‘Tis the season again – we are entering that infamous Thanksgiving through New Years stretch where the average American will gain 8 – 12lbs! One of the main reasons for this is that we get out of our normal routines for both exercise and diet. It is even more challenging if you are travelling during this season because you are out of your home and have less control over your exercise and eating habits.
However, where there is a will there is a way. Here are some key tips to prevent weight gain during travel:
Plan your meals and your exercise. This is probably the most important tip because with a little planning you CAN eat healthy and get in your exercise.
2. Start by looking at your travel schedule and planning your meals during travel. We all know how lousy the food is on an airline so instead of being subjected to the lousy and unhealthy food bring your own. In many airports today, there are plenty of healthy options that you can purchase and carry on the plane. Great options include:
a. Nuts – see below
b. Ready to drink shakes like Muscle Milk (even starting to see this in an organic option in airports!).
c. Nutrition bars – see below
d. Hard boiled eggs
e. Salads with chicken
3. Even better buy non-perishable food before you leave home. Excellent choices for meals and snacks that are easy to travel with include:
a. Nuts – come in cans and pouches with smaller packages being ideal because while nuts are healthy they are high in fats and even healthy fats have lots of calories! No honey glazed and if you need to be concerned about salt stick with unsalted, roasted nuts. Best choices include pecans and walnuts and brazil nuts followed by almonds, then peanuts and cashews in terms of sugar content.
b. Nutrition bars – there are a ton of healthier bar choices now, and they have actually figured out how to make a healthy bar that tastes pretty darned good without a ton of sugar that have high levels of fiber, healthy fats, and protein. Several variety of Kind bars fit this bill including Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt; Caramel Almond and Sea Salt; and Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Pecan. These bars taste great and will satisfy you and travel well.
c. Ready to mix shakes – there are many great options for shakes that are low in sugar and high in protein that taste great and come in packets that are easy to mix in a plastic shake bottle after you add water. Gone are the days where these options must be blended in a blender. Experiment a bit and you can find shakes that come in single serve packets that mix quite well in a plastic shaker bottle.
d. If you are driving, consider bringing some pre-made meals in a cooler that are either ready to eat cold or can easily be microwave or baked when you arrive. When you bring some of your own food and healthy desserts you know you will have good options!
4. Focus on a great breakfast because you can get eggs in every town in America both at restaurants and in people’s homes. Eggs are fantastic meal that really satisfies, and they can be prepared in many different ways. Starting the day off with 2 – 3 whole eggs along with some sautéed vegetables, some cheese and some berries will keep your hunger at bay and provide a healthy meal that is easy to come by!
5. Get your exercise in! Plan before you leave – worst case you can use resistance bands and get a great workout in a very small physical space such as a hotel room. For a great bodyweight workout try this one: https://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-three-best-bodyweight-exercise.html
6. Go for a walk and check out the neighborhood or go see some nearby sites. Sitting on your butt all day while food is being prepared all around you is asking for trouble! Get up and get out and active for part of the day or offer to do some shopping for the group or pitch in with some of the physical chores if you are staying at someone’s home.
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