John Limpus

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Travel Ruining Your Healthy Lifestyle?

Staying in shape is hard enough for most people at home, yet when you go abroad, for either business or pleasure, it can seem nearly impossible!

And isn’t it frustrating. You work so hard to get near your target weight (or fitness goals) and then you lose it all! It can seem like there is no time to exercise and with all that rushing to and from airports fast food can often seem like the only option.

So can you really eat healthily abroad, or is a healthy lifestyle just for people that don’t travel? Well the answer is thankfully YES but it does require a little more planning. Read on to find out how you can make it easier…

On The Plane

Avoid Airline food

This is a must, the crisps and peanuts will certainly be adding to your holiday weight gain before you finish the flight and the airline meals won’t be much better. By buying some decent sandwiches, fruit and plenty of water in the airport you CAN eat healthily during your flight. You just need to think ahead.

Get Up at least once an hour whilst on the flight / or stop the car every two hours for some movement.

Moving your body can burn additional calories and will also help you sleep better once your journey is over. I have heard people talking about doing lunges and squats in the aisles on a plane or doing shoulder shrugs whilst they are seated but really…. this looks weird and not even I would do this! What I suggest is simply going to the toilet or stopping on a country lane and doing 4 x 20secs of squats with 10 seconds rest in between each set. YES it’s going to be cramped (if you are in the airplane Loo) or a bit of a hassle if you have to stop the car, but it will make all the difference in keeping you healthy and fit while you are away.

Try Not To Sleep

Sleep on a plane is normally really poor quality sleep and is highly likely to muck up your energy and sleep patterns for the rest of the trip. Watch a movie, read a book, do some work but really really try to avoid sleeping. Save this for your first night away.

At The Hotel / Apartment / Villa

Bring Your Gym Gear

On arriving get your gym gear OUT OF YOUR BAG and put it on a chair in full view. This way you might actually use it! Any workout you do doesn’t have to be a long one OR in a gym. The UV resources page – has plenty of 12 minute workouts you can do in your hotel room, or simply go for a run to explore the area. Any movement is better than none.

Get Some Sleep

Resist the urge to stay up late working or simply passing the time in the hotel bar. You need your 8 hours for health reasons and productivity. (If you are on holiday this one is optional!)

Eating Out

Meals abroad, especially with work, tend to come in TWO categories, slow meals – (where you will sit down with friends of collegues for a proper meal) and fast meals (where you will be eating on the run and probably only have a few minutes to eat), however if you are on Holiday rather than work trip there is a third category, eating in.

Here are a few tips on each.

Eating In (For those of you on Holiday)

By buying fresh whole foods in a local market or supermarket you can not only experiencing a little more local culture, but eat well AND save money. By all means go to restaurants occasionally but try to avoid the habit of DEPENDING on restaurants for all your food. The quality of the food can vary widely and the sauces and preservatives used are likley to play havoc with your waistline!

Slow Meals

LEAN MARINE AND GREEN

The key words to remember with eating out are “LEAN MARINE and GREEN” Focus on the fish, lean meats such as chicken and make sure you always go for the side of salad rather than chips or potatoes.

Try and order FIRST

Ordering first allows you to set a healthy precedent rather than be the odd one out if everyone else has been indulgent.

Order fruits for dessert.

Always go for the wine rather than beers and mixers. Make sure there is a jug of water on the table and use it.

Fast Meals

Damage Limitation

A sandwich is always better than a burger, and always make sure you get some water with it rather than a fizzy drink or fruit juice. If you must have a fruit juice, go for the flavoured waters or a natural fruit juice if you can find it.

LEAN GREEN AND MARINE

If you are ordering a sandwich avoid extra sauces and ideally keep it LEAN GREEN AND MARINE.

Alternatives to Chocolate Bars

Fruit and nuts are a far better option than chocolate bars although you might have to buy them ahead of time.

More Water

Drink plenty of water to keep the cravings at bay.

Portion Control

Watch portion size. Remember that it is a snack and not your main meal.

In Summary

Keeping your healthy lifestyle on track is possible while you are traveling, however, it does take more planning, time and effort to do so. Whilst this may seem a little disheartening (especially if you were expecting a magic trick that made it all simple!) it can be the difference between success and failure for many weight loss regimes so don’t underestimate it’s importance!

Happy Travels!

John