To Travel is to Live

A 3 minute read - A Guide to Navigating Travel & Managing Your Weight
---------------------
Vacation plans are exciting but can cause some anxiety if you are working hard towards some important goals regarding health and fitness. Can you go away for a week or weekend and not derail all your progress? Heck yes you can! You might experience a slow-down in your progress but there is no need to go backwards; you just need some guidelines
 
When you are on a weight loss plan it’s important to remember that there are times that you are ‘all in’; focused and driven for weeks at a time and then there are brief periods (like vacations) where you pull back just a little giving yourself a bit of a reprieve without going back to square one; a diet break of sorts.
 
Let’s start with the basics.
Control your environment & limit the variables where possible.
Regardless of what type of traveling you are doing you want to have a solid foundation every morning; keeping in mind that you will likely enjoy a more indulgent meal in the evenings, a high protein breakfast will set you up for a day of success

Breakfast:
Start your day with a high protein, low carb & fat breakfast. You will feel more satiated through the day and be less inclined to reach for snacks & treats that are not in your game plan.

Lunch:
This meal should also be protein laden; maybe a massive salad of fresh greens and veggies with grilled fish/chicken, dressing omitted or used sparingly. Salsa is an epic replacement for salad dressing and puts a little zip in your meal
 
Dinner:
This is the meal you have focused your day around. Keeping the eating prior to this meal, protein and veg focused, ensures you can eat and enjoy your favorite meal with little concern

Snacks:
Whilst we usually try to refrain or limit snacking, travelling is where you are more likely to snack and where they actually can make sense. Whether you are traveling by plane, train or automobile there will likely be snacks and preparing ahead of time from this basic list will help you immensely – these items are also excellent to throw in your hotel fridge should you have one:

• ​​Yogurt
• Cottage Cheese 
• Beef Jerky
• Deli Ham/turkey
• Pre-cooked Chicken Breast
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Bagged Salads
• Pre-cut veggies / fruit
• Cereals/Oatmeal
• Hummus / Guacamole single serve packs
• Sugar-free Jello
• Protein Bars

Don’t let food define your day; simply be mindful. Keep alcohol to a minimum if you do drink and keep the H2O flowing day and night.
 
When dining anywhere remember that you are in the driver’s seat; ask for what you would like prepared the way you like it as most restaurants are extremely accommodating. Don’t fall prey to ‘peer pressure’; this is your vacation too and just because others might want to over indulge around the clock that doesn’t mean you have to.
 
Embarking on a weight loss journey doesn’t require being a hermit. Life still happens and life is meant to be lived!  Relax but use what you have learned so far on your journey to make travel a little different this time around and to come home feeling good about yourself and not looking back with any regret.
 
Happy travels!
PLT Nutrition & Fitness LLC