An Issue of Food

In spite of the multi-billion dollar industry that has grown up around weight loss in this country, the formula is still the same - eat less and do more. That’s really all there is to it. I weighed myself a month ago and have been somewhat afraid to do it since. At that time I was 180 having lost over 20 pounds.

The reason is simple: I am doing much much more and I am eating much much less - no snacks, no dairy products, no great food to tempt for seconds, no lattes, no beer, and no desserts. Food delights have been replaced by food function. I am much more conscious of a food’s nutritional aspects and what it will provide rather than what it is or how it tastes.

What Do I Really Eat?

Breakfast

One Starbucks instant coffee.

Two oatmeal packets.

A piece of fruit if I have it.

Mid-Morning Snack

One or two “Power Bar” type nutrition bars

Lunch

An old sandwich (no longer than three day old) or something of the sort if I have one

Another one or two nutrition bars

Afternoon

An apple if I have one

A nutrition bar

Dinner

A cup of Earl Grey tea

An instant soup

A “Mountain Home” brand dehydrated dinner for two.

All Day Long

Lots of water!

I try to supplement this meager diet by feasting when I arrive in a town containing a restaurant or store but these can be few and far between in the desolation of the West. Once I am east of the Mississippi populated communities will be more regular and closer together. This will bring up other issues though like, “Where will I pee?” which has to this point not been a problem.

One might ask, “Why not more fruits and vegetables?” and I answer, “Go weigh some bananas, grapes, or apples.” There is always a fine balance between weighting myself down and providing for my needs. Did you know that water weighs 8 pounds a gallon? How many gallons do I take? Look at the map. How far away is the next town? Is there water available ahead? You need to carry enough so that you don’t run out but yet not so much that you have a lot left over when you get there.