10 Tips to Better Eating on the Road
Roz and I have been on the road nearly three months. One thing we have learned is Flexible Eating is easier out of your own kitchen. But, you can’t live in a bubble. You will have vacations, work will send you on the road, and life will happen.
While tracking your food is easier in the comfort of your own kitchen, hitting your numbers on the road is still possible.
Here are my Top 10 tricks to tracking while on the go:
10 – Always Be Tracking – this has become mine & Roz’s mantra. When Roz first said this it was more of a joke, but these three words have been invaluable to us as we work hard to consistent on the go. What this represents is no matter what, you’re going to be over, you’re eating out, you had a few too many drinks, that’s ok, just always be tracking it. Really what this does is protect you from yourself. I know from experience if I don’t track, it’s opens up the potential for me to go insane with the thought process of, I’m already off, who cares. By simply tracking, even if I’m over, it stops me from being even more over and gives me that opportunity to evaulate, do I really need more donuts?
9 – Bring Protein – carbs and fat, are quick, easy, and cheap to come by. Don’t believe me? Just head over to the closest Cheesecake Factory and get yourself a slice of Red Velvet Cheesecake (it’s the best flavor) and your done with your carbs and fat for the day. Protein is a different beast. Leave yourself too much at the end of the day, and your choking down grilled chicken. Roz and I always travel with some easy proteins: jerky, supplements, protein bars, even deli meat to ensure we always hit our protein goals.
8 – Research Restaurants – part of traveling is eating out and why we want you to enjoy yourself that doesn’t always mean you have to blow your numbers. Most chain restaurants are in My Fitness Pal these days, when we are in a pinch, Chipotle is an easy stop that fills us up and allows us to stay dialed in. When we are choosing a local establishment we do our best to check out the menu before we arrive to help us narrow down our choices, most restaurants post their menu, and from there we find foods that will work best for our day.
7 – Ask Questions – while we research menus beforehand, we are not shy about asking the wait staff questions. From how much meat is in this burger, to what’s this cooked in, to substitutions, don’t be quiet about getting as much information as you need. You can do this in a fun way, and even tell your server about Own Your Eating 😉 Easy choices are usually steaks as you can simply plug in the weight, a filet is a filet regardless of where you are getting it.
6 – Find Something Comparable – you’ve done your research, you’ve asked your questions, but you just have a hankering for that pumpkin ravioli, you only live once, enjoy it. Just find something similar in My Fitness Pal to track it. Even if it’s not identical, chances are it’s close enough and more importantly you are living by our mantra, “Always be tracking.” Just don’t plug in a low-carb version of it, choose something that looks real and close to the amount of macros you believer are in it.
5 – Bring Your Scale – scales come in all shapes and sizes these days, there is no excuse to not have one with you at all times. Roz often uses our scale at Whole Foods while creating a big salad. Does she look like a weirdo…yeah, but she looks like a weirdo with abs!
4 – Exercise – move! Something about moving your body…can’t quite put my finger on it! I don’t care how busy you are, you can spare five minutes and get your sweat on. From 100 Burpees, to Tabata Squats, to a One mile run, working out doesn’t have to take hours. Roz’s Beach Body Ready Guide has some great inspiration! We get it, your on vacation or have work obligations, that’s fine, just get up few minutes earlier and your body will be thankful. We have found by making exercise a priority it has actually helped our bodies feel better and kept us more dialed in with our nutrition. I even managed to workout every day while judging at this year’s CrossFit Games.
3 – Eat Breakfast – Typically I love Intermittent Fasting, but I’ve learned while being on the road that when I eat breakfast, I’m generally less hungry throughout the day and have less cravings. This is especially true when I have a hearty meal, something like 3 eggs, Sausage, Spinach, on a sprouted bread, I’m full for hours. This also made the rest of my day less stressful as a huge portion of my food was accounted for and now I just had to fill in the gaps by the time I went to sleep.
3a – Don’t Eat Breakfast – You read that right. On days Roz really wants a big dinner out, I’ll purposely skip that first meal of the day to bank some macros for dinner, sometimes I might even forego lunch. Really it depends on the day we are going to have, but the point is, it’s entirely up to you. There are no rules and regulations with Own Your Eating, in fact, the only rule is, there are none. Make this work for you, your lifestyle, and your day.
2 – Drink Up – gotta have that high quality H20! I find when I am eating out a lot I get bloated. Water helps me overcome that feeling. I typically aim for 1-2 gallons of water per day depending on the heat and our activity. That’s more than most, I do everything in extremes, and wind up having to find every bathroom in town! Pick a goal number of ounces, grab a refillable water bottle and keep at it until you hit it.
1 – Move On – You’re not always going to be perfect, and guess what, that’s ok! Don’t beat yourself up over it. You went over your numbers, you had a few too many adult beverages, you just couldn’t get your protein in, it happens to the best of us. Tomorrow is a new day. Don’t try to make up for it with more or less food, just get right back on your numbers. You can’t mess yourself up in one day, the best thing you can do is dust your shoulders off and attack the next day!
