How to Lose Weight When Traveling

You’ve been working diligently to stay in a calorie deficit. You’re getting in your steps and workouts, planning your meals, and prioritizing sleep and stress management. And now you have a trip coming up and are starting to freak out that you’re going to ruin all of your progress! While you should be looking forward to this trip, you are starting to dread it. What do you do?

First off, good for you for progressing towards your weight loss goals in such a sustainable manner! Next, I want to acknowledge that there’s nothing wrong with you for feeling nervous. It takes tremendous work and effort to make habit changes that support weight loss efforts, and it can be challenging to maintain or continue to lose weight while traveling. But I want you to know it is possible! Let’s dive into how you can stay on track with your weight loss goals AND enjoy your trip. I’ll share some helpful tools and tips you can put in place before your next trip to reduce your anxiety about traveling and staying on track with your nutrition goals.

 

  • Do some research & plan ahead – Like most things in life, having a plan makes it much easier! So, create a simple plan ahead of the trip to prepare. This plan could include researching where you are staying. Does the hotel have a refrigerator in the room? Better yet, are you staying at an Airbnb and have access to an entire kitchen? What grocery stores and restaurants are nearby where you can buy some items so you don’t have to eat every meal out? What will your schedule look like on the trip, and can you bring anything with you, like packing breakfast and lunch options, reducing the meals you eat out? Does your hotel have a gym? Are there walking paths in the area where you can get some steps? Taking a few minutes to plan your options will help you be prepared and reduce any potential nervousness.
 

  • Pack Wisely—Bring any of your favorite go-to nonperishable high-protein/fiber snacks—protein bars, jerky, dried edamame- to have on hand in case you get delayed, stuck on an airplane for hours waiting for takeoff, or in any other situation extending the length of time between your regular meals. Avoid being hangry and have some snacks with you when plans get off schedule!

 

  • Decide in Advance What your Intentions Are – Is this a once-in-a-lifetime trip or a monthly weekend to visit your inlaws? Deciding in advance how you want to approach the travel will help you feel better about the outcome when it aligns with your intentions. Once a year, the boys and I go to Jamaica, and I eat whatever I want, which sometimes means dessert with all three meals. This trip is a very special one for us, and I like to enjoy all of the local foods. For most other trips during the year, I would be mindful of how I approach and not indulge to this same level. Knowing how I want to handle the trip helps me feel better about the outcome after. So, for some trips, just maintaining might be a great goal, and for others, you may decide to be more mindful and stay in a calorie deficit even when traveling.

 

  • Navigate Dining Out – Trips will mean eating out much more frequently. When you eat out, you can be mindful of portion sizes using my Build Your Bowl Method and hand-serving portion sizes to ensure you get enough protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Another tip is to keep all your eating to meals and not snack. When you do eat out, look for menu items like grilled, steamed, or roasted over fried options. Don’t be afraid to ask for swaps or dressings on the side. 

 

  • Stay hydrated—One of the best ways to stay on track while traveling is to keep up your hydration. Keep your emotional support water bottle with you always so you don’t confuse thirst with hunger.

 

  • Limit alcohol – Allotting most calories to food will help you stick to your regular calorie target. Alcohol adds calories but also impacts your hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin, making you feel hungrier and less satiated. Alcohol also affects your sleep, and it’s hard enough to get a good night’s sleep on the road, so do yourself a favor and limit the booze as much as possible. 

 

  • Stay Active! The more you keep up or take advantage of more steps and movement, the easier it is to stay on track. Enjoy activities that keep you moving while traveling. Airports are a great place to lap around and take plenty of steps rather than sit. You’ll be sitting on the plane for hours, so you get up and move a bit before takeoff!

 

  • Prioritize sleep—Sleep plays a big role in supporting our weight loss efforts. Try to stick to your regular sleep schedule as much as possible. 

 

  • Stress Management—Traveling can be stressful! Mindfulness practices to regulate your nervous system are a game changer for staying on track with your nutrition. Instead of reaching for a pack of chips or pouring yourself a glass of wine when stress rises, try breathing exercises or an outdoor walk instead.

 

  • Focus on controlling what you can control – This is the #1 tip I use to make progress when trying to lose weight. If you get so focused and flustered about what you can’t control that you say F’it and throw in the towel, you’ll set yourself further back. Instead consider reframing your expectations on what successfully navigating the trip means and do what you can to stay on track. Stop trying to do everything. Instead outline what you will focus on and prioritize, and then just let go of the rest and enjoy your trip.

 

  • Stay accountable—If you’re tracking macros or daily habits, consider continuing to track just like you regularly do to help you hold yourself accountable. Don’t stress if it isn’t perfect, but look for a food entry that matches relatively closely, log it, and then move along.

 

Travel can be stressful. Traveling in a calorie deficit is even more stressful. These tips will help you make decisions on how to approach your next trip while navigating weight loss. And keep in mind that one week won’t ruin anything. Even if the scale is up a significant amount of pounds after traveling, all you have to do is get back to it when you return. The sooner you jump back in, the sooner you’ll be on track to achieving your goals. 

If you’re struggling with weight loss and looking for more support on the mindset side of how to do this and build healthy habits, check out my coaching options. I have a variety of ways to work together, and I’d love to help you get on track to achieving your goals! 

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hi, i'm lauren!

I help successful, high-achieving women like you implement efficient, proven and sustainable ways to prioritize your health and find your confidence again.

Hi, I'm Lauren!

I help successful, high-achieving women like you implement efficient, proven and sustainable ways to prioritize your health and find your confidence again.