Whether you travel all the time for business or have a much-anticipated holiday coming up next month, there is no reason that being away from home should derail your weight loss goals or healthy lifestyle. With unhealthy foods all around you and plenty of ‘other’ activities taking you away from exercise, there’s no lack of temptation, but healthy travel is possible with a little preparation.
Whether you travel all the time for business or have a much-anticipated holiday coming up next month, there is no reason that being away from home should derail your weight loss goals or healthy lifestyle. With unhealthy foods all around you and plenty of ‘other’ activities taking you away from exercise, there’s no lack of temptation, but healthy travel is possible with a little preparation.
The story of Sally Symonds:
When I first began my weight loss journey more than 10 years ago travel scared me too. Since that time, I have lost over 50% of my total weight and kept it off. At the same time, my career and personal life has taken me all over the world. Without key strategies to maintain my healthy lifestyle—and lower weight!—I would have long since failed.
The good news is that the core of my strategy to lose weight through simple exercise and healthy food choices, not outrageous diets and 12-week ‘go hard or go home’ exercise routines, is the perfect match for travel as well as everyday life. Until then, use these tips to make sure that your next travel experience is the healthiest it can possibly be.
1. Choose Your Accommodations Wisely
Understanding the trends towards healthy living and the need that individuals have to maintain their lifestyles even away from home, more and more hotels are taking steps to make your experience more ‘home’ like. When researching accommodations pay attention to whether they offer healthy food options for breakfast and room service. An in-house gym is also clearly an advantage. Finally, if at all possible, find a hotel with a kitchenette, or at least a mini-fridge. That way, you can go shopping once you arrive and prepare much of your own food.
2. Consider Your Itinerary
If you are travelling for a conference, consider staying at a hotel within a reasonable walking distance of the conference centre, 1 km or so. This forces you to walk to and from the conference at least once per day and adds an ‘accidental workout’ onto your itinerary each day. Likewise, research the food choices at any event you attend as well as nearby restaurants and fast food places before you arrive. Many places publish nutritional information online or will email or fax you a menu to view. Choose which meals you will eat beforehand and be ready to suggest where you will dine with companions based on this research.
3. Keep Your Routine Consistent
This is not always completely possible, but to the extent that you can, maintain the routine you follow at home. Do you rise early to work out? Do it while you’re on the road. Do you pack the same lunch each day? Try to put together a similar version utilising the hotel fridge and carry it with you. These small reminders of your ‘real’ life will not only keep you on track while travelling, but help you fall back into your typical routines once you return.
4. Always Go Prepared
Never leave for a trip without work out clothing—trainers, bike shorts, a swimsuit (if there’s a pool)—if you are not ready to exercise, you cannot. If you must take a long plane trip, look up in-flight exercises that will keep your blood flowing and prevent stiffness from long term sitting. At the same time, make sure you pack pre-portioned healthy snacks that will sustain you for the duration of your travel time so you don’t arrive at your destination starving and ready to make bad decisions or, worse, buying over-priced, unhealthy airplane food.
Final Thoughts
Remember, travel, even business travel should be enjoyable. You get to go new places, meet new people, and generally ‘detach’ from the stresses of everyday life. However, that does not mean that you should let go of your healthy lifestyle and weight loss goals. And, with a little preparation and the right attitude you don’t need to.
Sally Symonds lost over 50% of her original body weight and kept it off for over a decade
Need more healthy lifestyle tips and tricks? You can read more about Sally’s weight loss journey and how she has helped others at www.sallysymonds.com.au
