How To Be On The Road And Still Lose Weight?

Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets

The daily hectic schedules and the boring repetitive days call for a holiday once in a while. Traveling is the best way to pause for a moment and celebrate life. Everything seems beautiful when you relax and enjoy the vacation mode. Explore places; go somewhere your heart always longed for and while you leave your busy life behind, do not leave your diet plans. Remember that it took a lot to reach where you are, and even a week of vacation can ruin it. 

Yes, sticking to a diet plan is too much to ask for when there are temptations all around. After all, good food and a good life are the mantras of a happy vacation. And, sometimes even if you wish to stick to your weight loss plan, it gets impractical to maintain it on a vacation. So, what do you do? 

Tricks to Keep Up With Your Diet Plans

Planning For the Journey 

When you have everything planned for the holiday with a travel itinerary in place, it becomes important to exercise ahead of the long journey. The thing is: you need to sit for the whole day whether it is on a bus, your car, or an airplane journey. This is why exercising compensates for the time you lose while sitting and doing nothing. 

Before you start your journey, have healthy snacks in your bag. Hunger can strike anytime and having some grab-on healthy snacks can save the day. When you have calorie controlled diets to follow, you can’t rely on what is sold outside. Be it a protein bar, tuna meal, fresh fruits, or even a vegetable salad; these are some great healthy options to choose from.

When on an airplane journey, it is always recommended to have light meals. There are two reasons behind it. Firstly, you are inactive through most parts of the journey. Secondly, it gets difficult for the body to digest the food when up in the air. Eat less and eat light to keep up with your body's nutritional needs. (Food that is high in fiber is a good choice owing to the good digestion it offers)

When on a long drive down the road, stopping by a drive-thru is all the more common and justified when there is nothing around. If you think that this little bit would go unnoticed, you are wrong! This is the reason that it is advised to carry a car cooler along. Stock it with some healthy meals and water bottles to help you smartly survive the journey.

It is very likely for the buses and flights to get delayed and fall off their normal departure times. And, it is again likely for you to munch on the extra calories when there is no other option left for passing time. What a wonderful thing it would be to have some healthy snacks to munch on, but only if you carry some along. When you feel hungry, just pull out the snack box and do not worry about sabotaging your fitness efforts. 

Long journeys down the road are all about sitting in one place without much movement. Not a good thing for a fitness enthusiast! This is why it is recommended to stop by for breaks and take full advantage of the time. Yes, stopping by near a crowded place and warming yourself could make you look like a fool. But, if stopping by a secluded place try and rev up your activity for about 5-10 minutes.

When You Get There

• Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

Hotels are known for good hospitality, but the good gesture may not go well with your weight loss efforts. Call your hotel ahead of time and ask them if they have mini bars in their rooms. If yes, then request them to clear it up before you arrive. When you get there and can’t see all that tempting drinks and food, you’ll not even think about it a bit. Now, you can stock your hotel room cooler with all the snacks you carried along. A job well done! 

• Where there is A Will There's A Way

Imagine that your hotel serves you a relishing mouth-watering breakfast. What would you do when you see the tempting food on the table? Denying it is not on the list, right? And, vending away our desires is anyways not a good thing on a vacation. This is when you need to follow a three-bite rule. It goes like; have the food, but only take three bites of anything you have. 

• The first bite so you do not regret you didn’t have it
• The second bite to enjoy the wonderful flavors
• The last bite to get acquainted with the taste

The trick is to chew nicely through each bite so that you stop right there.      And, in case, the food is really good and you can’t resist having the fourth; it is the time you decide between healthy and the unhealthy. Are you ready for your fitness efforts to go into the ruins? Think about it!

• Keep Calm and Stay Hydrated

Dehydration happens to be the most common problem of all when traveling. People tend to drink less water as it tends to increase trips to the restroom. But, the lack of water invites other problems such as headaches, hunger, and low energies. Be on a safer side and always carry a water bottle along. Another benefit; water will help you stay satisfied and full when the longings for the extra calories hover over you.

• The Lesser, the Better

Killing your heart desires is never recommended! When traveling, you deserve to live to fulfil your hearts’ desires without compromising on anything. On the other hand, it is not a good idea to ditch your weight loss efforts too. You have put in a lot and a vacation cannot kill it all! Imagine how you would feel when you see the weight scale reflecting a number you had long forgotten. That is why; it is a good practice to eat, but eat less. Like instead of ordering a full plate of something, order it half and then share that half with your traveling buddy. 

