Whose Jeans are These?

We’re All Friends Here, Right?

One of the bigger lessons learned since moving into the RV is that we have to be really careful about maintaining our weight. I know, everyone probably says that, but there are limitations to living in the RV that make it much more critical and very different that our previous lives. Our success with this has been hit or miss to date.

Let’s be Frank.

• • Physically Small Spaces – these spaces in an RV that can make or break you very quickly if you put on weight: the toilet, shower, and stairs. Even getting in and out of the bed can be significantly more difficult with an additional 10-15 pounds.
  • Limited Storage – Gone are the days of having 2-3 sizes of pants at my fingertips. Now I have 1 pair and need to make sure they fit and fit comfortably.
  • Food Staples – Once avid Costco/Sam’s Club buyers, we now buy in the smallest sizes available and make it to the grocery store at least once every other week. Meals are planned ahead as we don’t have “staples” to fly by the seat of our pants anymore. The more narrow selection of foods on hand to choose from also creates (for us) an increased likelihood that we will fall back on processed food or eating out.
  • Finite Counter Space – I can no longer prep part of the meal while I am cooking as my counter space is over the stove top. This makes things like precut veggies much more attractive than when I had acres of counter space to work on.

• Limited Cooking Space and Pans – we have 3 pans for the stove, a baking dish and a cookie sheet. We have 3 burners and a convection over/microwave. Meals now have to be coordinated between pans, cooking surfaces/types and also timed to complete at the same time. Sometimes that’s more energy than I have after working all day.
• Exercise – We have no consistent access to quality gym equipment and so far haven’t been able to count on being able to find safe areas to walk. Yoga works for me, but is of little interest to Boyd. We continue to look for options that we can both enjoy and have consistent access to while we are traveling. I want to try paddle-boarding this summer and Boyd is going to join a gym near our home base for the summer.

True Confessions

We haven’t done well with this yet. Part of it is lack of focus/commitment. Part of it is that when we are somewhere new, its hard to not want to try the local food. I want to try the Whole 30 program, but keep finding excuses not to (usually that I want to be able to eat out when we are in (insert city name here)).

Since we are mostly at our home base over the next 6-8 weeks, we are going to commit and give it a try. More to come…hopefully.