Maybe you rarely travel. Or maybe you travel a lot. Maybe, like me, you spend 5 to 10 days out of the month on the road, sleeping in hotels, your parent's house, maybe even a tent or a sleeping bag. If you are also on a diet or eating for optimal health and performance, you know trips are a challenge.1. You can't cook.
And you hate that. You can choose between eating at a restaurant close to where you are staying or shopping for ingredients that don't require cooking. Your homemade spinach souffle can be successfully replaced by scrambled eggs and spinach at the local bistro or you can pick up a packet of string cheese and enjoy it with some nuts, fruit and a glass of wine right in the comfort of your hotel room.
2. Your hotel offers a tiny breakfast.
...and no, you don't like cereal, or toast...
You could easily order your own breakfast from the menu or stick with the basics and bring your own sliced cheese, fruit, your favorite type of oatmeal, turkey breast, or smoked bacon. I personally brought organic oat crackers to substitute for bread that they routinely serve at the hotel. I know exactly what the ingredients are, and I enjoy good sustained energy throughout the day.
3. You have no time for lunch
And that's fine. Have you heard of intermittent fasting? Going a day without food may be actually better for your metabolism and fat loss goals. Don't worry that you skipped a meal, instead embrace the fact that tens of thousands of years of evolution taught your body how to deal with the stomach roar. If you absolutely need to eat, you can always pack a ready to drink shake or meal replacement bar in your bag.
4. You have no gym and you skip workouts
Remember the book Never Gymless? You are anything but gymless if you are in your body. You can do body weight exercise anywhere, anytime. If you are bored with your own routine, you can youtube for inspiring videos and just follow along. Also, before going on your trip, check about options for physical activity that are not a part of your normal schedule. We just went biking this morning and we went jogging the day before. It's amazing how many options will come up if you do your research.
5. You are too tired to follow your diet
You know if you don't follow it, you will soon be too tired for anything, yet you look at the trip as a way to have fun, only to go back to the familiar strusture of your diet, once the trip ends. Trust me, you will feel a lot better about it, if you come back from your trip in great health and spirits rather than looking at another interrupted diet. Be aware of such mechanisms of self sabotage and make sure that you don't fall in their trap.
6. You forget to take your supplements.
Taking your vitamins, minerals and other important supplements that are a part of your healthy diet is even more important when on a trip, because your body is in a new environment and subjected to new experiences. Don't let it suffer the change of diet and loss of supplementation and make sure you get in enough water with each supplement for optimum assimilation and long lasting effects.
Good tips. I particularly agree on the intermittent fasting. My tip to expand on that one is to get yourself ready for intermittent fasts a little bit at a time, so when you need one, you can do it without a big issue. Hunger sucks, and it takes a while to get used to the longer period without food.
ReplyDeleteWeek 1 and 2 - 1-2 days, skip breakfast, but have lunch a little early. No snack before lunch, either.
Week 3 and 4 - 1-2 days, skip breakfast and have lunch a little late. No snack before dinner.
(Optional) Week 5 and 6 - 1-2 days, skip breakfast and lunch. Maybe a small snack a couple of hours before dinner.
That's just one way to lay it out, but the idea is to go gradual. You will get used to it, learning what hunger really is vs. just wanting to eat. Also, once your body knows that meals are not coming on a schedule, it seems quicker to adapt to your actual diet instead of your expectations.