• Say No to Skipping the Meals

Skipping meals takes the body on a starvation mode, further leading you to binge eating on your next meal. There are chances that people skip meals when exploring places as they have no pace of time. But, skipping meals should never be on the agenda. Have an alarm set and healthy snacks in your bag, so that you eat well irrespective of where you are. Sticking to a timely meal plan also helps you get the assurance that you can fully enjoy the day out without hunger stopping you in the way. 

• The Setting Matters, Not the Food

When you are on a quest to satisfy your wanderlust desires, your basic purpose should be to enjoy. Whether it is sunbathing at the beach or trekking in the mountains; you should be living in the moment. The point is that when you are having the gala time of your life, food does not matter. Enjoy the moment, the company, the good music, and the setting while you keep your calorie intake in check.

Who says no to alcohol when on a vacation? A glass or two of wine is a perfect drink to keep the good times rolling. For you are a fitness enthusiast, you must be aware that weight loss and alcohol do not gel up well. When the drinking sessions are inevitable, you ought to limit what you gulp down your throat. Make yourself mentally strong, and then you will realize how your life will change for good. 

Not having control over what you are eating is what happens when you are traveling. The desire to try the traditional or the local food can be a once-in-a-lifetime moment. There is nothing wrong with trying new food, but paying heed to your diet levels should not be a given. The right trick is to look online for restaurants around you that offer customized meals or healthy food. Once you get there, ask if you could choose the entrees. 

Whether on a vacation or not, having a stock of probiotics could be the best thing to savour. Such foods not only boost immunity but also keep your gut happy, in case you are feeding your body something unusual. The best part is that the probiotics are on-the-go snacks; you could have anywhere and at any time. For upset stomachs too, probiotics prove to be the best natural remedy. 

The list of probiotics to add to the list:

• Kefir
• Yogurt
• Sauerkraut
• Coconut juice
• Apple cider vinegar

• Move Your Legs While You Can

Boarding a local train or a cab is the common thing to do on trips. But, why not try something new? Ask your hotel staff if there are bicycles available for rent. What next? Open your GPS and pedal to your intended destinations. Or, even better; find some nearby places you could explore such as adventures in the woods and walk your ways through it. This way you won’t even have to regret missing out on your regular gym sessions. 

• Book a Suite If You Can 

Not all can afford a suite for their accommodation needs! But, if you can bear the higher costs, then why not take the advantage. A suite would come with a kitchen and that is exactly what a health-conscious person wants. Isn’t it? Run to a grocery store nearby and prepare your meals, your way. The cost of a suite would be worth it because you are investing for a bigger purpose; your health and wellness. 

• Stop by the Juice Vendors

A healthy liquid diet is the best diet to maintain! Everyplace has juice vendors spread across the area. And, while you are wandering about the place, do not mind sipping a glass or two of fresh juice. Nothing could be more refreshing than a fresh and natural fruit juice. These energy drinks also keep you full and give satisfaction to your sweet tooth. A fact: natural fruit juices contain natural sugars that are not harmful to your fitness targets. 

• Bid Adieu to Stress and Anxiety

Sometimes people leave for a vacation when they want to avoid what is bothering them for the moment. Like if you had a breakup or dealing with business problems; you prefer running away for a while. Staying away in a new place may seem nice, but people end up binge-eating and drinking carelessly, which is not nice. You need to realize that this is not the way out! Instead, indulge in some meditation and roam around the streets discovering new places and meeting new people. 

• Keep Your Breakfasts Heavy

When out for vacation, sometimes it becomes impossible to enjoy all the meals. When you are enjoying the day out with your travel buddies, good times overpower your need to eat. Or, sometimes you may be wandering out in the woods or a secluded place where food is not readily available. This is why; having a heavy breakfast is all you need. This simple practice helps you stay full for the rest of the day, without harming your dietary needs much. 

• Escape the Elevators

When traveling with luggage, climbing up the stairs seems impossible. But, for the rest of your stay in the hotel try to climb the stairs every time. No matter at what level your room is; stairs can help you rev up your metabolism. You need to keep moving and this one challenge that helps you meet up with your daily fitness milestones. Alternatively, you could also prefer taking long walks after dinner for it greatly helps with digestion and gives you time to contemplate how your trip is turning out to be an awesome one. 

If you put your weight loss efforts on the vacation mode too, you pave the way for weight gain and regrets. But, working constructively and smartly can make your world a happy paradise. Because, when you return from your vacation and are back to your regular schedule, you will surely be one step closer to your fitness goal. There will be no place for qualms as you enjoyed the journey on one part, and did not even sabotage your efforts to stay in shape. Isn’t it all a win-win situation? 

Always remember; travel once in a while, but never give up on something that is changing you for the good!