Pig Out on Trips and Get Away with It

When I travel, I eat like a pig, and my body paid for it. It would be typical for me to gain 10lbs after a trip.

I still eat like a pig, but I’m smarter about my choices, so my body hardly changes. Here are the tips that I use to stay in shape:

Only eat when hungry: This sounds obvious but it’s not. I often catch myself eating just because the food’s there! Eating until exhaustion sounds fun until you get a tummy ache. On a cruise, I thought I was cool for eating ten plates of food. This was the “snack” before dinner. Of course I finished the “snack” and subsequent dinner, but I was wobbling the rest of the night. Not cool.

Eliminate filler foods: Filler foods are usually provided for free at a restaurant or bar. For example, bread, tortilla chips, pretzels, and peanuts are brought out before the appetizers. (Please note: The cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster don't count.) These foods are a waste because they are bland and loaded with calories. Prove me wrong, but no one goes on vacation to eat peanuts and chips. Instead, save the space in your stomach for foods you enjoy eating.

Drink plenty of water: Traveling is hard on the body (e.g., walking, carrying luggage, staying up late, etc.) so stay hydrated. Drinking liquids increases satiation, and it allows you to drink more alcohol. Winning!

Skip breakfast: Unless the breakfast place is food, don’t waste calories on a subpar breakfast experience. There’s no need to experience the continental breakfast (i.e., bagel and fruit.) Instead, save the calories for the food worth eating. For the astute, I’m suggesting intermittent fasting. There are plenty of resources to learn about the benefits (e.g. suppressed appetite) of intermittent fasting, so I’m not going to cover it here. Though I don’t normally intermittent fast, I use it when traveling.

Drink coffee: Coffee is a stimulant and stimulants are hunger suppressants. If you don’t drink coffee, what are you doing with your life?

Don’t be hard on yourself: Especially for those that take fewer vacations, don’t ruin memories because you said no to the cake. Traveling is a great way to try different cuisine so you’re not truly experiencing the culture if you’re eating a salad the entire time. Don’t worry, your body will bounce back. Go enjoy yourself.

For more tips on how to stay healthy while traveling, check out last week’s issue on exercise.