How do you not gain weight while traveling?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 112
How do you not gain weight while traveling?
Curious on some of you road warriors and what do you do while traveling to not end up gaining a bunch of weight?
I started to travel for work a little over a year ago and even with this being a “slow” travel year; I am at 130 nights YTD in hotels. I find myself at least once a day eating out. I do what I can to run fo wal mart and make sandwich when I can. But still find myself eating out a bunch.
So I am curious if anyone has any tips on what they do or pointers because I do not see my schedule getting much slower for the next year.
I started to travel for work a little over a year ago and even with this being a “slow” travel year; I am at 130 nights YTD in hotels. I find myself at least once a day eating out. I do what I can to run fo wal mart and make sandwich when I can. But still find myself eating out a bunch.
So I am curious if anyone has any tips on what they do or pointers because I do not see my schedule getting much slower for the next year.
#2
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Sacramento
Programs: FB Silver, BA Gold; BW Diamond Select, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 156
I ate out everyday when I worked in my office. Some travel with generous per-diem. Calorie intake is the key. I tended to order kids meals, al la cart, or appetizers as the main depending on the restaurant. I never felt obligated to eat a full meal each day in a restaurant. I had coworkers that spit entries into two meals. Good luck.
#4
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Enroute to ? & likely flying in ' A ':)
Programs: TPPS, UA, EK ...; Marriott BONVOY , HH, GP, GC..
Posts: 4,217
If given per diem & able to cash it , will help to manage how much for ( to spend on ) meals , calorie intake ..
Factor in some walks or some light activities , perhaps more if you have the time .
Factor in some walks or some light activities , perhaps more if you have the time .
#6
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: NYC
Programs: AS 75K, DL Platinum
Posts: 631
- Minimal or no breakfast
- Light lunch
- No soda or juice
- Low-calorie alcohol
- Walk instead of drive/taxi/public transport
- Intense exercise on weekends
With these 5 things, I managed to lose a good amount of weight despite consuming basically whatever I wanted after 5pm every day.
- Light lunch
- No soda or juice
- Low-calorie alcohol
- Walk instead of drive/taxi/public transport
- Intense exercise on weekends
With these 5 things, I managed to lose a good amount of weight despite consuming basically whatever I wanted after 5pm every day.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YYZ / FRA
Programs: IHG RA; Avis First
Posts: 1,444
Hahaha it is tough to be honest. If I travel alone and don't have many colleagues where I go then I can stay fit no problem as I can have a schedule. After work, eat then relax a bit then workout before bed.
BUT when I go and there's a bunch of colleagues especially from the same product team and home office location and a bunch from other teams. Then I can tell you it is IMPOSSIBLE! Because its a bigger group and we ALWAYS (97%) go to a restaurant together then after go to a bar together. One of my travels I was in Hungary for almost 2 months, after the first 3 weeks it was getting difficult to find motivation. I love Hungarian food! Yes I did gain weight, note that I am that time was very athletic and fit but I just couldn't keep up!
BUT when I go and there's a bunch of colleagues especially from the same product team and home office location and a bunch from other teams. Then I can tell you it is IMPOSSIBLE! Because its a bigger group and we ALWAYS (97%) go to a restaurant together then after go to a bar together. One of my travels I was in Hungary for almost 2 months, after the first 3 weeks it was getting difficult to find motivation. I love Hungarian food! Yes I did gain weight, note that I am that time was very athletic and fit but I just couldn't keep up!
#9
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
My company pays for actual expenses (up to GSA per diem values, but not a real per diem),and excludes alcohol from being a covered expense. As a result, my challenge is getting over the "I should get my money's worth" mentality. I remember times thinking "I should have an appetizer, entree and dessert because this restaurant is pretty inexpensive". My brother gets direct deposit of the daily rate so to him, eating a smaller meal is money in his pocket so his problem becomes the same as BRAISKI, the socializing with colleagues.
Edit to add: An uncle that is was a road warrior for years, but hates the gym, said he found himself eating a lot of salads and skipping alcohol (diet sodas and water for him).
