DAY 32: Bon Voyage

Today's step is preparing yourself to stay on top of your diet while on the road.

What good timing, because in a couple of weeks I'll be vacationing in Las Vegas (aka Sin City). While Vegas offers a number of sins that don't tempt me, gluttony tops the list of those that do. Being on vacation relaxes my commitment to my diet anyway, but Vegas takes it further by offering mountains of food everywhere you go, free alcohol if you stand in one place long enough, and encouragement for decadence as a way of life.

But today, Dr. Beck offers salvation for this poor sinner. She claims I can stand firm in my commitment to my diet if I have a strategy.

She suggests making a travel plan a week before a trip. Decide how closely you'll follow your diet, what exceptions you'll make, and how much weight you'll allow yourself to gain, then review this plan every day before the trip and every day on the trip.

She also offers this advice:

• Exercise more.


• Eat brunch instead of breakfast and lunch.


• Carry food with you.


• Use the Beck Diet Solution strategies you've already learned.

I'm concerned that Dr. Beck's focus is limiting the amount of weight I gain, rather than making sure I don't gain any weight at all. She states, "follow[ing] their diet as closely as possible when they're away, so that they don't gain any weight" is "totally unrealistic for most people", and adds, "If your eating rules are too strict, you might get fed up and abandon your diet altogether." Once upon a time, she would have been describing me. But now that I'm on Day 32 of the Beck Diet Solution, I feel strong enough to stay in control of my diet even on vacation, and I'm a little surprised that Dr. Beck doesn't encourage that idea.

Then again, she's the diet expert, so my trip could be a big test of my control and commitment. Here's my travel plan (with the goal of not gaining any weight):

• I will follow my Slim-Fast plan. I'll have access to a refrigerator during the trip, and I'm driving there, so carrying the shakes with me won't be a problem.
  


• I will keep healthful snacks on hand so I'm not grabbing a bag of chips or an ice cream cone when I'm hungry.
  


• I will not stop at Dairy Queen for my traditional road trip snack. It's more important to me to lose weight than to honor this 660-calorie tradition.
  


• I will limit my alcohol intake to no more than 1 cocktail per day and I will always count that drink as part of my food plan.
  
  
• I will eat no more than half of an entree. It's likely these days I wouldn't be able to finish more than a quarter of a Vegas-sized entree, so this shouldn't be too hard. And I'll have the refrigerator to stash leftovers if I start to feel too guilty about "wasting" food.
  


• I will not visit any buffets unless I receive a comped visit, and then only once. A good buffet, such as my favorite, can be upwards of $20. In the past, I've eaten more than enough to justify the price, but now I don't think I could and I know I shouldn't. But my frugal heart balks at spending so much on only 1 plate of food, so I'd rather not put my determination to the test. However, if I earn a free visit to a buffet, I can enjoy a single plate of food without feeling like it's a waste of money.
  


• I will exercise. On past visits to Las Vegas, I have sworn I would take advantage of the swimming pools, and I have a couple of times. This time I will swim every day or else take advantage of the hotel exercise room. NO CHOICE.

With this travel plan, I believe I can keep my diet under control while still enjoying myself in Las Vegas -- and I'll even be able to enjoy some spam!