Diary of a Semi-Health Nut

ramblings + recipes of a semi-healthy nut

{WIAW #61} Dave Style

by


Good Morning, Friends!

So I definitely intended to schedule this post last night, however I was running on two hours of sleep and 10pm hit and I fell into a sleep coma.  I slept ten hours, hitting snooze on 3 alarms until they stopped going off.  Wow.

I am so excited that Dave actually sent me a post!  And with so. many. pictures!

Dave is the BF, or the guy I sometimes see now because he’s always gone with his big fancy job.  Hopefully this will be over with soon and I can get some healthy food into him!

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First off it needs to be said that I am still at a loss at how Amanda talked me into typing up a blog post for her WIAW post.  Secondly it also needs to be mentioned that I am a Civil Engineer… Math = good, English and Grammar = not so good. So please bear with me. (Is that the right “bear”?) (Note from Amanda: this is hilarious because I had the same issue in this post.)
As Amanda has said many times, I live on the road out of hotels about 90% of the time.  It sounds fun at first but it quickly becomes mentally and emotionally draining.  I never thought I would say it but thank goodness I work some 65-70 hours a week to take my mind off of it.  But living on the road has many obstacles such as living on expenses.  Many bad food decisions become easier when money isn’t an issue but time is.

Most meals on the road are either what is easily accessible or more importantly available.  


Every morning I wake up early at 4:45, mostly to watch an episode of Married with Children before I get ready but I still try to be in the office before 6am.  Most hotels don’t have breakfast available yet so I try to buy milk and cereal when I get to my destination the night before and I have two bowls and spoons that I bring with me.  Most breakfast include either cereal or fast food.

Lunch time!  Since I live on expenses I don’t care to pack a lunch.  But in my line of work, as with most jobs, lunch needs to be close by and quick.  So what is available?  In Kansas City it was mostly fast foods like McDonalds and Jack in the Box.  

There was also a hole in the wall restaurant called the Lunch Box which had daily specials like a Bacon Cheeseburger with mac and cheese on top or a Cheeseburger with tater tots, ham, and spicy mustard on it.   
There was a Subway in downtown KC but driving the work truck down there was like driving a school bus.  (I had to take 3 point left hand turns!  Okay not really but turning radius was seriously nonexistent.)   

Sometimes work would provide lunch; in North Platte it usually consisted of a big Rib eye, a baked potato, cheesy green beans, baked beans, AND of course a piece of pie.  We would be provided a meal like that once a month!

Dinners aren’t very consistent.  It always depended on how late we were working.  Some nights I don’t get out of the yard until after 10 PM because we are cleaning up an emergency issue but I have found that I become habitual with my dinners after the first week when I do get off at a decent time.  In North Platte I went to Wing Night at Applebee’s every Thursday for Blackened Chicken Wings.

In Kansas City I ate Noodles and Company for Pad Thai at least once a week.

Here in Minnesota I have had Pei Wei at least once a week for more Pad Thai.  

There are two areas that I find get me in trouble when it comes to dinners on the road. 
I like to eat at restaurants we don’t have back home.  In Bald Knob, AR it was a Cajun joint called Who Dat’s.  

In Kansas City it was BBQ of course and an awesome restaurant called Nara that had great Pad Thai.  (Apparently I love Pad Thai). 
But when I go to one of these restaurants I find myself ordering the crowd favorites which usually are not healthy options.  

Second item that catches me is desserts. If I am buying dinner for myself on my own dime I don’t usually get dessert.  If work is paying for it then that brings up another thought process.  You can see in the photos I got taken by some Raspberry Sorbet and a delicious Apple Crumb.

It isn’t always the time on the road that provides temptation.  When I get to come back home the first thing I want to do is take Amanda out on a date which is going to include, of course, going out to dinner.  Thank goodness she likes to cook because I will never take a home cooked meal for granted anymore.  My parents have also noticed my dilemmas of being on the road and like to grill out on the weekends that I am able to come home.  It is very much appreciated.

This has gotten much longer than I intended and I could talk about the difficulties of living on the road till Amanda loses all of her followers.  Heck, with all of these secrets of what I eat on the road it makes me nervous of what Amanda thinks about me and my job now. 

But that is my little bit on how my company is trying to make me a “Well Rounded” Employee.

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This post makes me miss this handsome fella, but I need to get to studying for my last two finals!!

Wish me luck!

