Being Healthy At a Con
JustDeke
Posts: 53 Member
I'm headed to Adepticon next week. After that I will be bouncing around cons all summer for Soda Pop. Last year con season is what killed my 60lbs weight loss and started me back to regaining 40.
I was wondering if any of you have any tips or advice on how to keep up healthy eating and exercise. I'd like to manage my health and not be a total killjoy during the cons by opting out of fun social events. Anything that's worked for you?
I'm determined not to let con season sabotage me again.
I was wondering if any of you have any tips or advice on how to keep up healthy eating and exercise. I'd like to manage my health and not be a total killjoy during the cons by opting out of fun social events. Anything that's worked for you?
I'm determined not to let con season sabotage me again.
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Replies
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ok well I think first, don't blame the con season for the 40 lb regain. I don't think there's any reason you can't find a bit of balance - maybe you'll have some junk food and some nights out and some splurges at various events, but when you aren't doing that you can keep up your exercise and make healthy choices for your other meals and snacks (maybe even pack some lower cal things like fruit and beef jerky to take with you places). Use the hotel fitness center or buy a TRX system (I haven't used one but I hear they are good for traveling) and take extra socks, workout clothes, your shoes, whatever you need.
And give yourself permission to gain a few pounds while having the fun you want to, but don't give yourself permission to keep gaining when its all over.0 -
I would just suggest move around as much as you can while your there. Don't get lazy and chill, be active run around role play that kinda thing I am sure you can burn a ton of cals just looking at everything0
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ok well I think first, don't blame the con season for the 40 lb regain.
Absolutely correct. Con season disrupted my routine, but it was definitely my own choices to eat poorly there and not get right back into my routine after the con(s) were over.
My goal this year is that if I can do some proper planning, I can minimize the disruption and stay on track.0 -
ok well I think first, don't blame the con season for the 40 lb regain.
Absolutely correct. Con season disrupted my routine, but it was definitely my own choices to eat poorly there and not get right back into my routine after the con(s) were over.
My goal this year is that if I can do some proper planning, I can minimize the disruption and stay on track.
Good for you. I took the whole holiday season completely off from controlling my eating. If I wanted a handful of mini reeses I had them. If I wanted to lie on the sofa and watch Glee (SHUTUP) and eat hersheys kisses, I did that too.
I only gained a couple pounds because I didn't go absolutely NUTS with the food (just ate what I wanted but didn't binge or anything) and exercised on my regular schedule the entire time.
We forget when we've been dieting for a while that its actually pretty easy to maintain your weight, much harder to lose. I think you'll do better this year than you did last year.0 -
If you're staying at a hotel, use the stairs instead of the elevators.0
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If you're staying at a hotel, use the stairs instead of the elevators.
Or stay somewhere with a gym, i usually check that out before booking a hotel
I finished a couple of cons realising i hadnt eaten or drank because i was in costume with my group all day at photo shoots n stuff - excitement burns calories cause i couldnt eat :laugh:0 -
Ah yes, the dreaded Con challenge; always a tough one. But everyone is making some great suggestions! I can share my personal list though I will admit to not always following my own advice. Still, these help not only with keeping the weight gain down, but also with reducing the chances of catching the *shudder* Con Crud. (Eeewwwwwww!)
1) Sleep! So tempting to ignore this one when you only have a few days to enjoy yourself, but when you're rested, it makes sticking to your healthy plans much easier.
2) Move! Keeping active will help burn off some of the "damage" to your plans. If the con space doesn't lend itself to a lot of walking, schedule in some workout time when you schedule your games. This could be in the hotel gym, a run outside around the neighborhood, or even some quick plyometrics in your room. For me, my main con every year is GenCon, so I know I'm going to be accruing many miles of walking over the 5 days I'm there. I schedule in some gym time when I can and/or some stretching in my room to help keep on track. Makes a big difference!
3) Water! Always keep a bottle of water with you. Refill it in-between events. Order water at any eatery you go to and drink it 1st before any other beverage. Keeping hydrated will help fight hunger between meals as well as help fill you up during meals. Keep a container of Mio or some other water flavoring with you if you don't like drinking it plain or the water at the con is less than tasty.
4) Snack! Healthy, that is. Low-fat string cheese, fruit, veggies, jerky (watch the sodium), nuts... whatever appeals to you in small, controlled portions. Things that you can munch on while walking from one event to the next or can easily eat while sitting and playing an impromptu game of Cards Against Humanity. Try to eat every 3-4hrs and you won't be quite so tempted to eat the massive plate of wings or the quadruple cheeseburger washed down by a few gallons of con brew. Well, no guarantees with the brew... :laugh:
5) Indulge! But do it smart. Share that decadent appetizer or dessert with your con mates. Plan out one or two meals where you throw out the calorie book and then eat healthy the rest of the time. Be kind on yourself when you do indulge, but make it a conscious decision to eat those indulgent choices. No mindless eating!
6) No excuses! When you get home, weigh yourself, accept responsibility for whatever the scale says, smile at the great time you had and get right back on track. :happy:
~Heather
Getting sexy for GenCon 2013!0 -
^^^THIS! Plus walking as mentioned several times.If you're staying at a hotel, use the stairs instead of the elevators.
Before I even knew about MFP, I was at VMworld 2012 (tech con) in SF for 8 days (attended pre-conf class), ate pretty much what I want (including plenty of sushi and big @$$ entrées at 2 places featured on 'Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives')... and 'accidentally' lost 1 pound! The hotel had excellent workout facilities but I never got around to using them. How did I do it?
