Sticking to Your Diet While Traveling

You’ve been sticking to your diet for the past several months and have even shed several pounds. Then, you start to panic, realizing you soon have to go out of town for at least a week.

Granted, traveling can destroy your weight loss program if you let it. However, it doesn’t have to ruin your diet. With some advanced planning, you can stick to your food plan, as well as maintain a fitness routine, even while traveling.

Determine Your Goals before Leaving

Before departing for your trip sit down and decide what you plan to do regarding your diet. Do you intend to cheat a little, maintain your weight, or even continue to lose more weight on the trip?

Pack Portable Survival Foods

When you’re not at home, your regular eating routine can be interrupted. Pack a few healthy snacks that will get your through so you won’t overdo it when you’re either dining out or eating late-hour meals at someone else’s home. Portable foods are also necessary when flying, so you won’t be tempted to give in to fattening airline snacks. A few suggestions for snacks may include:

• Low sugar and/or low fat energy bars (or granola bars)
• Baby carrots
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Small cans of chick peas
• Sesame seeds, nuts

Eating Out

Choose safe restaurants - Select restaurants that are less likely to sabotage your diet. However, if you don’t have a choice, then be careful about what you eat. You can always eat only half of your portion and save the rest for lunch the next day. If you’re following the Weight Watchers Flex Plan (where every food has a points value), check out websites where you can know how many points are in each entree. Again, just eat a portion of the meal if it’s loaded with points.

Be assertive – Ask your server if there’s an alternative to that large baked potato (such as a vegetable.) Ask how a dish is prepared (baked, friend or steamed) and be sure you don’t choose fried. Skip the bread and for dessert have coffee, along with fruit.

Keeping Fit While Traveling

Besides staying on your food plan, also decide you will continue to burn calories, both getting to your destination, as well as after you arrive.

Walk in the airport---Try to get to your terminal gate early so you’ll have time to walk. If you're traveling with a trusted friend or family member, have him (or her) watch your carry-on luggage while you walk up and down the terminal. If you have a long layover, this is a great way to pass the time as well as burn calories.

Use motel fitness centers – Choose a motel where there’s a fitness center so you can work out. If your motel doesn’t have one, you can always walk around the building for thirty minutes.

Maybe your goal is not to lose weight, but to only maintain. On the other hand, you may want to splurge just a little. But don’t overdo it because it’s hard to get back on your food program after a binge. When you get home, go directly back on your food plan. Weigh yourself immediately, even if you feel you have gained weight. Don’t let a short period of time destroy your entire weight loss efforts just because you feel you blew it on a trip.

Walk While Waiting to Board Your Fllight

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