Vacations and holiday celebrations have one thing in common. During both of these times, we gain an average of 5-8 pounds. I’m traveling right now, so eating healthfully while on the road is on the top of my mind. I’m the first to admit that traveling and dieting can inherently be a challenging combination, but it can be easy and fun, too. Successful weight loss starts with a healthy mindset and a little planning. Here are 5 easy travel tips to help you tip the scales in your favor while enjoying your vacation.
Top Travel Diet Tips:
1. Eat smaller meals more often. This principal is important to follow wherever you are, but while on the road it’s easy to sit down to a large meal as a way to celebrate your vacation or to socialize. Instead, try and space out your food intake to about 5-6 meals or snack per day. You can still enjoy an occasional larger meal. Experts state that if you follow a healthful diet 80-90% of the time you can get the same results as if you did so 100% of the time! Just go easy on your next few meals, and you should be fine.
2. Keep healthy snacks handy. We carry hummus and carrots, peanut or almond butter and celery, fruit, nuts, and such. These healthful snacks can replace much of the processed, salt and calorie-laden chips, pretzels and cookies. Then when you’re ready for a treat, you can still have an ice cream cone and feel good about it. Our favorite is the McDonald’s vanilla cones that under a dollar and contain less than 200 calories.
3. Watch what you drink. Try and stick to water 75% of the time, which goes a long way in keeping you hydrated and also supports your body in its’ fat burning efforts. For the other 25% of the time, coffee, tea, soda and alcohol have their place, but try and include herbal teas and coffees, organic wine, and natural sodas in this mix, too.
4. Select your menu with some care. You don’t need to be a stickler here, but keep a balance of healthy fruits, veggies and salads at most of your meals. The rule of thumb for restaurant dining is to steer clear of meals that are prepared in sauces like Alfredo, Bearnaise, and such. If you must eat a dish that includes sauce, select items like marinara or pesto, which are lighter. Also, opt for a baked potato with your entree, and go light on the butter. Whole foods offer better nutrition and less calories as a rule. A nice, light lentil soup can round out any meal.
5. Keep moving! Use vacation as a time to walk more – to museums, stores, recreation areas or anywhere. My husband took a trip to Washington, D.C. awhile back and came home 5 pounds lighter! I was amazed at this because he still indulged in an ice cream every day. He told me the trick was that he walked 5-8 miles a day, touring museums and other attractions. He also followed the other 4 tips here, as well.
When practicing these simple 5 steps, be aware of how you approach food when traveling. Many of us tend to think of vacation as a time to reward ourselves and we end up over stuffing ourselves, which brings us back to those 5-8 pounds. Instead, think of vacation as a time to rejuvenate and connect with the child in you or your higher purpose in life. Then the eating you do will naturally gravitate toward supporting your a more balanced lifestyle.
If you have great discipline while on the road, you may be able to simply follow these tips and lose weight. If you do decide to put in a little more structure, one diet that could be beneficial is Fat Loss 4 Idiots. This diet is plug-and-play. Plus, you can select foods on the list in most restaurants and it comes with automated meal planners you can create on your computer or mobile smart phone.
