Staying Fit On The Road

This weekend marks my first serious roadblock to a healthier me: I have to attend the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas for work. Attending one of the biggest trade shows in the nation might not sound like a big deal on the surface. In fact, visiting Las Vegas is one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately, I know it means working long hours, and having breakfast, lunch, and dinner meetings where I'll be tempted with tasty (fattening) foods.

Susan and I have maintained our healthy lifestyle for less than a week, and now my willpower is going to be tested like never before. Just eating 10 corn chips and two tablespoons of cheese dip as an appetizer means eating as much fat and as many calories as a single healthy meal ... without the fiber or other nutritional value. To make matters worse, I know that I'll be offered many coffee drinks and alcoholic beverages during meetings in Las Vegas.

On the bright side, I know I'll be getting more exercise than usual because CES covers almost the entire Vegas Strip. At any given hour I'll be running from a meeting at the Las Vegas Convention Center to a meeting at the MGM ... and then running to another meeting at the Venetian or Cesar's Palace. Thank goodness I'm bringing some comfortable shoes.

To help me resist the temptation to ruin all that exercise by eating fast food or appetizers loaded with fat and empty calories I'm going to travel with an assortment of healthy snacks. Some of my favorites include:

• Freeze dried fruits
• Low calorie/low sugar energy bars
• Home-made trail mix (see Susan's recipe below)

Of course, it's also important to stay hydrated so I'll be drinking bottled water whenever possible. Overall, I'm looking forward to this business trip ... and I hope my will power is stronger than my appetite.