Travel for a Living....need support!

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jfondon
jfondon Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
Hi! My name is Jenny and I'm new to MFP. At 46 years old, 5'1'' and 212 pounds, this is the heaviest I've been in my life. I think I've tried everything to loose weight but have trouble sticking to the "plan". My problem is that I travel for a living. I fly out on Mondays and am usually home by Thursday nights. Having to eat B-L-D at a restaurant almost every week is increadibly difficult...especially waiting for connections in the airports. Junk food is just about all there is to grab and run. It's difficult to get exercise in due to the hours I work when on the road (usually at our worksite by 8 am and not down with work until 11 pm) , although I'm sure I'm just making excuses.

If anyone has suggestions about what they have done to help them while traveling for a living, I would greatly appreciate your help and support :smile:

Jen

Replies

  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
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    Hi and welcome.

    I have no advice to give really but I'm sure someone will be able to help. I really don't think you're just making excuses, it sounds like it would be very difficult to actually plan your meals when youre constantly eating on the hoof. You can't even do a TFR diet as I don't think you could be expected to carry 4 days of shakes and bars around with you.

    Try posting in a couple of the other sections, i'm sure there must be others in your situation that could help you out.

    Best of luck on your journey

    Cat
  • mangorabbit
    mangorabbit Posts: 219 Member
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    Greetings Jen!
    (And welcome to MFP!)

    Much of my work takes me traveling fairly often as well, so I can kind of understand some of the difficulties you are facing.

    A couple things I have found - biggest one food-wise - plan ahead! I always have some Larabars (foodbar/granola-y type things) and other non-perishable items (dried fruit and nuts) stashed in my suitcase for when meal options are particularly non-healthy, as well as something small but tasty with me at the airport. It keeps me from eating those things that make us shake our heads later and ask 'why?' as well as saving me a few bucks!

    Are you usually in one location for the M-Th duration or are there multiple stops and flights in that time period?
    I have found that scoping out the local grocery stores, you can usually pick up something that gives you a bit more control over portion size and content.

    However, having said that, I have also been in places where restaurant food is the only option - and I usually try to stick more to the veggies and/or side dishes. Particularly in the States, most mains (unless you are somewhere quite fancy in that posh kind of way ^_^ ) tend to be enough for two meals. (Which can work to your advantage if you have a fridge in your room and are willing to eat leftovers for breakfast or lunch!)

    The other HUGE thing for me was finding a way to continue some form of fitness while on the road. Some days it just is not possible to get a serious workout in. It happens! But I found a couple DVD workouts that can be done with no equipment and require minimal space that keep me moving a bit - I get up and do them first thing in the morning as a way to really wake up - and that way I don't have to dread feeling obligated to work out after a loooooong day on site somewhere. Also - in my experience, most hotels have some sort of fitness facility. Granted, it may be a crappy treadmill in a room the size of a closet - but it is a way to get moving without having to brave the streets of an unknown location. (On the opposite side of that - if you have the time (and you sound like work keeps you pretty busy) there is always the option to wander about and see what there is nearby your hotel.)

    Though I don't know that the following will apply at all:
    One of my traveling cohorts tends to hit the same cities on a semi consistent basis, and he actually managed to find a chain of gyms that were in most of those places - as well as his hometown, allowing him to roll up to any of the branches and rock out on their gear.

    Woo! Sorry for the length of the post, but I hope it helps! Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!

    Cheers
    ^_^
  • brewbab
    brewbab Posts: 3
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    I will be brutally honest. I think you hit the nail on the head when you stated that maybe your "business" is an excuse. What would your world look like if you put yourself (health) first instead of your "job" and were still a productive employee or owner? You are currently living your own example of making a priority of all else first, and you last. If you do not get your health turned around soon (High Blood Pressure, Diabetes Type II) are only a few things eventually lurking around the corner for you. Then what? You'll have to put the job second when you cannot any longer work like the demon you do now.

    Outside of upstart companies, who works from 8:00 am until 11:00 pm? What kind of job would demand that from an employee. You need to start setting boundaries about where you draw the line. We as humans need fuel for our bodies, everyone needs to take time out to eat a meal. I understand how stressful travel be along with time constraints in catching flights, but if you take time to organize ahead, it's pretty doable. That includes the time it takes to organize your food for a week of sensible eating. These actions all add up eventually, but it takes patience, learning, and practice, practice, practice. Rome was not built in a day. You are worth every moment you can afford to spend on yourself and until you recognize it, you will continue this vicious cycle. Here's a question, who will take care of you when your good health deteriorates and you can no longer work? Aside from wanting to look and feel your best, losing weight and getting fit is one of the best insurance policies you can get! I really do wish you good luck, once you make up your mind to commit to a program, it will be one of the biggest steps you can make. Most programs work, but only if the person is COMMITTED.

    P.S. The above is pretty brutal, but you do need to find some time and put certain things in place along with building healthy habits.
    brewbab
  • sjaudio
    sjaudio Posts: 52
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    Outside of upstart companies, who works from 8:00 am until 11:00 pm? What kind of job would demand that from an employee.

    Actually, quite a few jobs work like that. Not everyone has a nine to fiver. My workday (and I do travel for a living) is almost always 14 hours long. It's just how things work in the industry that I work in. It not an issue of unreasonable demands from an employer, just the reality of how long the job takes.

    Jenny, I have a lot of sympathy for you as I've struggled for years in a similar situation. I would do great at home, but leave for a few weeks and come back even worse. It's only been recently that I'm starting to feel like I have a real grip on my health. As mangorabbit suggested, try bringing your own snacks with you (low cal protein bars and such). Unless you are flying in and going straight to your job site, hit the hotel gym (do the same on the morning that you fly out). If you have a free hour and are feeling adventurous, go for a walk around the city.

    I think most of the diet plans fail because they are unreasonable and unsustainable. It's about losing pounds an not about making lifestyle changes. "Have a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, then a reasonable dinner". Who does that? That's not something that you want to be doing for the rest of your life. However, if you can be really honest with yourself about what you are eating (which is touch), it is possible to change your diet to a healthy and enjoyable one. I used to have a donut with my morning coffee everyday (I live one block away from an amazing donut shop). Finding out that an apple fritter was half of my daily calorie allowance pretty much cured me of that.

    It's ok to have a bad day, just do better the next day. One step at a time, one day at a time. You can do this!
  • brewbab
    brewbab Posts: 3
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    :smile: Jenny, I would first and foremost like to apologize for my recent reply to your call for help. My advice was neither positive or supportive, but that was not my intent. I went for what appeared to be the largest hurdle in your effort to loose body fat. I am sincerely sorry.

    One of the best quotes I've read recently, and one I think has helped me the most after several attempts this past year to drop extra weight is this; "If you focus on change, you will see results. If you focus on results, there will be no change." Changing the way we have been eating is not easy and takes time. Plan for upheavals, it's part of life. You don't have to be a perfect dieter, just consistent. And the above response is right on. When you have a bad day, forgive yourself.

    Best of Luck!

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