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As many of you know, staying on track with exercise and nutrition on the road can be a daunting task. You’re removed from your routine. There are no go-to healthy foods that you normally rely on as your staples. Your sleep might be a little off from the time change. You’ll probably have a few more cocktails than normal.
While individually these things aren’t the biggest deal, in combination they can derail the momentum of your healthy lifestyle. Breaking out of your routine for a week or two is fine, but no one wants to return back from a holiday a few pounds heavier and softer. So what to do?
Here are five simple practices that keep us fit on the road
I say “practices” and not “tips” because tips are for waiters. I forgot where I heard that before, but I absolutely love it. “Practice” means a lot more. Tips are something someone else “tells” you to do. Practices are something that you implement and experiment with. The key with practice is staying consistent. With a practice, you may mess up at times, but because of your level of commitment, you get right back at it and go after it again. You keep practicing in spite of imperfection and in time these practices become good habits.
So here are a couple practices to keep you on track on the road:
1) Keep Your Expectations in Check
You want to know one quick way to ruin a vacation: go into it with the expectation of losing weight. That’s a losing battle. Here’s a better way: keep you expectations in check and try to come home with the same fitness level as when you left. Enjoy the food. Have a few cocktails. You deserve it. But make sure you follow rules 2-5.
2) Get Active Early
Something always comes up later in the day. Your routine is completely out of whack. Even if it’s getting up and going for a 30-minute walk or doing a quick HIIT workout. Do something active early and enjoy the rest of the day.
3) Bring Quality Snacks
Protein bars work great in travel situations. They are super convenient, and they are a great way to get a decent amount of satiating protein to keep you from starving in between meals. That being said, be careful with your selection of bar. Most protein bars are filled with a bunch of crap, and some have more sugar than a candy bar. My 2 favorite bars are the Quest Nutrition Protein Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie and the Rise Bar Protein Almond Honey.
4) Hydrate
This one isn’t too sexy, I know. But traveling can seriously dehydrate, especially if you are drinking alcohol. Shoot for a gallon of water a day. The best way to accomplish this goal is to bring a large water bottle (18-20 ounces) and fill it up 5 times per day. 5 times, that’s doable, right? Plus it will keep you full and from thinking you’re hungry when you’re just thirsty.
5) Start with 20-30 Grams of Protein in the Morning
As I discussed in our last blog post here, starting your day off strong with 20-30 grams of protein in the morning will set the tone for the rest of the day. It will keep you satiated and you’ll avoid being hungry 2 hours later.
