Business Travel and Weight Loss

cheeky_charlie_94

Hi,

I am currently travelling for work usually leaving on Monday morning and returning Thursday night. I have been struggling with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and have found my self gaining weight. The main problem is that I am a complete sugar addict and I don't keep a lot of food in my house in case it goes bad as i don't cook often so when I return for the weekend i automatically turn to convenience/junk food.

I was just wondering if anyone was in a similar situation and had any tips for travelling and keeping a healthier lifestyle

My current meals are as follows:
When travelling:
No breakfast (i usually don't make it in time)
Lunch: Sandwich, wrap or pastry, a chocolate bar and bottle of pepsi max
Dinner: same as lunch or a burger & chips or pizza
Snacks: Chocolate bar/Haribo

When at home:
Breakfast: Porridge or nothing
Lunch/Dinner: i will usually just buy some junk food to snack to avoid cooking

tequila5000

When you log these meals into MFP, are you over or under your daily calorie goal? My thought is that even when traveling, meals, snacks, and beverages can be logged.

nowine4me

I was a road warrior for years, it’s hard. Especially with business dinners at great restaurants with fancy wine. My reco:

When traveling: wrap, fruit, water, veggies, hummus, more fruit
Home: stop at grocery and get the exact same things & porridge, pre-made salads, canned beans, frozen veggies

kommodevaran

It sounds to me that your main problems are that you can't or don't want to cook, and your eating habits.

A healthy diet can be built up in a number of ways. If you plan, you can eat well and avoid waste. Many foods keep well for years in your cupboard, and if you have a freezer, you're very flexible. Many foods keep well for a week or two in the fridge. Plan to eat up the perishables first. You cen get real food anywhere, even on the go, and if you eat well for your meals, you won't need snacks.

amgreenwell

Road warrior lifestyle is hard. You gotta make that money but you've also gotta keep up your healthy lifestyle. First, before you leave, choose in your head that you are going to make the right choices as if someone is watching over you and you are going to log to the best of your ability.
Breakfast: eat at the hotel and eat all the oatmeal and protein you can get
snack: apple or other fruit snagged from the hotel breakfast bar and maybe a cheese stick or other protein
lunch: salad with protein, very little dressing, cheese or other high fat ingredients...load it up on veggies
snack: cheese or pb crackers
dinner: protein and lots of veggies
To avoid sweets, always have a snack with you that seems to satisfy the sweet tooth while being healthy-- fruit, dried fruit, some small chocolates, etc.

sugom2

Most hotels' breakfast bars have enough food on them that you can take extra up to your room so you have it for later. I used to make a couple of trips downstairs--once to get coffee and take back yogurts, hard boiled eggs, a little cereal in a coffee cup with lid. I would make yogurt parfaits and take them with me to the "office I traveled to". If not, pack a lunch box and freezer packs in your suitcase so you have a lunch box of your own. At least you will have two healthy meals of your choosing (breakfast and lunch). Dinner? Run by the local grocery and get things at the beginning of your work week (if you are staying in one place for the week--which was my experience. Helped me stay on track. One month I went to the local thrift store and bought a blender so I could make smoothies, then I donated it back before Ieft to return home.

steveko89

Weight gain associated with the amount of travel and disregard for what/how much I was eating when I first started working was what brought me to MFP in the first place. It takes some trial and error, and a little bit of planning but I learned quickly that if I had a plan I was happy with I was pretty likely to stick to it, but if I let myself make arrangements as I went it was often an unmitigated caloric disaster. I used to have a pretty similar schedule where I'd leave on Monday morning and not get back until Thursday PM or Friday. Once I would arrive at my destination I would stop at a grocery/mega store (Walmarts and super targets are good for consistency) and would buy 4-5 apples, and 8 EAS protein shakes; 1 apple + 2 shakes = breakfast & lunch. I had it worked out with my office manager that this was acceptable to put on my expense report in lieu of daily breakfasts/lunches. I understand this isn't for everyone but I found it was the best way for me to stick to my calories. You could easily substitute real food for the shakes but I found them convenient. For dinner, my position rarely dictated dining out with clients/vendors, etc. so I was largely left to my own devices. Chipotle, Subway, and Chick-fil-a were my go-tos and I didn't deviate from my staples once I got them figured out. For being home, I suggest taking a similar approach. When you return from your trip, stop at the store before you even get home. have a plan for what you want to eat for however many days you'll be home and only get what you need to you're not wasting any food or $$$. It's not a hot tip or sexy strategy by any means but it should work if executed.

