Help to stay on track with late nights and catered buffets

  • I've got my bags all packed for a two-week business trip, and I'm getting nervous about staying on track diet-wise and avoiding pitfalls that this particular work schedule has led to in the past.

    I am a performing artist and, when on tour, work six nights per week, from about 7pm-11pm. Meals are made by a catering company (which can make healthy choices rare and/or put unhealthy ones under my nose). In the past, I've found managing my meals extremely tricky, as I cannot eat a substantial dinner before the show, and find myself in full-on binge mode when it's over, somewhere near midnight! Over the past week and a half, I've kept myself calm by just plain eliminating my trigger foods (breads, cereals, grains of all kinds). I have full intentions to keep this up, but historically, I know this schedule will be tough. I've even (embarrassingly) packed my own small scale from home since it somehow gives me support and a "constant" to check in with.

    Does anyone have tips for me, going into the next two weeks, to avoid the late-night binges or the temptations of a catered buffet? I've packed myself some pre-measured snacks of almonds, mini-tuna cans, and soy milk boxes.
    If nothing else, posting here has kind of put my worries "out there" to acknowledge them and state my commitment to continuing towards a healthier way of eating.

    Thanks everyone!
  • My answer to you is - tupperware. Make yourself a portion controlled meal sometime during the day, put it in the tupperware, and that's what you get for your evening meal. It also works to manage portion size at the catered buffet. Use the tupperware container - all you get is 1 trip to the buffet. Another trick is to take a picture of your filled tupperware with your cell phone before you start eating. if you still feel hungry afterwards, look at the picture and see how much you ate. Good luck!