How to Travel Without Ruining Your Progress
If you travel a lot like me, you know it can be hard to keep up a healthy lifestyle on the road. Whether you travel for work or for fun, you don’t have the same control over your routine you do at home. Below is how I approach different aspects of travel:
RESTAURANTS:
If I have the option of choosing a restaurant, I check out google maps and look for something with healthier options. The first foods I always look for are salmon, grilled chicken, or salads with the option to add a protein.
If the restaurant you’re at doesn’t have what you’re looking for, ask! Of course they say no sometimes, but more often than not they make what I ask for. This morning I asked a cafe to make me a hard-boiled egg, a side of avocado and arugula with lemon – perfect to take on my commute. I’ve also had success asking airport restaurants for salads on the lunch menu at 9am.
That being said, there are also times when I don’t have control over what I’m eating at all (catered lunches, group orders, etc.) or times I just really want something that’s not the “healthy” option. In those scenarios I eat in moderation! Paying attention to when you’re full and not overeating goes a long way.
FAST FOOD:
There are plenty of times where I have to go through a drive-thru (or choose to.. whoops). It’s really not the end of the world. I like to pull up their menu ahead of time to look at nutritional information. If you’ve never done this, go look right now – it’s probably not as bad as you think. If you stick to chicken sandwiches, small burgers, or nuggets you can easily get a meal with a decent amount of protein for under 500 calories. The key to this is to SKIP THE EXTRAS. Fries, sauces, and drinks all add a couple hundred calories each.
If you guys are interested in a post about all of my fast-food chain go-to orders, let me know. I have one for pretty much every place you can think of.
TRAVEL SNACKS:
I try to pack my own travel snacks instead of buying them on the road or at the airport. This saves a ton of money and is way healthier. I always bring dried mangoes. always. They are hands down my top travel snack. I also like to bring protein powder, nuts, and snack bars.
WORKING OUT:
To be honest, working out is not always going to happen and that’s okay. I always pack my running shoes just in case though! On days that I can’t squeeze a workout in, I try to walk everywhere as much as possible. I always walk to get coffee in the mornings instead of getting it from my hotel and walk to get dinner.
I also try to book hotels with gyms. When they don’t have gyms, I have a subscription to the Sweat app and do BBG in the hotel room. Making up your own workouts or YouTube workouts would also work! There’s always room for ab exercises, push-ups, squats & lunges.
FOOD TRAVEL DIARY:
BREAKFAST
Hard boiled egg, avocado, arugula with lemon, cup of fresh fruit
Almond Milk Latte
SNACK
Pistachios
Dried mangoes
LUNCH
Wendy’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich (330 calories, 14 g protein)
DINNER
Oysters (4)
Charcuterie board + bread
Wine
As you can see, I’m not super strict while traveling. I try to find a balance between making healthy choices and still enjoying myself. The important part is that you resume your normal routine when you get back!