dieting while traveling

Battling the Binge

/ caitlin1011 / 3 Comments

liz-lemon-pizza

So most of you saw that post the other day where I lost my mind and binged on chili. Let me be clear that chili is not the only thing I’ve binged on before. You name it, I’ll eat it. What’s most important when dieting is to learn what triggers you and make a plan to combat it. In business we do it all the time; we look at competitive threats and make plans to get around them. Same concept here.

To be honest, a lot of my binges happen after drinking. When we drink our inhibitions go down, and desire to eat like crap go up. There’s also a lot of scienc-ey stuff involved here, but we’re not going to get into that. If I have two glasses of wine, by the second I’m already scheming about who will drive me to get tacos.  So really, what causes you to binge?  Think hard. Is it having a few cocktails? Is it stress? Boredom?

I’m also notorious for what I like to call “the ambien effect.” Remember those stories about people who took ambien and would literally drive places not knowing they were going? I do the same thing with food/stress.  Sometimes I’ll be eating and not even know it! I’ll be on a conference call and  realize I’m halfway through a bag of chips.  When I started my competition prep, I really had to learn what made me tick. Nothing will make you face down demons like a bikini competition.

Remember that diets are made up of small changes. My old boss used to say that life is much like a compass, you can change a few degrees and end up in an entirely different place.  Take this approach. Take small, gradual changes and you will soon be in an entirely different body!

Here are a few strategies you can take to address binging:

*If you’re stressed at home: Keep healthy snacks nearby. If you crave sweets, swap out the sugary treats for sliced apples or fruit with fat free whipped cream on top.  You can also make bomb smoothies with vanilla protein powder and fruits.  If you crave salt, try zucchini chips with popcorn seasoning on them. Make your body think it’s getting a treat.

*If you’re drinking: Make sure you’ve eaten before you go out. Eat plenty of fibrous foods (veggies with chicken for example) and drink water in between drinks. Really know your limits and hold yourself accountable. Try to avoid sugary drinks, and if you must drink, stick to a vodka soda or red wine. Beer is a surefire way to bloat.

*If you’re hungover: So you didn’t listen to the above? I get it. The important thing about this is not to give into the little demon that’s telling you to order a Papa John’s Pizza RIGHT MEOW.  In fact, a lot of bodybuilders believe it’s not necessarily alcohol that hurts diets, but what people do during/after.  Swap out the pizza for toast and egg whites AND HYDRATE. Thank me later.

*If you’re bored: Anyone else a boredom snacker? I seriously love snacking while I watch TV.  Swap out chips and popcorn for baked cauliflower.  Make zuch. chips! The important thing is to measure things and put them in a bowl. A bag of chips is a recipe for disaster in our house.

*If you’re strapped for time: This is my all time screw up. I think I am going to an hour long meeting and end up out all day. This is a surefire guarantee I’m driving through Chick-fil-a.  Keep snacks on you. Seriously, and not like sugar loaded Clif bars. Some of my favorite snacks are Quest Bars, Ostrim Jerky, or a Protein Shake.  Even if you’re going to a short meeting, pack something in your purse.

Look, these are just a few triggers that I’ve had to combat in this long process we call dieting.  You might screw up, but the important thing is to get back on track.  Don’t keep pushing it until tomorrow. Learn from your mistakes, drink water, and lift heavy. Got any other strategies? Drop them below!

Yours Truly,

Cait  

 

Dieting while Traveling: Tips and Tricks

/ caitlin1011 / 4 Comments

If you don’t know me, you should know that I did my first competition prep while traveling 85%. I still travel that much! Managing nutrition on the road is one of the most challenging things ever. Especially in sales. We are usually asked to go to dinners, have a few glasses of wine, meet clients, etc.  Temptation is literally everywhere.  When we travel we forget to drink fluids, binge on airport food, and spend nights indulging with coworkers. I made these mistakes early on, and here’s what I learned: you have to plan.   Here are a few tips and tricks I learned along the way:

Do your research: Carefully research your hotel.   My preferred hotel chain is Marriott, and they have the Residence Inn, which has mini kitchens. (These are awesome, especially in prep)

When researching your hotel, you should find out the following:

  • Does it have a hotel gym or do they have an agreement with a nearby gym?
  • Does it have a microwave or do they charge a fee to get one? (some do this,
    Residence Inn in Phoenix. You can prepare your own food or have room to store groceries!

    Residence Inn in Phoenix. You can prepare your own food or have room to store groceries!

    it’s absurd)

  •  Do they have a concierge lounge (complimentary waters, biatch!)
  • Does the room have a kitchen?
  • What restaurants are nearby? Do they have healthy options? Is it something you can suggest for a business meeting?

 

Pack emergency snacks. Holy crap!? Need I say more.  When you are traveling, YOU WILL get hungry. Have snacks on hand like quest bars, rice cakes, or fruit.  If you forget emergency snacks, there are usually coffee shops with cups of fruit. Opt for those.

 Pack a water bottle. Fill it up as soon as you get through security and fill it up all day long. You can gain around 5 lbs of water weight from the air.  It’s so jacked up, but the more you water you intake, the more that goes out.

Vodka or water? No one knows the difference.

Vodka or water? No one knows the difference.

 Avoid planning meetings around drinks: This isn’t always possible, but if you are serious about weight loss, you really need to cut back on drinking. For those of you that are groaning, understand that drinking not only slows progress, but can cause a major binge the next day. Coming back from a binge can take weeks.

That being said, It can make people uncomfortable when you show up for happy hour and then don’t want to drink. When I was in prep, I tried to plan lunch meetings instead of “dinner and drinks.”  It avoids the uncomfortable, “Why aren’t you drinking?” question.

  • Tip: If you can’t avoid a happy hour meeting, try having just one drink with a glass of water. You could also get there early and order club soda in a rocks glass. Carry it around all night and no one knows the difference!

I swear to god. Don’t open the menu:  This trick sounds totally insane, but I am a sucker for temptation. I have no will power.  In order to completely avoid making a poor choice, look up the restaurant menu before you even go in the door.  Make sure it is calorie friendly and don’t even open the menu when you get there. This eliminates temptation for you.  Most popular restaurants list their menus online, but if you aren’t here’s a good rule of thumb.

Clean protein: (chicken or steak) + clean carb (veggies or salad) + light in fat (dressing,  sauce, or maybe the chicken is cooked in a little oil) = usually a good choice. 

For example: I might have

4 oz filet mignon + asparagus

or

chicken + salad with light balsamic on the side. 

Also restaurants like using a lot of salt so please please drink a lot of water. 

Lastly, make time to workout: When I first started my job, we had a company meeting and there was barely anytime to workout. I was really afraid that I wouldn’t look focused or people would judge me if I took time to go to the gym. When I got down to the fitness center, I saw one of the female executives on the treadmill. I told her I felt bad that I was working out so early in the day. She turned to me and said,

“We work so many hours in this job, if you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll go insane. Make time to make it a priority and don’t be sorry.” 

It’s easy to want to work around the clock when you travel.  I won’t lie when I say I have jogged to a fitness facility at 4am, but I am usually graced by the presence of top executives. I’ve learned that successful people make health a priority, and much like their work lives; they don’t make excuses.

I hope these tips have helped you in your fitness journey. Do you have any other tips you’ve picked up?! Leave them in the comments below!