*~Amanda aka Semi-Health Nut~*

Can you relate to obstacles eating on the road?

Any tips you can share on keeping healthy while living in hotels?

Linking up to the lovely Jenn at Peas and Crayons!



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Comments

  3. good luck with your studying.
    eating on the road can be tough, we try do to our best with making wise decisions and also try to bring snacks 🙂

  4. good luck with your studying.
    eating on the road can be tough, we try do to our best with making wise decisions and also try to bring snacks 🙂

  5. 1. Love this post so hard! Great job Dave!!!!!!

    2. I totally do the same thing when I travel — I hunt out restaurants I don’t have anywhere near me so I can either enjoy long forgotten favorites or try new things!

  6. Living on the road & out of hotel rooms would be very tough. I can definitely understand your BF’s struggles. I think he’s got the right idea on the breakfast thing… bringing some bowls & getting cereal and milk ahead of time. I think it might be helpful for him to maybe find a local grocery store & get some apples & non-refrigerated items that are healthy to snack on. As for meals out, I’d maybe try to scope out some lean protein options if time permits, like the Subway stuff or maybe a salad… and it’s no fun, but skip the dessert. I know it’s probably hard when it’s free & work is paying for it. Choosing healthy can be tough sometimes. I don’t envy him. His pics looked really delicious though! Made me hungry.

    Good luck on your finals! 🙂

    • Thanks Karey! And there’s only so much Subway a person can eat before they never want to see the restaurant ever again! It’s tough and I can’t wait for this season of life to be over with!!

  7. Living on the road & out of hotel rooms would be very tough. I can definitely understand your BF’s struggles. I think he’s got the right idea on the breakfast thing… bringing some bowls & getting cereal and milk ahead of time. I think it might be helpful for him to maybe find a local grocery store & get some apples & non-refrigerated items that are healthy to snack on. As for meals out, I’d maybe try to scope out some lean protein options if time permits, like the Subway stuff or maybe a salad… and it’s no fun, but skip the dessert. I know it’s probably hard when it’s free & work is paying for it. Choosing healthy can be tough sometimes. I don’t envy him. His pics looked really delicious though! Made me hungry.

    Good luck on your finals! 🙂

  8. 1. Love this post so hard! Great job Dave!!!!!!

    2. I totally do the same thing when I travel — I hunt out restaurants I don’t have anywhere near me so I can either enjoy long forgotten favorites or try new things!

  9. I LOVE THIS POST!

    Dave: I love Pei Wei. And in the cities you should be able to find lots of semi-healthy choices (but probably not super-fast choices). Mark and I eat at Pei Wei when we’re back at his parents’ place. I think we’ll be there maybe this weekend if you’re around (and if it does not snow!). KC BBQ would be great. I’m really hoping that you end up in the cities because I think you and Amanda would like it up there, and there are a ton of really great opportunities for her there (not sure about school, but job-wise she’d be set — everybody is into health in the cities). And PS we are moving there soon (I hope!)

    Amanda: best guest post of the week. You should get this guy to do a post once a month.

  10. You have such great foodie finds! Love your WIAW. I’m studying for finals myself. Not so fun. Good luck, fit friend!

  13. You have such great foodie finds! Love your WIAW. I’m studying for finals myself. Not so fun. Good luck, fit friend!

  15. Thanks Karey! And there’s only so much Subway a person can eat before they never want to see the restaurant ever again! It’s tough and I can’t wait for this season of life to be over with!!

  17. Awww!! I love this so much!! Dave, you’re the BEST!! I can imagine it’s pretty tough to find your groove with such a crazy schedule! I don’t know HOW you do it! I would for sure be living off microwave oats and yogurt for sure! Lol

    Seriously, I don’t know what that stuff is to the right of the BBQ, but I’m pretty sure it was cheesy and delicious!

  18. Awww!! I love this so much!! Dave, you’re the BEST!! I can imagine it’s pretty tough to find your groove with such a crazy schedule! I don’t know HOW you do it! I would for sure be living off microwave oats and yogurt for sure! Lol

    Seriously, I don’t know what that stuff is to the right of the BBQ, but I’m pretty sure it was cheesy and delicious!

  19. Aww such a fun post!! Thanks to Dave for joining in on the WIAW fun. 🙂

    (yes Amanda, I AM behind)

  20. Aww such a fun post!! Thanks to Dave for joining in on the WIAW fun. 🙂

    (yes Amanda, I AM behind)