Getting started on making changes in eating and exercise might seem like the most difficult step in lifestyle change but sometimes it’s maintaining the momentum that is the challenge.
Once we establish a routine, find the foods we enjoy and have a set time for our exercise program, things start sailing along…….until we go out of town. Whether it’s for business or pleasure, leaving town wreaks havoc on our routine and the foods we eat. So what’s a person to do? PLAN!
Once you hit the road for business, your schedule is not your own! You might have business meetings, dinners and deadlines; it may seem there’s just not enough time to stick with your healthy habits. Again, planning ahead will help you out.
1. FLYING – avoid the airline food. Most meals and snacks on the plane are low nutrient and unhealthy. You have to pay for almost anything on the flight now so you might as well pay for it somewhere else and get something healthy. Grab a Subway type sandwich to eat on the plane or pack something to eat ahead of time. Take some time to think about where you will be when you get hungry. Pack some nuts and dried fruit (I would recommend that you NOT take a whole package with you; you WILL eat the whole thing if you do. Pack a whole grain breakfast bar or better yet a protein bar to hold you longer. Cliff Bars, P90X bars and Lara bars are good to have on hand. Apples and bananas are nice to add to a light meal as well. I don’t head to the airport without a baggie of dried fruit, nuts and some wheat chex. I put ½ cup serving in a baggie and I know I’ll have something to hold me over if I’m flying at meal or snack time.
While you’re waiting for your flight, don’t just slump in the chairs and space out. Walk around, do some squats and calf raises ( the only ones that notice you are the ones slumped in their chairs). You’ll feel better!
2. HOTEL – bring your gym gear with you. Even if you only end up walking through downtown, you’ll get some exercise in. You can take a dvd workout with you with some resistance bands and get a workout done in your room or in the hotel fitness room. You can improvise; at least you’ll be moving! Pushups, sit ups, lunges, squats and ab exercises can all be done in the hotel room. Most hotels even have a few pieces of equipment you can use to get your blood pumping after a day of meetings.
3. RESTAURANTS – whether dining at the hotel restaurant, driving downtown or selecting fast food, there are choices:
* Choose grilled meats and vegetables. Most places will replace fries or a potato with a salad or veggies. Most fast food places have grilled chicken sandwiches which will save you if you get dressings on the side. Order a side salad instead of fries and pass on the large soda. Get an iced tea or water.
* Always, always, always, ask about sauces and dressings. Get your salad dressing on the side, avoid cheese sauces, sour creams, garlic butter sauces. Ask if your wrap has a sauce or dressing. Get it on the side.
*You can tell by the description on the menu what to avoid: garlic cream sauce, battered and fried, our special dressing, crispy, au gratin, scalloped, or breaded. Watch instead for garden fresh, broiled, roasted, steamed, and in its own juices.
*Many francizes now have lower calorie options. Don’t just skip over them, take a look. Or you might find something on the menu that would be a good choice if it didn’t have the bacon, cheese sauce or fried onions in it. Ask the waiter to hold those or serve it on the side. That way you can control how much you add.
* Avoid all you can eat buffets. There’s no winning at those “troughs”. Even if you pick all healthy foods, you will overeat. You will be miserable for the rest of the evening.
*Limit your alcohol. If you are with colleagues and feel that you need to join in, order a glass of wine and nurse it all evening.
*If there doesn’t appear to be a healthy option, consider soup and salad or some places have half a sandwich and soup or salad. You might also consider splitting a meal. If there is no one to split with or no lower calories options, just eat half of what you order. You have to make that decision before it arrives though!
* Be very careful of the appetizers at the beginning of a meal. You can eat 1000 calories just by munching on chips or bread while you’re waiting for your entre. If you’re really hungry, order some hummus and veggies.
*Skip the gourmet burgers. They are too big and loaded with too many fatty calories. There are better options.
4. CAR – if you’re in the car all day, you really do have to plan but it makes it a little easier as you have some control. Get a small cooler with ice packs (you can find coolers that plug into a power outlet to keep it cool). Stock up with:
- Veggies and fruit
- Individually wrapped string cheese
- Yogurt
- Whole grain crackers
- Water
- Nuts
- Dried fruit
One caveat is to not just open the cooler and eat as you head down the road. Portion it out and eat on a schedule every 3 hours with meals and snacks. If it’s not snack time or meal time, drink water or chew gum!
If packing food in the car just isn’t an option, stop at a grocery store to get your snacks. Kwik trips have iced tea, nuts and sometimes some decent trail mixes, but the choices are limited. You might be able to find some low fat popcorn and pop it at the store. Better yet, bring along some single serving lower fat popcorn and stop at the Kwik trip to pop it, buy a low calorie drink and munch away!
Traveling can definitely throw us off our routine. The only way to stay on track with your healthy changes really is to plan. Think of where you will be and when and what food you will need to keep your energy level up and your brain functioning well! Before leaving on a trip, we make sure our car is serviced, we plan what we need to take for business or pleasure and we make it happen. Why not do the same when it comes to maintaining our healthy lifestyle?
Christie Ryan is a registered nurse and Independent Beachbody Coach. She has a passion for health and fitness and enjoys helping people change their lives. Her local business is Concepts in Weight Mangament and Team Beachbody. She can be contacted at 785-827-3131 or cryan@ruraltel.net