How To Lose Weight While Traveling For Work? (Healthy Traveling Tips)

A lot of us have been there either a long term sales job long term or just traveling promoting your business for the short term. If you are on a longer term road this is definitely something you need to master with healthy eating and staying active while on the road.

If you are just doing this short term it can be a big deal if you eat a lot at every meal like I do because I can gain a lot of wait in a as little of a week while on vacation or just traveling for work. When I got married to my wife we did a destination wedding in Jamaica. We were down there for 10 days with family and friends lets say I went down there at 225lbs and came back 10 days later at around 252lbs that is 27 lbs I gained in that little span.

Yes a lot of it was water retention (had quite a bit of sugary drinks), but a lot of it was due to over eating. Coming back I regrouped and got back down to 225lb but it took me a long long time. So now I watch a little bit more of what I eat and sometimes way myself a few days after I have been traveling. Don't have a scale at your hotel go to a local Walmart they have scales there and no you don't need to buy them use the old school ones there.

So how can you actually lose weight or at least maintain while traveling? Losing weight while traveling can be simple if you get a room by yourself. All you need is a set of resistance bands (5-100lb range depending on your level of fitness) and your laptop or phone (having unlimited data helps) and also a phone stand. You can get both cardio and weight training workouts done in your room using just these tools.

Table of Contents

Traveling Workout Equipment List

Resistance Bands – they only weigh around one pound or two but can go up to the equivalent of 5lb-100lbs+ depending on the cost of them these are great to get a weight training like workout anywhere. You can get different attachments like one to simulate a pullup.

Laptop – laptops work great unfortunately the hotel internet doesn't always work great there are ways around this like downloading your weeks workouts ahead of time or getting unlimited data hookup like I have for our Microsoft Surface with AT&T or an unlimited tablet streaming device.
Smartphone w/ Stand – if you don't want to use your laptop a phone like iPhone is sufficient with a little cheap stand some cases have them on it. That way you can workout hands free. Same thing you can either use the hotel internet or your unlimited data if you don't have that download your workouts ahead of time. Invest in something like Beachbody On Demand for a free trial or Youtube Premium also give you the opportunity to download workout videos ahead of time.

Staying Health While Traveling For Work

Luckily in this day and age it can be much easier to stay healthy on the road, but at the same time temptation can make it much harder. Little tips and tricks can help you go along way with that so called willpower.

Chewing Gum – sugar free gum keep it with you at all times. As soon as you get that urge to get some of that fast or fried food in stick it in your mouth.

Trail Mix – get some healthier trail mix to snack on (meaning not the one with chocolates). Protein and healthy fats can be very filling.
Protein – its okay to eat eggs and bacon just stay away from the pancakes and syrup along with the sugar in the coffee. The easiest thing to do is if you are going to eat higher fat like eggs and bacon stay away from the carbs especially straight sugar. If you are going to eat higher carb eat lower fat. This isn't perfect but mixing high fat and high sugar together is much worse.
Intermittent Fasting or Normal Fasting – you aren't going to get fat if you don't eat. Fasting gets a bad rap that it causes your metabolism to slow down this may be so….after 30 straight days of fasting but not if you fast a day or 2, or even around 14-18 hours. The health benefits speak for themselves. Obviously you still can't eat more then your metabolic rate can handle but the likelihood of that happening is much better when fasting.
TV Gym – if they have a local gym hit it up multiple times a day when you are going to watch TV do it there while moving simple. Watching TV in your room do push ups, sit ups, burpees, jumping jacks during commercials. Every commercial switch feel your heart rate get up there. Interval training at its finest lol.

Eat This Not That – haven't you ever seen that book well if you are bad at eating healthy get this book or at least look it up on the internet get it on kindle. Or every place you go to eat look up “healthiest meals at + PLACE” you will see healthy alternatives.
Swimming Pool – have a pool get in it do some laps especially if nobody is in it. Suck at swimming that's okay I do too just keep your body moving even treading water burns calories and still feels good if the air is hot. If it is cooler out that okay too it will keep you warmer moving around constantly as well too.
Hydration – drink tons of water when you wake up slam 16 ounces. But I will have to pee all day? Well not if you do this all the time sure at first you might but your body will adapt.

Road Warrior Diet Plan

This is the easiest way to get some healthy calories in you while staying on a lower calorie diet plan. We will base this on that all you have is a fridge, microwave and toaster at most so all the essentials will be made up easily.

The Essentials:

Oatmeal – they have to go oatmeals that all you have to do is add water and put it in the microwave
Frozen Meals – frozen meals get a bad rap as well. Not all are created equal and not all are bad. Stick to healthy choice and smart ones where possible. If you get breakfast ones like a bowl or breakfast sandwich watch the sugars. The new healthy choice steamers are great however you probably can't fit one in your freezer. Which is fine they will last days in the fridge just back down the cook time.
Eggs – there are microwave egg and bacon cookers. The egg ones are reusable I probably wouldn't use the bacon on
PB & J – yes PB and J is healthy. Get all natural peanut butter (JIF or any other brand) and all natural jelly. Plus get a whole wheat low calorie bread (40-45 calories a slice).

