Business Travellers

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  • betty_veronica4
    betty_veronica4 Posts: 196 Member
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    I travel a bit less than I used to, but at one point it was five days a week for ten weeks straight. Portion control, careful ordering, Whole Foods, Panera, [careful] Chipotle, lots of water, and the hotel gym were my saving graces. I also packed healthy snacks to sustain me, as I often had to work through a meal. Every day there were lots of pastries, cookies, etc. offered everywhere - I got very good at politely declining.

    It is hard, but you can do it!
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
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    vino_monkey wrote: »
    I watch portions like a hawk - decide what you're going to eat off the plate ahead of time and even (subtly) arrange the portions (I'll draw a cut in a steak to know when I should stop, or make a little valley in the mashed potatoes to show the portion that keeps me in control).

    If anyone says anything, I use something like "I had a huge lunch today/dinner last night - I'm still stuffed or else I would totally finish this."


    I like this idea. I'm taking my son out to a restaurant for his birthday tomorrow night. I think I'll use this. Thank you.
  • Jetta1492
    Jetta1492 Posts: 48 Member
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    I travel a lot for work too. In fact, I have a trip coming up soon. I plan to just continue to log food and get in exercise when I can. I will try to balance calories in versus out just as I would at home. Although the restaurant meals won't be exact, I will at least log them and be as accurate as possible. Also, I booked an Airbnb about a 10-minute walk from the conference venue and I plan to walk each day.
  • goatg
    goatg Posts: 1,399 Member
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    I 1000% understand.
    Are you traveling to the same places or different places?

    I have a method.
    1. Scope out the area/hotel (even if online). Find a local gym if your hotel doesn't offer one and get a day pass. No matter what, always pack 1 workout outfit and running shoes.
    2. Make your exercise plan realistic: Maybe they don't have amazing indoor rowing, or yoga, or any of the things you love. But you can run and lift or do plyometrics. So do what you can.
    3. Eating. While not at work dinners, stock up on healthy snacks. I keep apples, cucumbers, and carrots unrefrigerated. Nonfat greek yogurt refrigerated.
    4. Work dinners. Check out the menu first. Have a plan. Get the responsible items and dressing on the side, light oil, no butter, etc. If you don't feel you can eat responsibly, *do not go hungry.*
    5. Wine. 2 glasses maximum. Sometimes 0.
  • anyWendy
    anyWendy Posts: 97 Member
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    Travel for business often, and since I began tracking meals 198 days ago, I haven't gained weight on any of my trips, and lost on most of them, while sampling local treats and eating the occasional dessert

    Many of my strategies have been mentioned:
    1. I often skip breakfast (do this during the week at home, too, but definitely while traveling and eating in restaurants for lunch and dinner)
    2. For events and social dinners, I always order club soda with lime. More festive than just water, but also saves me from having to decide if I'm going to drink my calories. Also offer to drive, which others appreciate.
    3. As much as possible, check out restaurants ahead of time and look at menus online. That way you can plan for any splurges. (And not splurge by accident because you were extra hungry by the time you look at the menu.)
  • Jambalady
    Jambalady Posts: 155 Member
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    When I travel for work, I'm usually going to a single location, so I find the closest hotel with a decent gym to eliminate travel time. At home, I have an hour long commute, so by picking a hotel a few blocks from where I have to be, I have extra time in the AM to work out where I would otherwise be commuting. Or, when I wrap up for the day, it's just me watching TV in my hotel room (even if it's 10PM). At home, I would be getting my kids ready for bed, doing homework with them, cooking dinner, etc. When I'm traveling, that's yet another opportunity
    to be at the gym I wouldn't otherwise have. As for eating, I echo what the others said, I don't treat it as if every meal was a special occasion and I can let myself drink and eat all the desserts I want. I try to order something that is healthy without looking too demanding. No one has ever questioned it and honestly, no one is monitoring what you eat and drink. For me, I felt like I had to eat and drink to "fit in" but I don't subscribe to that anymore. Is it harder when you are not in full control of what is put in front of you? Absolutely, but that doesn't mean you have to give in to it.
  • polvo71
    polvo71 Posts: 42 Member
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    I have to travel about once a month for 3-4 days and it really can (and has) put some pounds on. There’s a lot of great advice here. I follow much of it now — gym every day, mindful eating. But one thing that has been the biggest struggle for me is that when I’m on the road I’m just lonely for my family. At home I’m the working mom of 3 kids 15 and under. I’m BUSY. On the road I’m by myself. Why not fill the time with some wine and a movie? How about try that new restaurant and eat the basket of rolls. A few vodka and sodas at the bar? Sure! I think it’s the loneliness that made me gain the weight. I’ve changed that to filling the time with window shopping in the evening or whatever I can find (that’s safe for a woman alone!) to do to not sit in my hotel after work. It’s about finding the triggers and weak spots. I’ve got a trip coming up next week so I might be checking in with this support group😛
  • mgfit2020
    mgfit2020 Posts: 10 Member
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    Lots of good tips here! Background on me, I did mfp about 6 years ago lost ~17lbs and kept it off for years without tracking, once I'd settled into a routine. Fast forward to last year where I got a promotion to a new position, in a new country, and that required 1-2 business trips per month. The change in job took me from a fairly active "always on my feet" position to spending half my time at a desk, plus with the additional stress of a new job, an international move, and with the total disruption of my routine caused by being/eating on the road....at the end of November I found myself 10lbs higher than where I started the first time I lost the weight 😳

    Since really getting to the bottom of how I ended up here--the "eating out three meals a day" for two weeks every month was one of the largest factors--I've had two work trips (one where I ate decently well and exercised almost like at home, one where I did neither of those things but didn't derail my progress). I haven't quite nailed it yet, but working on it!

    My tips to add into the mix:
    - before I go, make sure that I have at least 1-2 meals prepared & in the freezer, for quick and easy meals when I get home. Coming home to an empty fridge is the worst--and for me at least it causes bad tired/hungry decisions.
    - if you have control over hotel, try to get it walking distance from where you'll be working (walk>cab) and ask for a room with a mini fridge
    - for non-international travel pack healthy snacks from home (last two trips I brought apples, some almond butter, and a big bag of carrot sticks that saved me from the airport munchies)
    - before you go scope out the restaurant menus online and grocery stores where you can pick up fresh fruit and veg etc. and get fresh/healthy snacks for the trip home.

    So far I've found that my solo trips are pretty easy to stick with my "at home" normal, but the ones where I'm travelling as part of a group and have less control over the schedule and restaurants etc. it's much more difficult--but still doable. I also set my calories to maintainance levels for the time I'm travelling, to make things easier and much less added-stress, which so far seems to have worked 😊

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