Traveling creates challenges for many people. It throws you out of your normal routine, especially eating and sleeping. For many people that are trying to lose weight or improve their health, it can feel catastrophic! But it doesn’t have to be.

Let’s look at the top ways to maintain healthy habits while traveling.

Investigate and Plan Ahead. Benjamin Franklin said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  He speaks the truth!  Take a few minutes and scope out what kind of amenities your room offers. Try to reserve one that has at least a refrigerator in it. Many times, you can request one be brought to your room if it is not standard.

This allows you to keep a few staples in your room that you can pick up at the local grocery store. I always make sure to grab stuff for a quick breakfast or a nice snack.

*Some Ideas: Hummus and veggies, along with Mary’s Gone Crackers, and quick lunch items like natural turkey slices, mustard, and raw cheese. I also love to bring some Quest protein bars with me and raw nuts.

Once you know what you have in the room, you can plan what meals you want to be in control over. A little preparation goes a long way and can save some cash too to spend on excursions and fun!

Follow the 90/10 Rule. 90% of the time look for foods that will fuel your body. 10% of the time you can indulge. If you follow this philosophy, you will keep things in check and not overdo the treats.

Eat Fueling Foods in Balance. Focus on eating some veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats like avocado, olives, and olive oil. Do this with every meal. If you fuel first, you will have more stable blood sugar and be much less tempted by the sugar and other treats around you. 

Try to Minimize Bar and Pub Foods. Most of these foods are fried, very calorie dense with little nutrition available. This doesn’t mean that you absolutely cannot have them.  There is no such thing as bad, evil, or off-limits food. (That is what creates the vicious destructive diet cycle of failure. We want to avoid labeling or judging foods.) We simply want to focus on how to make each meal fuel our body, not just fill our stomach. 

If I go to a pub with my friends (they are big craft beer connoisseurs), I try to think about what I really want to eat.  Rarely will they have anything healthy on the menu, so it can be challenging. My go-to options are a burger, no bun with some veggies or a salad, a chicken breast or a chicken quesadilla with salsa and guac. On occasion, I have been known to order a small order of wings and pull the skin off of them (not ideal by any means, but they do come with carrots and celery usually. And sometimes this girl just needs a wing fix.)

I would be intentional with the rest of my meals that day, with extra focus on finding the healthiest version possible. It is not about NEVER eating the things you love. It’s just putting your long-term health before the immediate gratification of the indulgence. Everything you put in your mouth becomes a part of you!!

Every bite you take is either building into your health or destroying it! 

Hydrate!! Drink lots of water – a minimum of ½ your body weight in ounces. If you are outside in the heat or exercising you should consume additional water.

This does not include the 2 glasses of water you need to consume in addition so watch how many alcoholic, caffeinated, or carbonated beverages you consume. If you weigh 150lbs., you must consume a minimum of 75 ounces of water per day.

If you have 2 12-ounce beers, you should add another 24 ounces of water for each beer. Having a grande coffee to kick off your vacation morning? That adds another 32 ounces of water to your total.

If you consume water throughout your day, you will minimize the amount of thirst pangs often misinterpreted as hunger pangs. If you drink a cup of water 30 minutes before you eat, you will eat less due to the water partially filling your stomach, taking the edge off of your hunger.

Drinking adequate water can also help you decrease the amount of alcoholic beverages, especially if you commit to having at least a glass of water in between each cocktail, wine, or beer.

You don’t have to be perfect on vacation, but I would recommend you be mindful. It is so much easier to say no, opt for a salad over fries, or drink more water than it is to spend an extra hour or two on the treadmill working it off!!

What are your best “healthy on vacation” tips? I’d love to hear from you!!