“I want to lose weight but I am always traveling for work.”
If I had 1$ for every time I heard someone give this reason for not achieving their weight loss goals.
I’d have another passive source of income.
Yes you can lose weight while traveling.
Yes you can do it without having to carry your meals everywhere.
No you don’t need to wait until you are not traveling to start your fat loss journey.
The fundamentals of weight loss remain the same whether you are traveling or not. Eat less energy than you burn.
Less input. More output.
As long as you can ensure that, you will be on track.
Here are 10 effective strategies you can apply to keep burning body fat on your next travel.
At the end of the post you will also get a link to download a free travel cheatsheet with all the strategies.
1. Pack a whey protein supplement
Lean protein is the most scarce macronutrient in restaurant meals. Even when you do get lean protein, it is usually cooked in a lot of oil.
Meaning it isn’t quite lean by the time it is on your plate.
A whey protein supplement resolves this problem. It is convenient. It is low-calorie. It is affordable.
2 scoops of a whey protein supplement will cover 50% of most people’s daily protein needs.
Most brands these days provide bags of protein supplements. These are easy to carry. If you only have a tub of whey protein. Buy zip-lock bags and fill a couple of those for your travel.
Once your protein needs are taken care of everything else becomes much easier to navigate.
2. Don’t eat foods which you don’t normally eat
If you don’t eat Chicken Butter Masala for lunch while home. You probably shouldn’t be eating that while traveling.
Exploring different foods is great while on vacation. But if you have a weight loss goal. And your purpose for travel is work.
Keep your food choices as close to your regular diet as possible.
That means sticking to your basic single ingredient items like rice, vegetables, chicken breast, fish, milk and eggs.
3. Buy easy-to-consume food items and keep them in your room
Go to a nearby supermarket and make a few purchases. Buy a pack of oatmeal, some bread, milk cartons.
If you have some kind of cooking arrangement in your room, get some eggs.
Buy fruits. They are low-calorie, full of micronutrients and fiber.
When you have access to diet-friendly food choices, it is less likely that you will resort to ordering-in.
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4. Carry a zero calorie sweetener and pick zero calorie beverages
Most places serve tea and coffee with sugar on the side. If you are a regular tea drinker, a zero calorie sweetener is indispensable.
Although sugar by itself is not fattening. The calories from sugar in multiple cups of tea throughout the day can add up fast.
If you want to drink something cold, pick a can of diet soda.
Avoid alcohol as much as possible.
5. Fill your plate with salad and protein before anything else
Both of these foods are satiating and keep you feeling full.
If you are at a buffet with unlimited food choices, load up on salad and protein. Everything else should be an afterthought.
Skip the dessert.
Tired of losing & regaining the same weight?
6. Walk. Walk. Walk.
Walk everywhere. Keep track of your step count and try to get in a minimum of 10k steps.
Walk while you are talking on the phone. While you read. While you are browsing the internet.
Since you may err on the side of eating more calories because of the cooking methods used in restaurants. It is wise to aim for a bigger step count than what you normally do.
7. Carry a water bottle everywhere you go
Hydration is important. Not just for fat loss but for health in general.
And if you have hectic days when you’re constantly on the move. You may not be drinking sufficient water.
Make it a habit to carry a bottle of water everywhere you go. Get a water reminder app on your phone that sends periodic alerts to hydrate yourself.
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8. If possible get a full body workout done
You may not have the time for your regular workout. And that is alright.
As long as you keep the rest of the pointers in mind. Missing a couple of weight-training sessions won’t do any damage.
But if you get a chance and have some time in hand. Do a full-body workout.
2 sets of all the major movements taken to technical failure. And you’ll have provided your muscles with sufficient stimulus for the next few days to come.
9. Don’t compromise on sleep
When people think about losing weight they only think of nutrition and exercise.
And often overlook sleep.
But not getting sufficient sleep can mess with your hunger hormones. It may lead you to make poor food choices the next day. And increase cravings.
This is especially important while traveling because you are constantly exposed to delicious calorie-dense foods.
Skip the night-time screen-scrolling. And go to sleep.
You will do a much better job sticking to your diet the next day.
10. Avoid all-or-nothing mentality
You are traveling. There can be slip-ups.
You may have induldged in some chocolate ice-cream after lunch.
Maybe you ordered a burger with fries after your hectic workday.
And that’s alright.
As much as we would like to be 100% on track, we make mistakes.
Make a conscious decision to get back on track right after.
It is not one single decision that deviates you from your weight loss progress. It is a cascade of poor decisions.
Catch yourself in action and make the right choice.
These are 10 strategies to keep in mind when you are traveling for work.
You can download and print this cheatsheet for easy reference.
If you have been trying to reach your weight loss goals for a while now, but are struggling a bit in the process.
It’s probably because of a lack of consistency, a lack of guidance or a lack of support.
If you’d like a 24×7 support system to hold your hand and guide you through the process till you get to your goals, you should consider 1-on-1 coaching with Workday Physique.
