime.
LOL Shari! Actually, some of our favorite places are Nebraska, I just like amusing myself writing with exaggeration. There’s a gem of a boondocking area, great for mountain biking and you’ll have it to yourself…Nebraska Nat’l Forest. Plus we never miss Fort Cody’s Trading Post…love that place! And we drive through Omaha frequently, reminds me of Des Moines, green and clean and friendly. It’s just a weird mental thing when driving cross-country, we tend to pass time by the states we roll through. Since Nebraska’s so fat, it takes longer; and it feels like we’re not making progress!
Good advice. Only exception we make to this is “eating to stay awake”. Acceptable foods for this are fresh fruits (apples, grapes, tangerines), and small portions of nuts.
Ingesting liquids is good too, because they will eventually force to to stop to releive yourself. Then you can stretch, walk around a bit.
We’ve got lots of tips for drowsy driving, too… and I’ll agree eating can be a good quick fix. But really, if you’re needing to eat because you’re concerned about staying awake, hopefully you’re also looking for the closest place you can safely pull over and boondock for the night! Also, drowsiness can be from dehydration, too, so I’m glad to hear you’re not skimping on the liquids. In fact we recommend drinking MORE than normal on the road just for those two important reasons… staying alert and stopping frequently. xoxo
Ha! Interesting, because we barely hit the road before my hubby is requesting a snack. We are in a motorhome so it’s easy to access the food. I’ve cut out all garbage, for the most part. Fruit, celery with hummus, veggies, etc. are our choices. I also quit eating chocolate for lent about 40 years ago and never started back, so I did the same thing with cake, pies, donuts and cookies for this lenten season and haven’t gone back on that commitment either. Now, for that exercise!!!!
Oh wow, Good for you, Eileen!!! Yeah, one of the perks of the motorhome is the fridge, so there’s really no reason NOT to pack healthy snacks and avoid gas station junk food. Glad to hear you’re being a positive influence on your hubby’s eating choices, keep it up! I try to be the same positive influence on James. After all, we want our guys around and healthy a long, long time. And get going on that exercise, girl! There’s no way around it, it’s the key to aging well. xoxo 🙂