Milk, Cottage Cheese, String Cheese – great snacks and some extra protein with the milk.
Fruit like bananas and apples – eat these if not doing low carb will help with cramping and energy
Coffee – stay low on the sugar but coffee is great for you in moderation just make sure to hydrate with the coffee
Chicken Salad – chicken salads can be great for you just watch the dressing if low carb use blue cheese if low calorie go with light dressing never fat free. Vinaigrette is always a great way to go.
Tuna – tuna sandwiches are great adding mayo can be bad but not if low carb. If low calorie go with light.

Intermittent Fasting On The Road

Intermittent fasting can a be a great thing. You don't have to plan out as much even if you are just skipping one meal (breakfast) one less thing to do while traveling gives you more time in the morning to get your workout in, reading in, or planning in for your meetings.

Fasting gets looked down upon by a lot of people and science has proven there are many benefits of fasting. Now it isn't a miracle weight loss diet as if you normally eat 2500 cals a day to maintain weight now you fast and only have one meal that is 2500 cals a day guess what?

It will be the same as your other diet of 2500 cals a day. So yes no matter what it comes down to calories in and calories out.

16-8 is what I like personally but I will fast for 40 hours once a week most weeks. That is what I do to start the week out stop eating at 8pm Sunday evening and start eating again Noon that Tuesday.

A lot of people freak out hearing that but if you keep busy and some sugar free gum and maybe brush your teeth a couple more times a day it makes it a bit easier. Plus lots of water. You can still drink coffee if you want of course this helps aid as an appetite suppressant as well.

Starting out just set a goal not to eat until noon or 1pm everyday and eat a normal dinner before 8pm. Its that simple and can save a ton of time and helps with your digestive system.

Other Benefits Include:

Insulin Levels – your insulin levels will drop aiding in fat burning. Get that workout in on an empty stomach is not an old wise tale.
Calorie Reduction – if you eat one less meal a day you are going to consume less calories. Even increasing on your other meals still will likely add up to less calories consumed in a 24 hour span which is what truly matters.
Eliminate Brain Fog – haven't you ever ate a ton of food and your brain just slows down well this is a real effect of eating. When you don't eat there is less oxidation stress and reduced inflammation on the brain causing a focus affect. Ask anyone that fasts for longer periods they will tell you about this affect.

Again Intermittent Fasting isn't a miracle you will still have to consume less calories. But it may be okay to eat a big steak dinner with some fries especially if you already do that fasting 16 hours will help that calorie count stay down.

Weight Lifting While Traveling

This can be a big ordeal if your hotel has no weight machine. Some have smith machines or cable machines which is great but sets of dumbbells still work best. Because nothing beats free weights, but what happens if they have none of the above?

Get yourself some resistance bands. They have come so far over the years and can go up to 100 lbs for one single band which is crazy. Even a few bands you can get a great workout in just like you had a complete set of dumbbells. You do this by creating loops to add to the resistance.

Get some attachments and you can even start doing pull ups, push ups, situps, burpees, jumping jacks during the commercials you are watching in your hotel room.

Again don't slack on this throw some lightweight resistance bands in your travel luggage and you won't regret it. You can get pretty much any dumbbell/barbell workout in on these.

Low calorie Food While Traveling

Low calories has to be the initial goal no matter what you need to take in less or at least the same amount of calories you are burning throughout the day.

Keep track of your calories which is so easy to do these days. Use the app called myfitnesspal it works great for that. I just use one called Simple Calories then I either look at the back of what I just ate or look up what I ate at a restaurant on my phone.

Travel Weight Gain

If you have done all the above but slacked off and still gained weight. That is okay it happens a lot of the weight you gain on the road or while vacationing is water weight.

Water weight gain can be lost quickly. Cut back on the sugary drinks, up the water and coffee intake and you will shed that in a week. Make sure to cut back on extra sodium as well.

Maybe try a little detox when you get back and that may do the trick. One detox we do is the 3 Day Refresh which is a great little high fiber / protein shake cleanse with a salad for dinner. You feel great after that 3 day.

How Do I Maintain My Weight While Traveling?

You maintain your weight while traveling by maintaining your calorie intake. It really won't matter what you eat as much as how much you eat when it comes to the calories. Download an easy calorie app and start counting look up what you don't know on your phone. That is the only number you need to keep.

That is why intermittent fasting is a great way to maintain if you only have 2 meals a day that is one less you have to count.

How Can I Eat Healthy While Traveling For Work?

Pack stuff with you on the road like trail mix and P&J's along with fruit. Stay away from fast and fried food. Sodium will hurt you as well with restaurants so watch the high sodium along with the high fat and high carb.

Conclusion

Yes it is possible to lose weight while you travel for work. The immediate goal should be to maintain initially then lose weight.

Implement some tips and tricks to keep at it and don't give up if you go off the wagon and go to the buffet for a night it happens to all of us. It may take a week to recover from a night out at the buffet or at least it does me so don't let it get you down.

Focus on things that work if it doesn't work move on. If intermittent fasting works for you then great if it doesn't that okay too just focus on consuming less calories then you burn as that is what it all boils down too.

Do some simple workouts. You can get an entire workouts in your room completed. Just take a peep at Beachbody On Demand Free Trial to see the options they have and you don't need any weights or resistance bands just your body to get ripped. They do have ones' where you can use the resistance bands along with it as well.

It is amazing in the digital age where all you need is a phone to get into shape. But you still have to do the work so just get up and do it even if it is during commercials and that is it. It's amazing the amount of calories you can burn just performing short interval workouts in during a 1 hour show just during the commercials.

Good luck to you send us an email with any questions.