Travel and weight loss really don’t go together. When you think about it, food and culture are closely intertwined. Why travel if you can’t appreciate the local culture? When we travel, there’s always an excuse to indulge.

“Hey, we’re in Chicago! Gotta have a deep dish pizza.”

“Hey, we’re in Oregon! Gotta have a microbrew.”

“Hey, we’re in New Mexico! Gotta have the chips & salsa and a burrito smothered in green chile.”

Matters gets worse when you profess a “carpe diem” attitude (as I do) that every day could indeed be your last. I mean, if this was truly your last day on earth, would you choose a light beer? Sorry folks, but if I’m meeting my maker tomorrow, I’m going out in a blaze of pizza, pasta, and pale ale.

Weight maintenance is an ongoing struggle for most of us. For me, spending lots of time on the road means that I am constantly surrounded by temptation. It’s difficult to establish a routine when your lifestyle has no routine.

“But you’re in an RV,” you might say. “Aren’t you guys exercising in the great outdoors?”

Yes and no. We do ride our bikes whenever possible, and we love to hike. But you’ll need to do an awful lot of bike riding and hiking to burn off that double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake. (“Hey, we’re in California! Gotta have In N’ Out Burger, right?)

Also, there’s no dedicated exercise room in the RV, and there’s no washer and dryer to receive perspiration-soaked clothes. On rainy days, you’re just chillin’ at the campsite. These may be weak excuses, but together they are inhibitors to exercising as often as we should.

Since we plan to hit the road again in about 30 days, I’m embarking on a pre-travel diet. We need to find something that will work for us at home as well as on the road. For various reasons, I’m going with a version of a low carbohydrate plan. Some folks call this a “slow carb” approach. Here’s my strategy, in general terms:

SIX DAYS A WEEK:
No “white carbs” (white bread, cereals, sugars, etc.)
Vastly reduced sugar intake (no chocolate — ouch — or beer — double ouch)
Meals will consist of eggs, chicken beef, cheese, spinach, beans (pinto, black, northern)

Snacks will be nuts (almonds, macadamia) and Atkins sugarfree / low carb treats (here’s where I get my sugar free chocolate fix)

Alcohol? I’m allowing myself red wine with dinner, but no beer or liquor.

ONE DAY A WEEK:
I’ll have a scheduled free day, and consume whatever food and beverage I want.

EVERY DAY:
I will do at least one 30-minute workout on our treadmill, which burns at least 350 calories. So in 30 days I’ll have completed 30 workouts burning 35000 calories.

We’ve also picked up a Wii Fit — more on this device later — and intend to take it with us on the road.

The workouts alone translate to 5 pounds of weight loss. What about the additional 15? I’m counting on the slow carb to modify my metabolism and pick up the extra slack.

Will my strategy work? Any advice? What’s worked for you?