Quick email to a friend about eating on the road...

Here's a quick email to a friend who works in my business, making his first trip on plan. Here is my lame advice.

You're going to do great! It is, in some ways, easier to be on the road because there isn't as much snacking opportunity!

Breakfast is key for me -- one thing that works well for me is eating breakfast in the room rather than at the gig. The crap they serve in the morning is usually high-calorie stuff, the best option often being a bagel (!!!!). I travel with oatmeal that I can make with inroom coffee. Sometimes in Vegas they won't give you a coffee maker (bastards), so it can be a bit more of a challenge. I know people who travel with small electric kettles so they can always boil water.

One thing that I've always been able to do is get a fridge, and then you're freakin' golden. Since I don't think anyone will have a car, I think I'm going to get a cab to take me to the supermarket and either wait or call another cab to get back to the gig. Then you can get some skim milk, your favorite cereal, some fruit, etc., as well as some fat free yogurt. There are some good cereals, like some of the Kashi or even like special K, which you can have with skim milk for 3 points, then a fat free yogurt for 2 and you're out the door for 5 points.

It's also good to bring some snack food to the gig -- I eat these Kashi granola bar things (you can do a search on Amazon "Kashi GOLEAN Bar Crunchy!, Chocolate Caramel, 1.59-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)") they fill me up and are 2 points. But some people hate them. If you eat apples or whatever at home, buy some of those just so you don't get so hungry between meals.

Catering I find is almost always OK -- the biggest challenge I have is when they do the stupid "American" night with hot dogs and hamburgers. I guess a hot dog may be a better choice, but neither are worth it to me. In those cases only, I often send out a stagehand to get something better. Usually they're happy to go.

Other catering advice is just keep your wits about you as John Ingram would say. Flat meat is good - wheat bread, turkey, mustard, rock on! Watch the dressing on the salads -- when I was trying to lose weight, I would never do any dressing in catering except for oil and vinegar (I'd count that as 1 point). Chicken breast always good. I try to limit my portions for everything and I don't go back for seconds -- or if I do, I wait 20 minutes to make sure I'm not just eating for the sake of not writing light cues.

Finally, and I know this is a beaten down subject, write everything down (or "journal it" as the cultists say) -- no matter what happens, and nothing bad will happen, keep accountable is the best way to keep with it. I would also write down your activity points for creative directing -- just put it down as "walking" or whatever . Then, EAT ALL YOUR POINTS. Very important to keep eating -- eat eat eat. And then drink. Or just drink.

Take care my friend, I'll see you soon.