The Trouble with Travel

The trouble with travel is that everything changes, and routine is forgotten. How can someone expect to lose weight when nothing around them is familiar?

I have traveled a lot in my life; I am very lucky. Last year, I traveled to Italy, and came back close to 15lbs heavier. In 2 days, I am going on the very same trip again. This time I will be prepared to lose weight instead of gain it.

Trouble 1: Where is the scale?
Resolution: Bring a tape measure instead!

Unfortunately, a travel scale has not been invented yet. I have seriously considered packing my scale in my bag with me, but with all of the weight requirements that airlines have right now, it just isn't practical. Weight is not the only way to measure progress.

Instead of packing the scale, I am packing a tape measure. It is light, small and measures my progress even better than a scale. Instead of watching a seemingly arbitrary number drop, I can watch the inches around my waist and my thighs shrink. My trip is a long one, so this is a satisfactory way to travel and track.

Trouble 2: Iffy Internet with online weight-loss program
Resolution: Bring a notebook.

While online programs make tracking everything easier, you can still track with a pen and paper. I intend to bring a notebook and take it everywhere. If I eat anything, I will write it down and estimate how many calories it contained. Just the act of writing it down will help.

Tip: Since eating out is a common occurrence on vacations, add an extra 100 calories after every meal eaten out. This extra allowance will take into account the extra oils that are hidden in many restaurant meals. You can do this even when you aren't on vacation!

Trouble: No gym!
Resolution: Bring a pair of running shoes and buy equal sized water bottles.

You can't take the gym with you, but a pair of shoes is definitely do-able. If you just remember to get out and run for a couple of minutes, not only will you see more of your destination, you will end up with more energy and a couple extra calories burned.

The water bottles act as hydration, and as weights. If you fill up matching water bottles you can use them as impromptu dumbbells. If you need more weight than a 1 liter bottle, you can either bring emptied and squished 2 liter soda bottles to fill, or go find them where you are to use. In the end, just leave them there! (preferably in a recycling bin)

Trouble: I'm hungry but it isn't meal time!
Resolution: Find a local market, and bring some snacks along.

When you find a market, you find all of the local fruits and vegetables. A grocery store would be a good choice also. This way you can buy some fruits and have quick snacks that you know are healthy and don't require refrigeration!

I went out and bought 15 of my favorite energy bars and a handful of fruit leathers. This wasn't cheap, but since last year there was a major focus on gelato and pizza, I need something healthier to eat when I get hungry and everyone else wants calorie laden foods. Throwing one in my bag is easy enough and my snacks are only 100 calories each so are much better choices than the local "fast foods."

If you have any other ideas that would make weight-loss on a trip easier, write it in the comments!

When Should You Count Calories?

Yesterday, I went to the movies with my boyfriend and I hadn't eaten breakfast. We were late, so I ordered some Reese's Pieces and we ran to sit down. I knew it wasn't the healthiest breakfast, but how bad could it be? I estimated about 2 servings of probably 150 calories per serving. A bagel would have been about the same. Right?

I remembered to put the package in my bag when we left so that I could track correctly later. But I didn't track it until after I had eaten lunch and dinner. When I finally pulled out the package and looked at it, it was 5 servings of 200 calories. My 300 calorie breakfast was actually 1,000 calories. Let me tell you, I was SO MAD that I hadn't checked before I ate them.

I have the Spark App on my Blackberry, and I have several computers available to me. What was so difficult about checking to make sure it fit into my plan before I ate them? I could have had Aussie Cheese Fries from Outback, 10 bananas, or 20 cups of Strawberries instead. There are so many things that would have satisfied me more than those few handfuls of Reese's Pieces.

So when is the ideal time to log calories? For most people before they eat,( or even the day before) is the best plan. Logging your calories before is the best way to make sure you know the damage a food will do (or not do) before you eat it.

Everyone makes mistakes, so all I can do is check everything I eat today, and log it BEFORE I eat it. Guessing doesn't work for me. But next time I am in a similar situation, if I even get the candy, I will make sure I know what I am actually eating.

Have you ever been in a similar situation?

Tracking Food Calories

For me, tracking the food that I eat is the key to weight loss. My problems come when I forget to write down what I eat. When I have to write down everything I eat and keep track of how many calories are in each meal, it gives me a reality check. I will think twice about eating something that is high calorie, low nutrition if I know I have to be honest with myself and write it down.

Sparkpeople.com is especially helpful because everything there has the calories already programed into the system so as long as I have internet, I can track. If I am at work, and I eat a candy from the (damn) candy jar, I can go online and track it and the reality of having 1 or 2 bites account for 100 or 150 calories will keep me from eating another. The internet is everywhere and SparkPeople keeps me honest.