Anyone else travel a lot for work? Tips? Tricks?

Well, I'm not an expert... A couple tips:
- I rarely miss a workout and usually can fit in a slight longer session when I'm away. This is important as exercise makes me feel so much better, especially when jet lagged. Just dig deep to get to the gym. The calorie expenditure helps offset the meals and treats associated with travel.
- I usually bring food (if possible, but its sometimes tricky with international travel) or buy a few things, such as homemade granola bars, muesli, plain yogurt, etc so I have a much less expensive and healthier bite for breakfast than usually available at a conference or hotel.
- I'm a small, 51 yr old woman. I try to eat only half of a restaurant portion. I almost never take dessert.
- At coffee breaks, I am often tempted by sweets, but I just try to take one or two bites, just to satisfy my curiosity. If it's truly delicious, I might finish it, but they are usually not so good and easy to put aside. I find it easier to take a big bite and leave the rest than to completely refuse.
- I never drink soft drinks. I just don't like them, but it's helpful to avoid sweet drinks. Similarly, I take my coffee black and tea clear. Never any fancy sweetened drinks from coffee shops... I stick to white wine or vodka and club soda if I take an alcoholic beverage.

Good luck. I have a fair bit of travel planned for 2016, too, so I hope I can continue doing as well as I did in 2015.

Hey there, I too travel for lengths in end for work (just finished 3mths of work travel). As mentioned above, I always try to maintain workouts even on the road. Whether it's using the hotel gyms, in room workouts (t-25) or getting a guest pass at a local gym. I find working out not only makes me feel better mentally, but it helps me sleep better and make healthier food choices.

I know it's not always possible, but keeping a cooler in the car definitely helps. For myself, there will be times where I'm working 7am-3pm with no time to stop for food. Keeping some fresh fruit/yogurt/veg etc in a cooler helps keep hunger at bay and then when I finally do stop for meal I'm not making extreme choices based on being hangry.

As far as restaurants go, I usually opt for
lean proteins, veg, salads but definitely treat yourself once in a while. Travelling for work can be extremely tough and sometimes you need to enjoy the highly-rated restaurants well-known dish and a glass of wine (free meals are a perk of work travel after all !) even if it means lightening your calorie consumption the next day!

Safe travels !

My dad travels a lot for work. I know he tries to take packaged food like protein bars with him in case he's hungry and there's no acceptable options around, so he never has to get so hungry he's rammed three burgers in his face before he has time to think. He's fortunate in that his working days are shorter when he's at other sites, so he can fit in a ride or a gym session before or after work with relative ease compared to his schedule at home.
My dad's piece of advice for eating out is 'they will ALWAYS be able to make you a steak or a chicken breast with a jacket potato - it ain't exciting but it'll do'. He is boring with food, but hopefully most places will have a meal which won't break the calorie bank.
I like the advice from @spzjlb about just taking a bite if something looks really tempting. That way you're not missing out but you're not going overboard either.

Sez3199 wrote: »

Guys, this is wonderful advice, thank you. Especially true regarding sitting at the terminal, I am so guilty of this and there's no reason for it!

20years: that is so true what you said about drinking - often times you are in a situation where it is very much expected that you will participate in the festivities and this is a major contributor to calories. I might try something I experimented with over the Christmas break with family (both sides love a drink): drinking soda water and pretending it has vodka in it. Dishonest I know but achieves the objective (mine, at least).

you have to do what you have to do. Sometimes I nurse a beer for the whole night and drink lots of water first

I'm headed out on a week-long trip next week. I pack a lot of food! I try to make sure I get enough protein and fiber and assume that somewhere along the line there will be an indulgent meal or two. All of my clients seem to want to take me to the 'nice' restaurant in town, which always seems to be an Italian place that only serves pieces of cheese-drenched lasagna as big as your head. I figure if I can be smart for breakfast and lunch, then dinner--when I often have less control--can be managed.

Some of what I bring:

Plain instant oatmeal (easy to make in the hotel room with hot water from the coffee maker and the to-go cups they usually have in room, or down at the coffee station in the lobby)
Protein powder, either to beef up the oatmeal or to add to milk (Quest sells individual serving packets)
High fiber granola bars (I like Trader Joe's)
Popcorn (again, I like Trader Joe's lite kettle corn)
Nuts, individual packs premeasured
Fruit and veg--apples, pears, grapes, and semi-cooked carrots with powdered ginger (yum!)

If it is a road trip and I can bring a cooler, I'll bring yogurt, cooked hamburger patties, cheese, grilled chicken, etc. (I'm ok with it being cold). I can get a plain garden salad at McDonald's or wherever and add stuff to it.

Fast food is always there with some ok caloric choices, but I really avoid it. For me, the massive amounts of sodium I end up eating on the road leave me feeling completely gross, so I do what I can to keep it in check. The alcohol at events/dinners doesn't help!

Drinking water is important. I find I often don't drink as much when traveling.