Business Travelers: Share Your Tips with Me Please

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Triplestep
Triplestep Posts: 239 Member
edited January 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I am going to be away from home for work for three days next week, and would love some tips. I'll be flying and not checking luggage, so I'll be limited in terms of what I can bring with me. (TSA). But, I will have a rental car and can purchase things (within reason) while I'm away.

Fortunately, I will likely not have to deal with social meals or drinks because I'm the only one from my team attending, so I'll be on my own in the hotel. But I will not be working in an office environment those three days, so no fridge or microwave. Its a commercial interior nearing the end of construction, so no trailer or break room, but ... there is a huge supermarket right next to it! So I'll be able to shop for food at meal time, maybe even have a salad bar. But I won't be able to heat or prepare anything in advance as I've grown accustom to.

Here's what I've done so far:
  • Checked out the area on Google maps, found restaurants, checked out menus.
  • Found the closest Planet Fitness (I'm a black card member) so I am not limited to the hotel gym.
  • Planned to bring a thermal lunch bag for the stuff I buy at the supermarket.
  • Planned to pack some workout gear, my HR monitor, and my favorite water bottle, empty.

What else would you suggest? Is there a way for me to cool my lunch bag without traditional ice? What have I not thought of yet?

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Do you have access to a fridge at the hotel? I've used one of those "ice blocks" (sold by the lunch bags) to keep my lunch cold. You freeze it and then it stays cold for hours.

    I travel a lot for work. When you have a fridge, it's much easier. I always check out the grocery store as soon as possible and plan my meals for the trip. It sounds like you've thought at a lot about this and I don't have any specific instructions -- identifying places you want to eat is a good idea. When I travel, I tend to eat much higher sodium (frozen meals, eating out), so be prepared for a possible increase on the scale when you get home. Mine always goes away once I get back into my home routine.
  • namelesshere
    namelesshere Posts: 334 Member
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    I used to bring an electric hot pot with me. That way I could have boiling water in the motel for a "box" meal that just needs water to cook. I also brought a can opener to open cans. Tuna salad sandwiches were a good mainstay, Add a sliced cucumber and an apple, and you have healthy lunch. As for the ice, A couple of baggies, double bagged to avoid leakage, and you can grab ice cubes from the hotel to keep things cool. You are only going to be gone 3 days so it shouldn't be a huge problem.
  • SFCStank
    SFCStank Posts: 25 Member
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    I travel a lot for my company also. I've lost 40 lbs so far. Here's one of the best things I did. I'm assuming you're at least getting a hotel room with a micro-fridge and microwave? I always tried too. I found the
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Do you have access to a fridge at the hotel? I've used one of those "ice blocks" (sold by the lunch bags) to keep my lunch cold. You freeze it and then it stays cold for hours.

    I travel a lot for work. When you have a fridge, it's much easier. I always check out the grocery store as soon as possible and plan my meals for the trip. It sounds like you've thought at a lot about this and I don't have any specific instructions -- identifying places you want to eat is a good idea. When I travel, I tend to eat much higher sodium (frozen meals, eating out), so be prepared for a possible increase on the scale when you get home. Mine always goes away once I get back into my home routine.

    Pretty much this. I lived on Chobini yogurt, cottage cheese doubles, fresh fruits and veggies, lunch meats (turkey and ham) and eggs for breakfast and lunch and Stoffaurs kit kitchen frozen meals and bagged salads for dinner. You can make eggs in a any microwave with a ceramic coffee cup. They aren't restaurant quality but they are better than powdered.

    Items you'll need
    a cheap insulated lunch bag,
    Ice block X2 or 20oz water bottles work well too.
    a box of ziploc storage bags
    some plastic flatware
    a cheap ceramic coffee cup
    the total should come to about $25 total.
  • ZeroDelta
    ZeroDelta Posts: 242 Member
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    I try to stay at a Residence Inn or someplace similar. This way I have a kitchen and can cook my own meals. If I don't have a kitchen I bring a Foreman grill. The grill I have has plates that let it act as a small oven in addition to a contact grill.

