I?m sure it?s apparent through some of my posts that we travel a lot! And travel can oftentimes mean extra calories, unfortunately. I mean, please tell me I?m not alone when I say that I do get a little excited for gas station and airport snack breaks when on the road!!!
Although sometimes it feels like we?re away from home more than we?re at home, we try all we can not to let all those miles we log derail our healthy eating plan. Here are 5 simple tips to help keep your nutrition goals on the right track so the only extra weight you bring home is in the form of those memorable souvenirs!
- Pack and take nonperishable items with you. Some of our faves: protein powder, fruit, veggies, protein bars, and nuts. Be sure to pre-portion out those snacks like nuts and healthy popcorn, so you don’t eat the entire bag! #guilty…eek!
- Check out the local grocery stores at your final destination and stock up on proteins, carbs, veggies, and healthy fats. And lots of water! Don?t know where to go? Ask around?your hotel staff and taxi and bus drivers are a wealth of great information!
- If your hotel room doesn?t come with a mini fridge and a microwave, ask for one when you make your reservation or when you arrive. And then stock that mini fridge with lots of healthy options for you to grab and go or prep right in your room.
- Always carry a shaker bottle with you so you can make protein shakes no matter where you are. This is a lifesaver for us!
- Eating out while traveling? Many restaurants have nutritional info for their menus on their websites, and we’ve also included some fast food menu options in our app. Take a few minutes and plan ahead, and you won?t be full of regret after that last bite. If the portion sizes are large, split with a friend or ask for 1/2 of it to go! NOTE: Many fitness apps have great nutritional info for many restaurants too, so check them out!
Following these 5 simple tips might require planning ahead and creativity, but I can promise you that your nutrition and weight loss goals won?t also take a vacation while you?re traveling.
Xoxo,
Heidi
Want more tips just like this? Check out Extreme Transformation and the links below!
Heidi-Approved (& Macro-Friendly) Fast Food Picks
My Favorite Fast Food
Meal Prep Tips and Tricks You Need to Know
Grocery Shopping 101
20 Responses
Do they have a site that explains how to carb cycle with maybe sample meals for low/high days. I want to try this, but don’t know where to start!
Thanks in advance!
Hi Amanda: Here’s an introductory post about the nutrition side of carb cycling: https://heidipowell.net/2713. And there’s a chart in this post that shows you how to put together your meals in the Easy, Classic, Fit, and Turbo Cycles: https://heidipowell.net/4514. For the new Extreme Cycle, there are 21 days of meal plans outlined for you in the book (“Extreme Transformation” http://amzn.to/2eTGrVy), and there are some other meal planning options in this post: https://heidipowell.net/10617. I hope this helps, and welcome to carb cycling!
How can Quest Protein Bars fit into the carb cycling program?
Hi Liss: Quest bars can be eaten on low carb days, and count as both your protein and fat servings of a low carb meal. The key to knowing which bar is best for which type of meal (low or high carb) is to look at both the carb and fat content. If more calories come from fat than carbs, then that bar is a good option for a low carb meal. If the reverse is true, then that bar is a good option for a high carb meal. Chris and Heidi do recommend consuming only one protein bar a day, since it is best to eat whole foods whenever possible. Hope that helps!
Heidi & Chris, thank you so much for the wonderful ideas and support for a healthy lifestyle! I have just started carb cycling, and I love it!! I only want to lose a couple of pounds, but mostly, I want to build a more healthy life and get into better shape! I love the idea of a cheat day, but I do have a question! Is it ok to have a cheat day on a different day than is scheduled, like if you have a party to attend? Or, do you always need to keep it the 7th day of your cycle?
It is okay to change your cheat day occasionally, but you don’t want to do it too often. We’re so happy you’re loving carb cycling!
We travel quite a bit for soccer tournaments…even if they are local we often have more than one game a day. We hate the idea of eating out every meal especially if there aren’t healthy options around. I always try to pack a bag with fruit, homemade energy bites or granola bars, sandwiches etc…saves us some money and we know that we are putting in to our girls foods that will fuel their bodies.
You Always Bring So Much Value with your Blog Posts Heidi….I always love sharing your thoughts on health and fitness. I am a HUGE advocate of Carb Cycling since I learned how it works very well with me. I am asked all the time how I balance my health and fitness with my business life. I get alot of the credit to You and Chris. I am ALL about the Bode Pro Line. Appreciate You and Chris more than you know. Thanks for making a HUGE difference in the Lives of sooo many! Healthy Regards
Great tips! I always take Primal Pacs, which are a lifesaver! Dried mango, macadamia nuts and grass fed beef jerky in the perfect portion size!
Thanks, Heidi! Which protein powders do you recommend?
Chris and Heidi love their Vemma Powell Perfect Protein Shakes. You can get more info about them by contacting Bob Brenner, one of our amazing season 3 transformations, and he’ll be happy to help you! [email protected] In general, Chris and Heidi recommend whey based powders with between 15-20 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of carbs per serving.
I carried a small shaker bottle and protein powder on my last vacation, and I did not regret it! My biggest problem when traveling is that my fiance is perfectly content to only eat 2 or 3 meals a day, which makes it hard to fit in 5 meals a day. Having protein powder at hand makes it much easier to squeeze those extra meals in on the run (paired with veggie sticks and fruit or nuts) or at least tide me over until our next meal.
Side note: I’m on week 3 of carb cycling, I’ve lost over 8 pounds, and it’s the first eating plan that hasn’t left me feeling deprived! Thanks for your help! 😀
Congratulations! 🙂
Any tips for when you’re on a Cruise?
Here you go: https://heidipowell.net/39/healthy-choices-on-board/. Enjoy!
Thanks for these great tips! I’m not a frequent traveler, but I am on the go a lot, and at a job where a fridge isn’t always an option. These ideas are helpful for sure!