dsboohead

It really is how important it is for you to make mindful choices.Is it important to you or concern you at all?
I see so much sugar...candy and soda on your daily menu that my pancreas went into shock!
If you have junk available to you...I am sure there has got to be healthier CHOICES as well. A premade sandwich or a variety of fast foods has healthy items if you are on the road. Alot of hotel rooms have microwaves. Stop at a grocery store and pick up convenience there.
Its your choice.

kommodevaran

steveko89 wrote: »

Weight gain associated with the amount of travel and disregard for what/how much I was eating when I first started working was what brought me to MFP in the first place. It takes some trial and error, and a little bit of planning but I learned quickly that if I had a plan I was happy with I was pretty likely to stick to it, but if I let myself make arrangements as I went it was often an unmitigated caloric disaster. I used to have a pretty similar schedule where I'd leave on Monday morning and not get back until Thursday PM or Friday. Once I would arrive at my destination I would stop at a grocery/mega store (Walmarts and super targets are good for consistency) and would buy 4-5 apples, and 8 EAS protein shakes; 1 apple + 2 shakes = breakfast & lunch. I had it worked out with my office manager that this was acceptable to put on my expense report in lieu of daily breakfasts/lunches. I understand this isn't for everyone but I found it was the best way for me to stick to my calories. You could easily substitute real food for the shakes but I found them convenient. For dinner, my position rarely dictated dining out with clients/vendors, etc. so I was largely left to my own devices. Chipotle, Subway, and Chick-fil-a were my go-tos and I didn't deviate from my staples once I got them figured out. For being home, I suggest taking a similar approach. When you return from your trip, stop at the store before you even get home. have a plan for what you want to eat for however many days you'll be home and only get what you need to you're not wasting any food or $$$. It's not a hot tip or sexy strategy by any means but it should work if executed.

Well I think it's sexy I find things that work, strangely exciting.

funjen1972

My travel strategy is very similar to @steveko89. I hit the grocery store my first night in town for breakfast and lunch, which I expense. I buy things like FF greek yogurt, fruit, veggies, canned soup, tuna, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal. I always go out to dinner. Dinners are typically a protein (chicken, salmon, black bean or turkey burger) and basic sides like veggies and potato or rice.

At home I always have pantry staples, similar to my breakfast/lunch while traveling - soup, oatmeal, greek yogurt, frozen cooked sliced chicken breast, whole grain pasta, pasta sauce, eggs, wraps or tortillas, pesto, frozen veggies, etc....

Last night after a week of travel I had cheese, crackers and a glass of wine for dinner because I was too tired to do anything else. I almost ran out to a sub shop for dinner, but decided my couch was more inviting.

It really is all about choices. The easiest way to make good choices is to set yourself up for success. Keep a variety of nutritious lower calorie foods on hand to grab whenever you want.

Although you don't need to exercise, it certainly helps when you sit in meetings all day. I hit the hotel treadmill every evening before dinner and sometimes swim when I get back.

WinoGelato

This doesn’t sound so much of an issue with business travel as poor food choices making it difficult for you to eat in a calorie deficit. Even when you’re not traveling you choose “junk to avoid cooking”. So it isn’t the Travel that’s the problem.

You don’t have to be a gourmet cook to make healthier choices, nor do you have to completely cut out sweets in order to be successful. But you do need to find a way of eating that enables you to achieve a calorie deficit that is nutritious, satiating, and enjoyable.

There are lots of fast, convenient, healthy foods available at grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.

Lots of changes you could make to the existing choices as well - swapping out the Pepsi Max for diet soda. Grabbing a salad instead of a sandwich. Cut veggies with hummus or peanut butter and apple instead of chips and the candy bars.

What sort of hotel do you typically stay in? Do you have a kitchenette? A refrigerator/microwave? Is there one in the lobby you can use? Does it have an exercise room? What sort of area are you working/staying in? Are there walking trails? Grocery store?

What’s your aversion to cooking on the weekends?