149. Nutrition While Traveling with Coach Justin Murphy, BS Nutrition, CPT
In this weeks episode, I sit down to discuss nutrition while traveling. I cover work trips, holidays, and vacations.
Are you someone that travels A LOT?
Or maybe you just travel a couple times per month. Either way, it’s important to be able to navigate through airport food, conferences, hotel food, and client/ work lunches & dinners.
As simple as it may seem, the first step is always to plan ahead. What does your travel schedule look like?
What food can you bring with you?
What hotel are you staying at?
Is there a Whole Foods or other grocery story by your hotel?
Client lunches / dinners?
Simply taking the time to do a quick google search and then coming up with a game plan is essential to crushing your goals during travel. Believe it or not, it’s actually pretty simple to stay on track while traveling. We have some clients that travel 5 days / week, every week of the year. Preparation is key.
When it comes to travel, always prepare for the worst. Life Hacks
1.) All of these are allowed on your carry on...
Protein sources:
-jerky
-RX bar
-epic bars
-protein powder
-collagen protein
Fat sources:
-individual packets of nut butter
-nuts & seeds
-individual packets of oils
Carbohydrate sources:
-cauliflower, celery, carrots, apples, and bananas tend to last without refrigeration
-microwavable rice
-oatmeal packets
2.) Most restaurants post their menu online...
If you know where you’re going for lunch or dinner, do a quick google search so that you can determine what you’re going to eat at each meal. Most of the time, you should be able to choose a meat or fish with a side or two of veggies. Salads are also typically a decent option, just be sure to ask for the dressing on the side and consider asking for double protein. Remind yourself that both food quantity & quality are important, but if you don’t have control of the quality, try to eat until your 80% full and/or focus on building a macro balanced plate at each meal.
3.) Don’t worry, each trip is another opportunity to get a little bit better...
If you assess your current travel strategy and you’re not doing any of these things then don’t expect to be perfect the first time you try. Your strategy is going to be tailored towards each trip as each one will be a little different. The point is, enjoy the process of learning.
Progress, not perfection!
Remember, logging food on Myfitnesspal is not 100% accurate.
Logging food on Myfitnesspal at a restaurant is even more inaccurate. Don’t forget to account for the cooking oils as they typically contribute more calories than you might think.
You don’t need to bring a food scale or anything crazy like that, just try to be a little more aware of your travel habits and eating choices.
Remember, nobody ever got fat from eating one “cheat” meal. Keep things simple, create a plan, learn from each opportunity!
How do you “diet” on a holiday or vacation? You don’t...
How many times per year do you celebrate a holiday or a vacation? Probably not that many...
365 days in a year, 10-30 days of which you are celebrating a holiday, vacation, etc.
When you start to understand the art of finding balance, you can see that holidays & vacations are meant to be enjoyed. If these times of the year stress you out, here are some life hacks that will hopefully give you some peace of mind.
Life Hacks
1.) Don’t stuff your face. Simply eat until you’re satisfied or 80% full
We’ve all been there before, so stuffed that we can’t even get up from the table. But why? Instead, simply enjoy the foods you want to enjoy without eating like an as$hole.
It takes your body 15-20 minutes after you start eating for your digestive system to signal to your brain that you are satisfied, so eat slowly and properly chew your food for optimal digestion. This also allows you to truly enjoy your food and savor the flavor.
2.) Stay Active
Just because it’s the holidays or you’re on vacation, doesn’t mean you should skip your workouts. Do your best to schedule morning workouts or at least stay active. Most hotels / resorts have a gym or if nothing else you can always do a bodyweight workout. Even after a night of drinking tequila, get up that next morning and sweat it out. Your body will thank you later!
3.) Mental Affirmations
Listen, we realize that life happens. It’s ok...
We are all imperfect human beings.
It’s not about the mistake, it’s so much more about the conversation that you’re having in between your ears.
Holidays / Vacations are meant to be enjoyed with family & friends.
Whether you decide to indulge a little or a lot, remember how you felt during the process.
Did you enjoy it physically?
Did you enjoy it socially?
What was your favorite part of the experience?
What did you learn about yourself this time around compared to the last? Ask yourself these questions before & after holidays / vacations... Remember, there are 365 days in a year.
A small % of those days make up holidays & vacations, don’t sweat the small stuff. Play the long game!
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