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OK, you already know how to work out while on the road.
But what about eating?
After all, if it's fat loss we're after, throttling back on our caloric intake is way more efficient than burning off calories through exercise or activity.
Think of it this way - a Big Mac contains around 550 Calories and takes only a couple of minutes to consume.
But a 200-lb man would have to walk for around 1 ½ hours to burn off that same number of calories.
And when you're on the road, eating habits tend to take a real hammering because stuff like this happens all the time.
• You check in late to your hotel, and the only thing available to eat is junk from the vending machine
• You worked a 16-hour day, exhausted your willpower battery, and fell into an all-you-can-eat pizza place for dinner
• Your flight got delayed for hours and fast food was the only option
Sounds familiar, right?
So, just like we did in Staying in Shape on the Road: Working Out, we're going to:
1. Have a plan
2. Have a bombproof back-up plan
That way you can return home in even better shape than when you left.
Sound good? Then let’s get started.
The Plan
In early 2015 I headed across the Pacific Ocean for a seminar in Los Angeles.
Thanks to Google, I'd found a steak house near my hotel, checked out the menu, read some reviews, and decided exactly what I was going to eat when I arrived - all done from my phone the week before while sitting in traffic in Sapporo, Japan!
Now that just blows me away.
(Keep in mind that my first computer had an 85-Mb hard drive and used 5¼" floppy disks - remember them?)
But eating out isn't without its pitfalls, so let's take a look at those first.
i) Inaccurate Calorie information
OK, the calories written on the menu may look impressively accurate - tempura soba set, 674 Calories - but in reality they could be way off base.
Now, this makes complete sense when you think about it - after all, commercial kitchens can't be expected to work to NASA levels of precision, right?
Some research back in 2010 found that the actual caloric content of restaurant meals was close to 20% more than listed on the menu.
Now that sounds bad enough, especially if you're trying to eat at, say, a modest 10% caloric deficit.
But get this - some dishes were found to contain double the stated calories.
Which kind of makes it sound like eating out is a real minefield but, fortunately, it doesn't have to be that way.
So here are some neat little tricks to stop those unwanted calories from making it through.
• Avoid things with high-calorie sauces when you eat out
A bit of overenthusiastic spooning in the kitchen can easily sneak several hundred extra calories in under the radar and onto your plate.
Cheese or cream sauces are probably the biggest culprits here, so wherever possible either get these on the side or opt for something simple such as steak or fish, and vegetables instead.
That way you'll get in a ton of protein and fiber (your fat-loss friends) while keeping overall calories under control.
• Beware of the free side dishes
Now, the same research found that some free side dishes totaled close to 2½ times the number of calories of the entrees they accompanied!
That's like the server offering you a bacon double cheeseburger to enjoy alongside your sirloin steak.
So do your waistline a favor, and take a pass on the free sides.
• Hold the salad dressing
Two tablespoons of ranch/blue cheese/thousand-island salad dressing can easily pack up to 150 Calories or more.
And, let's be honest, nobody has just two tablespoons.
So, even if you take a pass on the free sides, the equivalent calories to a Big Mac could still end up being poured over your salad.
The best bet is to stick with something like balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil - again, have these on the side so you decide how much you consume.
ii) Go easy on the booze
OK, we all know that it's 100-% possible to lose weight without giving up alcohol.
But when you’re on the road, things like stress, boredom and loneliness can make it way harder to stop at just one.
Often that's a downward spiral as it can have the knock-on effect of sending your appetite skyrocketing.
And what started out as a healthy evening ends up in an orgy of cheesecake and stuffed-crust pizza.
So let's just keep it pegged to a single beer or glass of wine, OK?
iii) The lure of the drive-thru
You've had a tough day and it now looks like you're going to have to work well into the early hours once you're back at your hotel.
Writing endless test reports and meeting punishing deadlines can really take their toll.
There’s no time for a proper meal, so what should you do?
• Avoid the bright lights of the nearest drive-thru, and make for a grocery store instead
Grab yourself a bowl of ready-to-eat salad, some pastrami, roast beef or chicken.
Then grab some fresh fruit and you've got an awesome dinner with zero preparation time.
Now, I’m a big sushi fan (I've lived in Japan since 2009, so no surprise there), and that would be my go-to option.
But in the U.S., I'd head straight for Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Market - you'll actually get a much bigger nutrition bang for your buck than at almost any restaurant.
Just be careful to avoid the booze section and all the feel-good snacks that your body may be craving after a hard day.
The Bombproof Back-Up Plan
Flight delayed, late checking in, that endless Skype meeting with the Beijing office?
It happens.
Your plan lies in pieces - everywhere is closed, so the steak and salad you promised yourself this evening isn't going to happen.
Hell, you're too tired to even jump in your car.
So dinner is a coin toss between the 7-11 across the street or the vending machine next to the elevator.
Some choice.
Well, that’s precisely when your bombproof back-up plan kicks into action.
Stashed in your bag, Bear Grylls style, you have:
- A tub of protein powder (EAS's chocolate whey protein powder is my personal favorite)
Just be sure to take a shaker with you as making this in a glass can be a big mess
- Protein bars (Quest's Peanut Butter & Chocolate bars are high protein, low calorie and taste great)
- Beef jerky/canned tuna
- A bag of mixed nuts
- A few apples (forget bananas as those never seem to travel well)
- If your hotel room has a microwave, you may want to think about taking a bag of oatmeal and a bowl
Now this sure as hell isn’t Michelin-star restaurant stuff.
But if you’re going to eat the first thing your hand comes to, it’s way better than a Snickers bar or the hotel's complimentary cookies.
The apples will keep for several days and the other stuff for several months.
I like to think of it the same way as a spare wheel and tire - for 99% of the time you simply don’t need it but when you do, you need it 100%.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to eating well on the road, a little upfront planning is your best friend.
So have a plan, be flexible, and keep a stash of survival food in your bag as your bombproof back-up plan.
That way you really can head back home in better shape than when you left.
- Tim
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Images: Bigstock
Reference: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20102837