Most people travel away from home for at least a few days each year. If you haven’t traveled since you started working through this book, you probably will soon. Here are tips to help you follow or appropriately modify your plan wherever you are. As you have learned over the last 10 months, you really can enjoy treats without overindulging.
For the Long Haul: Eating Well When Away from Home
Traveling is another obstacle that requires you to plan ahead. (Review “Overcoming Obstacles” in Month 9 and the worksheet in the Appendix.) Often when people travel, they rationalize that because it’s for just a few days or a couple of weeks, what they eat or falling off their exercise routine doesn’t matter. But it does. A few extra calories here and there add up to a pound or two or three fairly quickly, especially when your physical activity drops, too. Yes, you can refocus when you get home and drop those extra pounds, but what is really important here is your mindset. Both weight control and diabetes management require lifelong effort—every day. Periodic attention won’t get you very far. Try very hard not to lose sight of that. Besides, do you really want to undo any of your progress? What you’ve accomplished has come from hard work. Guard your new good habits; it’s very hard to get back into a good routine once you’ve broken it. Perhaps the best plan is to follow your usual plan as closely as possible with the goal of maintaining your weight while away.
If you travel by car, pack healthful snacks in a cooler. Get plenty of ice and load up on water, vegetable juice, fresh fruit, raw colorful veggies, reduced-fat cheese, hummus, whole-grain crackers or pita bread, peanut butter sandwiches on whole-grain bread, and individual servings of reduced-fat yogurt and cottage cheese. Also, tuck a fast-food nutrition guide in your bag to help you make the best choices if you stop for a quick bite.
When traveling by plane, you don’t have the luxury of a cooler, but you can toss a peanut butter sandwich, some fresh and dried fruit, and nuts into your carry-on bag.
In hotels, skip the expensive, large breakfast and enjoy some oatmeal or eggs and toast. If you have a mini-refrigerator in your room, stop by a local grocery store for some cereal, milk, and fruit. Even if breakfast comes with your room, skip the cheese Danish and choose toast, yogurt, or hot or cold cereal instead.
If you’re a guest in someone else’s home, let the hosts help you with your plan. Call them in advance to let them know your dietary preferences. Even if you’re not expected to bring food, come with something healthful and delicious, such as a beautiful fruit bowl or a basket of goodies from a farmer’s market. Offer to help prepare some meals. Stop by a nearby market to pick up a few good-for-you snacks.
Make sure to plan for the occasional treat. There’s no reason to deny yourself a few extras, but plan for them and keep the portions small. If it’s dessert you really want, skip the bread and pasta and share the dessert with others. If there’s some high-fat favorite food on the menu, watch your fat intake for the rest of the day and allow yourself some of the food you really crave.
Look for ways to be active. Enjoy the outdoors whenever possible. Instead of sitting and reading on the beach, take a walk, play Frisbee, or collect shells. Explore local parks. Rent a bike or a canoe. When shopping or sightseeing, walk as much as you can. In hotels, take advantage of fitness centers and swimming pools, check out in-room exercise programs available on TV, pack exercise bands and a jump rope, and get on the floor for push-ups and sit-ups.
Throughout this book, we have talked about making lifestyle changes rather than focusing on a quick weight-loss diet or temporary food rules. Try to embrace the concept of moderation every day. Moderation implies day-to-day consistency. It also implies not depriving yourself of treats and not overindulging either. Admittedly, it’s a hard concept to grasp when it comes to food and diet because we are used to messages in the media and from family telling us to strive for perfection or to feel guilty for eating cake. If you have previously followed a strict diet to lose weight and ended up regaining that weight, then you know that the all-or-nothing attitude doesn’t work, even though this notion continues to make its way into diet books and TV talk shows. Instead of going to extremes, live every day near the middle. Tighten up slightly sometimes when you need to, and loosen up slightly when you can, such as on vacations. The emphasis needs to be on the word “slightly.” Otherwise we’re no longer talking about moderation.
More from Michael B.
Occasionally I want something on my “You can’t have that” list. So I adjust my diet. I know if I eat a piece of candy, there has to be a tradeoff somewhere. If I overindulge and get down on myself, I know I have to get right back on the horse and keep riding.
MONTH 11 ACTION STEPS
Continue your current goals or rewrite them if necessary. Additionally, select from the following goals or steps, modify them, or create your own. Choose goals from the previous weeks or months if applicable. This month I will:
Continue the following goals: _____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Plan and purchase the food I need for traveling or for anytime I’m out of my usual routine.
Review “Halt Negative Self-Talk” in Week 6 for reminders on how to avoid big setbacks.
Practice fitting treats into my diet instead of leaving myself feeling either deprived or that I’ve overindulged.
Shop for unusual fruits, vegetables, or grains.
Other: _____________________________________________________________