How do you not gain weight while traveling?
#16
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
You just need to be more disciplined. Easier said than done I know, and maybe you're staying in hotels without gyms or whatever who knows. But start by maybe just ordering smaller portions, avoid carbs to an extent, monitor the calories if that works for you.
Another great method, intermittent fasting. I find it quite easy to incorporate that into my schedule. The more consistent you can be with IF the easier it becomes. Even if you're not looking to LOSE weight, it's just a good way to not go over a calorie limit you may or may not set for yourself. Instead of having 3 meals in a day, go down to 2 and magically your calorie count has dropped a bunch. Getting down to 1 meal a day isnt necessarily difficult if you gradually shorten your IF eating window. The problem is the intake, it's easy to fall into a pit of eating a GIANT meal knowing it's your only one. But again, with practice, your appetite will come down a bit and then crushing that huge meal becomes undesirable.
The hardest time for me to IF is when I'm switching time zones and don't have a schedule. When I'm working a relatively set day, or if I've got a whole day off, then it's easy. But if you're flying, especially in economy, they kinda bring food around and you know if you don't eat then, you might not get to for a while. Then you get to a destination and you kinda gotta reset, but same as your body clock, the body food clock (at least for me) can be forced into that reset. Just stay awake until an appropriate time, and eat with your regular window.
Another great method, intermittent fasting. I find it quite easy to incorporate that into my schedule. The more consistent you can be with IF the easier it becomes. Even if you're not looking to LOSE weight, it's just a good way to not go over a calorie limit you may or may not set for yourself. Instead of having 3 meals in a day, go down to 2 and magically your calorie count has dropped a bunch. Getting down to 1 meal a day isnt necessarily difficult if you gradually shorten your IF eating window. The problem is the intake, it's easy to fall into a pit of eating a GIANT meal knowing it's your only one. But again, with practice, your appetite will come down a bit and then crushing that huge meal becomes undesirable.
The hardest time for me to IF is when I'm switching time zones and don't have a schedule. When I'm working a relatively set day, or if I've got a whole day off, then it's easy. But if you're flying, especially in economy, they kinda bring food around and you know if you don't eat then, you might not get to for a while. Then you get to a destination and you kinda gotta reset, but same as your body clock, the body food clock (at least for me) can be forced into that reset. Just stay awake until an appropriate time, and eat with your regular window.
#17
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,712
When travelling, you can't typically rely on portion sizes, routines or other people's consumption to guide you, so you need to be a bit more disciplined.
The biggest things I need to avoid are eating out every day and drinking during the week. I've been increasingly spending time in AirBnBs instead of hotels and making me own food, or at least making sure I stay in hotels where there are healthy options with known calories that I can choose from.
The biggest things I need to avoid are eating out every day and drinking during the week. I've been increasingly spending time in AirBnBs instead of hotels and making me own food, or at least making sure I stay in hotels where there are healthy options with known calories that I can choose from.
#19
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: YYJ
Programs: AC SE*MM, Bonvoy LT Plat, HH Gold, National EE, Sixt Plat, Hz 5*
Posts: 2,434
I would make sure to fly home once a week (helps with status) and do high intensity training religiously when home (5-10km trail running with 50 chinups and +500M of elevation change).
Travel from say Monday afternoon to Friday or Saturday. Workout properly at least twice and do laundry over the weekend, rinse and repeat. I drink and eat out and work long hours when on the road. I'm trying to work 100 pushups everyday in as well.
Travel from say Monday afternoon to Friday or Saturday. Workout properly at least twice and do laundry over the weekend, rinse and repeat. I drink and eat out and work long hours when on the road. I'm trying to work 100 pushups everyday in as well.
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 112
113 nights on IHG and 22 with Hilton so far. So yeah. I had a mild slow down in April but after that picked back up. Yeah it’s quite a bit so far.
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 112
Thank you everyone for the advice! More discipline is what it seems. Not given a per diem so I can not profit off of it. But anything I do get I can expense; allowed to expense $100 a day for food. But I am told if I go over that it doesn’t matter.
I never come close to that at all; and I do limit booze. I will try and start to walk more once I do get back to hotels or workout if the hotel gyms are open. Will work on more salads or skipping meals. Good advice all around though.
I never come close to that at all; and I do limit booze. I will try and start to walk more once I do get back to hotels or workout if the hotel gyms are open. Will work on more salads or skipping meals. Good advice all around though.
#22
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
Didn't hurt that I walked over 7 miles a day each of my two full days there.
#23
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Thank you everyone for the advice! More discipline is what it seems. Not given a per diem so I can not profit off of it. But anything I do get I can expense; allowed to expense $100 a day for food. But I am told if I go over that it doesn’t matter.
I never come close to that at all; and I do limit booze. I will try and start to walk more once I do get back to hotels or workout if the hotel gyms are open. Will work on more salads or skipping meals. Good advice all around though.
I never come close to that at all; and I do limit booze. I will try and start to walk more once I do get back to hotels or workout if the hotel gyms are open. Will work on more salads or skipping meals. Good advice all around though.
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,356
#25
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
I've hit a few like that, but it's been a rare exception. At some hotels you have to exit the stairway that goes to the upper floor on the second or a mezzanine floor, then take a different staircase down to the lobby level.
#26
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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Posts: 21,356
the PITA is discovering that at oh-dark-thirty when you're rushing to the bus or the Metro or your car
#27
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Yeah, that would suck. I made it a habit from day one, though I would occasionally forget. Oh-dark-thirty being a likely time for a minor detail like that to slip my mind.
#28
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 574
"a good idea, except that a lot of stairwells end in emergency exit doors with alarms"
One of the peculiar customs of American hotels. We have an obesity epidemic but we risk tripping the emergency alarm
when we want to walk up just one flight of stairs. And the stairways themselves are dark and scary.
One of the peculiar customs of American hotels. We have an obesity epidemic but we risk tripping the emergency alarm
when we want to walk up just one flight of stairs. And the stairways themselves are dark and scary.
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,356
< OMNI alert >
it’s not so much “what we want” as it is “because we can’t” ... excessively risk-averse attitudes with respect to pretty much ANYTHING, and the extreme likelihood that anything leading to a disruption of normal expectations will result in a lawsuit ... I’m specifically thinking about safety and security issues; the owner (or franchisee or operator) certainly doesn’t want to be sued by a guest who suffered a break-in (or worse) because the perpetrator was able to gain access through an exterior door that wasn’t visible from the front desk
< /ALERT >
it’s not so much “what we want” as it is “because we can’t” ... excessively risk-averse attitudes with respect to pretty much ANYTHING, and the extreme likelihood that anything leading to a disruption of normal expectations will result in a lawsuit ... I’m specifically thinking about safety and security issues; the owner (or franchisee or operator) certainly doesn’t want to be sued by a guest who suffered a break-in (or worse) because the perpetrator was able to gain access through an exterior door that wasn’t visible from the front desk
< /ALERT >
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Marriott or Hilton hot tub with a big drink <glub> Beverage: To-Go Bag™ DYKWIA: SSSS /rolleyes ☈ Date Night: Costco
Programs: Sea Shell Lounge Platinum, TSA Pre✓ Refusnik Diamond, PWP Gold, FT subset of the subset
Posts: 12,509
Consider joining Rewards Network. I'm presently earning 8 Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at participating restaurants, for example. There are many other ways to earn points or miles through RN.