Working out of town has its own challenges!

mexico4fun

I am out of town working over the weekend. Eating in restaurants while I am out of town is always a challenge.

Here are my strategies to keep on track:

I ensure that I do something physical each day. That could include going mall walking (if the weather is crappy), using the hotel gym (if there is one and it is quiet) or doing at least 30 minutes of basic exercises in my hotel room (including push-ups, sit-ups, burpies, walking lunges, squats, tricep dips).
I try to book rooms that have fridges and/or microwaves and decent breakfast programs in the morning. (I can usually find instant oatmeal or make my own if not)
I don't socialize with the group much and if I do, I don't partake in the drinking and eating that occurs in the evening sometimes.
I make sure I go to bed at a decent time and ensure that I drink enough water during my stay.

If you go out of town for business, what strategies do you employ to stay on track?

srp2011

This is a great topic - right now I'm enjoying a 6 week break from work-related travel, but it's about to start up again in February, and travel is the big thing that tends to derail me. I find the biggest problem is mental, and related to workload - in the past I've tried to juggle multiple projects on top of the trip that I am on for a given client, which leads me to being exhausted, mentally and physically. My plan for this year is to try to avoid that situation as much as possible, so I have the energy and willpower to implement some healthy strategies while traveling.

The two things I find most helpful when I can do them are getting to the gym (even if it's just 30 minutes walking on the treadmill if I can't get there until late at night, or if I don't want to break a sweat because I have to meet people afterwards) - it helps to keep me in the right mindset, it's some movement, and it's both re-energizing and relaxing, if that makes sense.

The other thing I've found most helpful is ordering a salad with protein for lunch/dinner if I'm out at a restaurant (dressing on the side) - I can really get into trouble with oversized portions, and high fat or high starch meals, so the salad really minimizes the damage. It takes some willpower, because all the decadent options (like pasta!) look so good, especially when I'm tired, but when I do it, I feel great. Another option is to mix and match a few appetizers, especially if ordering room service, like a shrimp cocktail or crabcake with a side salad or soup.

Buffets aren't usually a problem, I try to take small portions and load up on the veggies. Cocktail parties with hors d'oevres and alcohol tend to be my trouble areas - your suggestion of avoiding the alcohol is a good one, since this usually lowers resistance to all the goodies... sometimes work has been helpful here, since I beg out of the social functions to go back to my room to work, LOL Another problem area is the snacks that they put out during breaks, which at some of the meetings I go to can be really excessive and unhealthy... if fruit or veggies are available, I try to load up on those.

mexico4fun

Good luck in Feb! Hopefully your strategies will work as they all take discipline. One thing that has helped me with regards to declining any alcohol at functions is the fact that I am on heart medication that is not alcohol friendly! There were no comments this last trip about me not partaking in having anything to drink when everyone was enjoying wine, they are getting used to it. My biggest struggle was getting to the gym in the very large hotel I was staying in. The first day therre were a lot of people there and I am used to working out virtually alone. I asked the front desk when the quiet times were in the gym and they told me and the rest of the week I pretty much had the gym to myself...including the TV clicker!
Let us know how it goes for you. I am home now again until the end of March. Schedule is stable for a little while.

srp2011

Managed to get to the gym on my trip this weekend - yay! I just walked on the treadmill because I had just eaten dinner, but importantly, I DID go.

The problems I ran into on this trip involved food - the airport offerings were particularly bad, and for dinner, we ate at a high-end steakhouse where they didn't have dinner salads to choose from, which was what I was planning, and I wound up with scallops, which would normally be a good choice, but these were soaked in bacon grease...

BUT, I learned some new strategies - one of my colleagues ordered a soup when we were having our salads, and then got a appetizer salad for the main course - would have been a much better choice for me, so I learned to think outside the box when choosing between options.

As for the airport food I'm going to look around for things I can pack and take with me - everyone says nuts, but those pack too many calories for me. Maybe sliced apples, granola bars, or cut up veggies (wonder if I can get a container of ranch dip or hummus through security?), or even a sandwich of my own if I have time... Starbucks usually has some decent sandwiches too, I should have wandered a little further to find one.

I have another trip in two weeks, so time to plan!