Advice Needed! Going on a 1 month roadtrip!

niki342

Hello everyone! My husband and I are going on a month long road trip this summer. I'm excited of course- we're teachers and we play in a band and are going to do some acoustic gigs on the way. We'll be traveling from Rocky Point Mexico, to Austin, TX, out to New Orleans, through Nashville, Chicago, Detroit, and finally New York City (so I can see Hamilton!!).

Excitement aside- I am also worried as heck! Road trip = sedentary, and Chicago, New Orleans, NYC = lots of delicious/dangerous food. I have lost about 18 pounds since January and still need to lose 15 more by November to meet my goal (also my Healthy Wager- I've got money on the line!!) I don't want to go backwards. Does anyone have any advice/car-doable exercises or anything else that would help?? Thank you!!

ridge4mfp

Will you be staying in hotels or traveling in a RV or ??

Enjcg5

Following. We are doing a 2 week road trip soon. So far I plan on having: a cooler with hard boiled eggs, cheese, greek yogurt etc. nuts portioned out, my own tea bags, fruit, etc. my plan when we eat out will be to get the leanest protein on the menu and pack in veggies.

RosieRose7673

It doesn't have to be sedentary! You're going to some pretty walkable places! I live in Chicago and routinely get about 20,000 steps a day just walking everywhere. It can be an inconvenience (and expensive) to drive everywhere. I assume NYC is the same. Do some touristy stuff before your gigs (I assume they are at night).

Just try to keep busy when you're not in your car. It'll be a fun time!

MelaniaTrump

Get a protein bar and see if it's something you could eat on your trip.

Machka9

Be as active as possible.

Bring or rent bicycles.
Walk.
If you see a place along a lake or river that rents out canoes or kayaks by the hour ... go for it.
Walk lots!
Spend a day hiking trails.
Use the hotel gym and/or pool.

My husband and I are cyclists so we often have our bicycles with us when we travel, but in addition to that, we'll try to get accommodation that is fairly centrally located and then we walk to find dinner and do some sightseeing. Sometimes those walks can end up being several km in an evening as we see what's around the next corner.

We also enjoy hiking to see tourist attractions (viewpoints at the top of mountains etc.), stopping to spend an hour in a kayak or canoe, and using whatever facilities the hotel or campground might have to offer.

It's a good idea to stop every couple hours (or more if you can) to get out and stretch anyway, so we'll be driving along and spot a rest area, then walk around the rest area, and if there's a short hiking trail or something we'll go do that.

TasiaD28

Go for a run when/if you stop at a hotel and some other body weight strength exercises

ElizabethOakes2

I always try to book hotels with pools, but I know sometimes that's just not feasible. Also, schedule walking into the trip- I know it's hard when you have performance gigs, rehearsals, and tons of driving, but even just a five minute quick walk around a rest stop can make a big difference.
Also, keep things like protein bars and drinks on hand, as well as other nutritious snacks. If you have an Ensure before walking into that restaurant, you'll be better able to eat salad and soup instead of a pile of nachos.

Sounds like the trip of a lifetime! Have a great time, don't stress about it too much, and just do what you can to keep your health up.

kirstinethornburg

Think grilled or baked meats no buns and watch dressing on salads when eating in restraunts and think lean and green

playadelcarmen2

I spend a month in Mexico every year, just got home last week. As of today, I weigh the exact same as when I left, I did insanity and T25 on alternate days, took some 15 and 40 lb resist bands and did those every other day. I also, walked about 5 miles a day, sightseeing and swam everyday. I did all this so I could sit on a beach and drink beer and eat cheetos everyday and not do to much damage. In the five years I have been doing this, I have never had extra weight on after a week of being home. I have to contribute it to being very active. Also, this is not something I do year around. I drink maybe once a month at most and won't have another cheeto until I'm on the beach in Mexico again next year. Good luck to you, stay active and have fun!!

cbelc2

My 2 friends and I did a 3 week road trip with a pickup truck and 2 tents. We are professionals, and did this as a grand adventure. We ate in restaurants twice. I was the designated cook. I pre-planned and made my own mixes and incorporated lots of whole grains. We had 3 stops at organic grocery stores for fresh items. The crockpot was set up in the truck to cook while we traveled. We looked for exercise opportunities and found amazing places. So, one does not have to eat in restaurants nor gain weight on a road trip.

sllm1

Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk! There's so much sightseeing to do!

I also try to eat a planned breakfast and lunch so that I can enjoy my dinner out.

puffbrat

Stop at interesting places/tourist attractions/hiking trails along the way and get out and walk. Try to walk at 30-60 minutes each day. This will make sitting in the car easier too.

Bring a cooler and take snacks and even lunch things from the grocery store with you in the car. If you can limit eating out to 1-2 times per day, that could really help control the amount of calories consumed. When my husband and I go on vacation anywhere, road trip or just staying in a hotel, we buy sandwich stuff and fruit for lunches so we aren't eating out every meal. We also often buy bagels or something else easy for breakfast for the same reason. And bring a lot of snacks in the cooler for road trips so we aren't constantly stopping, but this also helps control what we eat.

niki342

Great advice everyone! I am definitely going to use your ideas for packing meals/snacks as we go, and I definitely plan to get in lots of sightseeing. I use a fitness app on my phone (8fit) that can have me doing exercises pretty much everywhere. Thanks for the great advice!