Traveling into unknown territory can bring up a lot of questions. We’re here to help. This week’s question comes from Andrew in Long Island, who has a problem that many — if not most — of us have.
“I’m trying to lose weight. I’ve lost 15 pounds since February, but I keep wrecking my progress when I go out of town. I travel once per month for business and also went on a vacation, and every time it’s the same thing. I don’t feel like I’m eating that much.”
Gadling: First of all, congratulations on losing 15 pounds. I’m sorry to hear that travel has been getting in your way, though. Provided that you are not on a special diet and under the close supervision of a doctor, here are some tips that might help:
Don’t eat on the plane.
Airplane food can have a lot of hidden calories, not to mention preservatives. Is it really that great, even in first class? Not great enough to justify eating it. We tend to not even count airplane food as a real “meal.” You’re still going to want to try some local cuisine when you get off the plane, so save your appetite. If the flight is really long (I’m already assuming it’s decently long if they’re serving food at all), try packing sandwiches and fruit so that you have control over what you’re eating. At the very least, grab yourself a small square of dark chocolate or an apple and forgo whatever sugary cake they put on your tray table.
Get some exercise.
Exercising can be a great way to see a new city. If you’re on vacation, it’s easy to justify going for long walks; you may not even notice them. Additionally, check out what bike rides, kayak tours, hikes and other active-activities are available. On the other hand, if you’re just in some industrial complex in middle America every other week for meetings, getting out can be a little trickier. Make a commitment to use the hotel gym at least once for every two days you’re out of town, and if the hotel your company uses doesn’t have one, bring it up with your boss and see if they can start using a new one or provide you with a local gym membership while you’re there. Asking for a way to help you stay healthy may seem embarrassing, but it’s not out of the question. Just don’t phrase it like you’re looking for an upgrade.
Don’t “vacation eat.”
We’ve all said it: “I can eat whatever I want, it’s vacation!” or thought: “I might not ever get to eat at this restaurant again, so I’d better have a feast.” Well, if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s not a vacation from that, and whether you’ll ever be at a restaurant again or not, overeating doesn’t make any logical sense. The way to avoid “vacation eating” is to make sure you’ve lined up lots of fun things to do; that way, you don’t find yourself coasting from meal to meal. If there’s nothing planned but breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner, you’ll naturally try and get all you can out of those events, which can include multiple courses and cleaning your plate — neither of which is necessary. Use the same tricks you would at home; ask yourself how hungry you are on a scale of one to ten and order accordingly. Don’t make food the main event of your day or your vacation.
If work for you involves long, multi-course lunches, first of all, congratulations, your job rocks. But really, you don’t have to eat all that much. Keep drinking water, eat more of the salad and less of the potatoes. Don’t clean your plate. These things may seem ineffectual, and on their own, they are; but if you do them as a rule, they can make a big difference.
Keep the drinking under control.
Not that you have a problem or anything. Most of us tend to drink more when we’re away. Whether it’s boredom while alone in a hotel room, work buddies, friends you don’t usually get to see or you’re just plain “vacation drinking,” keep the caloric content of drinks — and the fact that drinking can lead to more eating — in mind. If you’re concerned that someone will give you a hard time if you don’t have a drink in your hand, or that you won’t have as much fun, try just replacing a drink here and there with a plain soda with lime from the bar. It looks like a drink, so you won’t feel (or look) like you’re not participating.