1) Day one I went to grocery store and stocked my hotel room with fruits/veggies (small fridge) and healthy non-perishables. This was mainly b'fast, but also quick snacks whil
2) I... WALKED... EVERYWHERE! Well, with 3 exceptions (took public transit to Zoo, Golden Gate Bridge, and Pier 39). Plus SF is hilly so that added to the workout. When time permitted, I deliberately walked out of my way to get places (e.g. take 3 rights instead of 1 left) and took stairs instead of elevators. When time didn't allow for that, I either walked extra fast for extra burn or ran up escalators when space allowed it. I also carried 1-2 backpacks full of stuff almost everywhere I went.
3) Lunch and snacks were provided (e.g. box lunches, chips/cookies, hotel-catered type fare, etc.) but I ALWAYS drank water. Dinner was on my own. I ordered what I wanted, but always had plenty of veggies and took some of my meal back to the hotel. I made 2-4 meals/snacks out of every dinner.0 -
Okay... Here's what I do. I have done research and found that you don't need to eat 6 meals a day, or even three. During Cons I eat one meal a day. I don't short calories, but I eat them all in one meal.
Before you attack me, here is my evidence...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
And a NY Times article saying the same thing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/health/23really.html?src=sch&pagewanted=all&_r=0
Eating one meal gives me more time to game and makes me feel more in control of my eating. No snacking means I don't have to worry about HOW MUCH I have been snacking, or if I have enough cals left for my meals.
With the big meal, I don't feel hungry. I still drink lots of water, take stairs, etc.
It might not work for everyone, YMMV. It works great for me.0 -
Okay... Here's what I do. I have done research and found that you don't need to eat 6 meals a day, or even three. During Cons I eat one meal a day. I don't short calories, but I eat them all in one meal.
Before you attack me, here is my evidence...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
And a NY Times article saying the same thing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/health/23really.html?src=sch&pagewanted=all&_r=0
Eating one meal gives me more time to game and makes me feel more in control of my eating. No snacking means I don't have to worry about HOW MUCH I have been snacking, or if I have enough cals left for my meals.
With the big meal, I don't feel hungry. I still drink lots of water, take stairs, etc.
It might not work for everyone, YMMV. It works great for me.
Its true that you don't need to eat multiple times a day, but the OP didn't say anything about doing that anyway.0 -
Okay... Here's what I do. I have done research and found that you don't need to eat 6 meals a day, or even three. During Cons I eat one meal a day. I don't short calories, but I eat them all in one meal.
Before you attack me, here is my evidence...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9155494
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
And a NY Times article saying the same thing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/health/23really.html?src=sch&pagewanted=all&_r=0
Eating one meal gives me more time to game and makes me feel more in control of my eating. No snacking means I don't have to worry about HOW MUCH I have been snacking, or if I have enough cals left for my meals.
With the big meal, I don't feel hungry. I still drink lots of water, take stairs, etc.
It might not work for everyone, YMMV. It works great for me.
Its true that you don't need to eat multiple times a day, but the OP didn't say anything about doing that anyway.
Right. OP asked for tips for being healthy at a Con. My tip is that rather than eating through out the day where I am not as good at tracking cals, I eat once a day where I only have to think about it for a short time. Sorry for not making that clear.0 -
I just wanted to thank everyone for their helpful advice! I head out this week. On my blog I've outlined my plan.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/JustDeke/view/dungeon-boss-level-1-519200
I'll report back in two weeks with how it went.0 -
have a great time0
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Awesome and good luck at the Con! I am a big fan of Super Dungeon Explorer! Hope you do well!0
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I go to half a dozen cons throughout the year - my big one is Dragon*Con - and find it's unrealistic to expect myself to work out while I'm there. Time is already limited, sleep is already limited and I'm not going to spend 5-10 of my precious vacation hours on a treadmill. I'm just not! I didn't put on any weight at D*C last year, but I'm trying to get down to 159 (normal BMI range for me) by D*C this year so I can look hot in all my costumes
And also so I am not 100% exhausted by 7PM every day like I was last year.
My tips, from painful personal experience:
Eat a healthy, satisfying breakfast EVERY SINGLE day, and if you can, grab an apple or other piece of fruit from the breakfast buffet to take with you and have mid-morning.
Even better, buy low-calorie healthy breakfast items at a store nearby the night before, like fruit and low-calorie cereal and oatmeal and light wheat bread and sugar-free jam and whatever it is you like, and make it yourself. This will also likely be way cheaper.
Have a late, light lunch each day. I usually opt for non-cream-based soup and salad with lite dressing on the side.
Skip dessert whenever possible. I try to make cons a no-dessert zone because there are so many sweets and snacks everywhere. I figure if I make it, I can always have dessert when I get back.
Don't buy food based souvenirs. Those Pocky packs will haunt you later.
Commit to drinking nothing but water and, if you must, diet soda. Just because there's juice, tea, alcohol and soda everywhere doesn't mean you have to drink it.
Don't drink yourself into a stupor every night (it's hard at hotel parties, I know). Have a glass of water or sparkling seltzer between each alcoholic drink. You won't dehydrate and you'll get less of a hangover and stretch out those calories.
Only eat when you're hungry, not because you've passed a popcorn vendor and it smells really good. :X
Buy the lowest calorie meals you can find. If you're having a salad, skip or moderate the dressing. If there is a food court nearby, find the vegetarian options.
Do a few laps around the vendor halls if you have some time to kill between panels.
If you're waiting in long lines with a friend, have the friend hold your place in line while you walk around a little.
Hope these help!0 -
Just got back from two weeks of Con and wedding travel, and it was a smashing success. Fun was achieved and I didn't gain a single pound.
Rockin!
I posted some details on my blog.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/JustDeke/view/level-1-cleared-525151
Just wanted to thank everyone for all the tips and tricks. It was much appreciated. I hope to see you all at a con one day!
-Deke0