Edit to add: An uncle that is was a road warrior for years, but hates the gym, said he found himself eating a lot of salads and skipping alcohol (diet sodas and water for him).
Last edited by Gig103; Sep 29, 2020 at 10:13 am
#10
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 836
Curious on some of you road warriors and what do you do while traveling to not end up gaining a bunch of weight?
I started to travel for work a little over a year ago and even with this being a “slow” travel year; I am at 130 nights YTD in hotels. I find myself at least once a day eating out. I do what I can to run fo wal mart and make sandwich when I can. But still find myself eating out a bunch.
So I am curious if anyone has any tips on what they do or pointers because I do not see my schedule getting much slower for the next year.
I started to travel for work a little over a year ago and even with this being a “slow” travel year; I am at 130 nights YTD in hotels. I find myself at least once a day eating out. I do what I can to run fo wal mart and make sandwich when I can. But still find myself eating out a bunch.
So I am curious if anyone has any tips on what they do or pointers because I do not see my schedule getting much slower for the next year.
That's really all there is to it. We, as a society, simply consume too much food. We eat way more than we need to live and thrive.
Cheers,
#12
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
1. Limit the booze consumption
2. Walk as much as you can, where and whenever possible skip the train/trams and walk. Walk briskly. DFW is a perfect airport for this.
3. Limit fatty/high calorie food consumption
4. Get sleep
5. Post COVID 19 find a service like Gympass that will enable you to use gyms when you travel
2. Walk as much as you can, where and whenever possible skip the train/trams and walk. Walk briskly. DFW is a perfect airport for this.
3. Limit fatty/high calorie food consumption
4. Get sleep
5. Post COVID 19 find a service like Gympass that will enable you to use gyms when you travel
#13
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA LT Gold; BA Silver; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,081
If I was near a good grocery store I'd pick up something from there- one place I used a lot was near a Whole Foods store and I would use their hot foods/salad bar for dinner if I had no plans. I'm sure the salad and hot foods bars are closed but many places have packaged and prepared foods, sandwiches, salads, etc. that aren't bad. Whole Foods even includes calorie content. I even travel with a metal knife and fork so I don't need to find plastic tableware. The fork, unfortunately, got confiscated by the "security" people at the Santa Cruz, Bolivia airport last March. :-(
Large, lavish restaurant dinners: a thing of the past since I'm retired, I typically ordered 2 appetizers instead of an entree, one "green" so virtually no calories and one with some protein content but not fried or fatty. If the rest had dessert I enjoyed the last of the wine instead. I worked out first thing in the AM- hated that timing but KNEW that it was the only time I'd be able to do it unless I wanted to do it at the very end of the day after dinner and that was even worse.
I also take long walks through the airport if I have the time.
Large, lavish restaurant dinners: a thing of the past since I'm retired, I typically ordered 2 appetizers instead of an entree, one "green" so virtually no calories and one with some protein content but not fried or fatty. If the rest had dessert I enjoyed the last of the wine instead. I worked out first thing in the AM- hated that timing but KNEW that it was the only time I'd be able to do it unless I wanted to do it at the very end of the day after dinner and that was even worse.
I also take long walks through the airport if I have the time.
#14
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,941
Curious on some of you road warriors and what do you do while traveling to not end up gaining a bunch of weight?
I started to travel for work a little over a year ago and even with this being a “slow” travel year; I am at 130 nights YTD in hotels. I find myself at least once a day eating out. I do what I can to run fo wal mart and make sandwich when I can. But still find myself eating out a bunch.
I started to travel for work a little over a year ago and even with this being a “slow” travel year; I am at 130 nights YTD in hotels. I find myself at least once a day eating out. I do what I can to run fo wal mart and make sandwich when I can. But still find myself eating out a bunch.
#15
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Delta DM, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, National EE, AS MVP Gold 75K, AC 75K
Posts: 1,000
For me, I always block off between work and dinner to work out. I usually skip lunch and avoid sugar and alcohol. I go all out usually the last night before I fly out though to celebrate end of week/project.