  • Triplestep
    Triplestep Posts: 239 Member
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    Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone!
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Do you have access to a fridge at the hotel? I've used one of those "ice blocks" (sold by the lunch bags) to keep my lunch cold. You freeze it and then it stays cold for hours.
    I actually have two of those at home that are really small; I wonder if TSA allows them to travel in carry-on luggage. Anyone know?
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    When I travel, I tend to eat much higher sodium (frozen meals, eating out), so be prepared for a possible increase on the scale when you get home. Mine always goes away once I get back into my home routine.
    Thanks; good idea. I eat pretty low sodium most of the time for a particular health issue, and I've learned to stay off the scale for a few days after ANY restaurant meal. Too depressing, and not always real.
    namelesshere wrote: »
    I used to bring an electric hot pot with me. That way I could have boiling water in the motel for a "box" meal that just needs water to cook. I also brought a can opener to open cans. Tuna salad sandwiches were a good mainstay, Add a sliced cucumber and an apple, and you have healthy lunch. As for the ice, A couple of baggies, double bagged to avoid leakage, and you can grab ice cubes from the hotel to keep things cool. You are only going to be gone 3 days so it shouldn't be a huge problem.
    Great idea to bring a can opener and zip lock bags. I don't know if I'll have the space in a carry-on for a hot pot!
    SFCStank wrote: »

    Items you'll need
    a cheap insulated lunch bag,
    Ice block X2 or 20oz water bottles work well too.
    a box of ziploc storage bags
    some plastic flatware
    a cheap ceramic coffee cup
    the total should come to about $25 total.
    Thanks! I am going to try this egg thing if I have a microwave. Might even mix a little Laughing Cow Lite in - couldn't hurt. :smile:
    ZeroDelta wrote: »
    I try to stay at a Residence Inn or someplace similar. This way I have a kitchen and can cook my own meals. If I don't have a kitchen I bring a Foreman grill. The grill I have has plates that let it act as a small oven in addition to a contact grill.

    Good idea. I don't have a lot of choices for where to stay - I need to book whatever hotel is in the company's online travel tool. I think my room has a fridge, but I am going to call and ask about a microwave.
  • Triplestep
    Triplestep Posts: 239 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I'm back! I wanted thank everyone again for your tips and tell you how it went.

    First a tip I have for all of you: If you pack a lunch bag in your carry-on luggage, remember to remove the paring knife you carry to work to cut fruit. :open_mouth: (SO embarrassing).

    By way of explanation, this was not a conference or a trip to sit in meetings all day. I was on a construction job site to oversee part of the final installations, and - as it happens - put out fires. It was very mentally taxing trying to do that, and log on and do my regular work from my laptop, since power and data were at a premium.

    I did plan ahead in many of the ways suggested. I used hotel ice to make ice packs in zip lock bags, and purchased all of my lunches and snacks at the supermarket. There were days I didn't eat enough during the day just due to the busy schedule, but what I did eat was healthy. The hotel did have a microwave and fridge, but the included breakfast was one I could make a healthy meal of - eggs, fresh fruit, oatmeal.

    Dinners were not as good; letting myself get too hungry during the day made for poor choices at night when I was eating with others. For one night out of the three, I did order something off a menu that had calories listed and logged them. I toyed with the idea of having a frozen dinner, and I probably should have. I don't think I saved any sodium in the end. It's hard when folks from work expect you to eat with them.

    I brought work out clothes and HR monitor but then never exercised. :(. Not once, unless you count running around on the job site. That's a major regret, but I was just. too. tired.

    I have not stepped on the scale in the day I've been back; I'm going to wait few days until I've been back to my regular sodium-consumption levels for a while.

    Thanks again! I learned a lot for this trip and all the ones coming up.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I travel A LOT. I follow a set of basic principles:

    aim for lots of fiber

    eat lots of caesar salads with protein (salmon, chicken etc)

    bring a pile of protein bars, quest, bars, something to nosh on

    bring nuts

    avoid thinking "I'm traveling, I can go ahead and eat X", because I travel a lot. So it's NOT a special occasion

    find a way to MOVE every day

    allow myself wine before bed

    All that said, I basically follow a modified south beach diet phase 2. It gives me some basic parameters for making healthy choices when I don't have total autonomy with what I eat.

    I'll be traveling this coming week again.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    I travel A LOT. I follow a set of basic principles:



    avoid thinking "I'm traveling, I can go ahead and eat X", because I travel a lot. So it's NOT a special occasion


    This is so key. I just finished about a month straight of travel (had five or six days at home between trips). It isn't a special occasion, you *don't* want to indulge yourself more than normal. You have to find ways to make it as much like "normal" life as possible.

  • tnm7760
    tnm7760 Posts: 109 Member
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    Do you have Instagram? If so, follow JustRobbin. She travels a lot and has all sorts of posts on things she does to accommodate eating and working out. Obviously you can tailor it to fit your needs and preferences, but she's awesome and you'll get a lot of fantastic ideas. She even shows what items she brings for workouts if her hotel doesn't have a gym.
  • ZeroDelta
    ZeroDelta Posts: 242 Member
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    I also carry a small scale with me. I have this little guy. It's about the size of a pack of playing cards. It was $8.41 at Amazon. Free delivery if you have Prime.

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