Friend of Julie: Florida, Here I Come

Dec. 2011

A few hours ago, I drove from South Hadley to Providence airport, and I'm now waiting  at Charlotte airport for my connection to Ft. Meyers for a week of Florida fun.

After clearing airport security in Providence, I went looking for dinner and  found a nice looking burger place called Johnny Rocket.  As I approached the cashier, a pilot got in line behind me and since I  had two hours before I needed to be at my terminal and he seemed to be in a rush, I told him to go ahead of me.  While I debated over the menu, I heard him order  a double rocket (cheeseburger), no bun, and no French fries, which  is exactly what I chose as well. It was delicious.

Because the healthy looking pilot ordered the same thing, I am officially over being embarrassed for ordering off-menu. Really, the only ones who seem to think ordering a sandwich without the bread is abnormal are the restaurant owners, who don't offer a discount  for ordering less food. Sure, they knocked off fifty-cents, but come on...if I ordered fries they'd cost me more than that.

I usually  plan my flight meal ahead of time, but that didn't happen this trip. Usually I buy beef jerky, pepperoni, or deli ham, and add in some fresh cut veggies and cheese. It's good to plan ahead. Today I discovered that I can find and choose healthy options wherever I am, without having to be obsessed about what I will eat. There is planning and then there is planning so much that it's an unhealthy obsession. Today, I found a balance.

I had a plan for what I was going to bring for the plane, beef jerky and dried green beans [06/21/12 update: dried foods, including dried green beans, are not on program] from Whole foods. While in the store a few days ago, I bought the green beams, but I forgot the beef jerky and I ate the whole package of green beans with my dinner all last night.

Side note here about the beans. The dried green beans are delicious and crunchy like potato chips, but I eat the entire container if I'm not careful. At the movies,  I bring in a portion of beans, a package of beef  jerky, and a bottle of water. At home, sometimes I get carried away with them and don't have equal meat. When that happens, I stay away from the green beans for a few months. I have the same problem with dried carrots. Anything in large amounts can be unhealthy. This is a reminder that I have more to learn about a balanced diet.

You may be wondering what's wrong with green beans? Nothing when you have an equal portion of meat with them. A whole package alone is off-program and is over 1,000 calories.

I have some exciting news to report - the seatbelt buckled without my needing an extension and I was able to make my food tray was fully flat! I can't remember the last time I flew without needing a seatbelt extension. Another silent embarrassing act behind me.

I haven't work this shirt since 1992

One more piece of great news. I was freaking out a few nights ago about where all my beautiful capris went, only to recall I sold them all on eBay last summer. I found a handful of capris and packed them, but the exciting part - I also packed my beautiful summer blouses, which fit perfectly. I wore these blouses for a nano second in the early 1990's when I had dropped weight and didn't get to wear them a even third time, as I gained the weight back quickly. Theses are bright colored tropical prints that are timeless in the tropics.

This means that when summer 2012 arrives, I will need all new clothes, as these are the smallest clothes I have.