Eating on the road

(Disclaimer: I am not a certified personal trainer or a fitness professional, everything expressed in this blog is just my opinion.)

This blog is probably relevant to those of you who spent the entire week traveling for work and come home on the weekends, or those who are have no time/procrastinate/are too lazy to make your own meals ;-) So you end up eating a lot of junk, don't work out as much (or don't workout at all) and before you know it you're shopping for bigger sizes :-P

So, I had a chance to live like this for about ten days recently and found that your own volition to stay healthy and look great is the most important factor. You have to choose to live and eat healthy. From my experience, diet and exercise always go together and are equally important. However, if for a short duration you do not get a chance to exercise, ensure that your diet is healthy (refer to my previous post). From my experience, I had three full meals a day without snacking and ended up losing weight.

So how do you go about doing this? Start with your first meal - breakfast. I am sure you have read this before and I cannot stress enough - this is the most important meal of your day. You are literally breaking a fast and what you put into your body will set the tone for the day. Incorporate protein and complex carbs in your diet and AVOID fast foods. Here are some ways you can do that:
- If you are staying at a hotel, ask them to serve just egg-whites(the way you like them) with a high-fibre cereal (any bran-based cereal or oatmeal)
- For those of you on the road, stock your car: cereal bars, serving-size cereal boxes, dry fruits, and fruit. For the protein component, carry whey protein so you can mix it with some water and drink
- If you must stop, avoid fast foods, go to a store where you have healthier options such as yogurt, fruit, protein shakes and so forth
For all of you who skimp on breakfast...DON'T. Try this and you will see how much better you will feel in the morning and less famished at lunch. Again, use the web (with reasonable caution) as a resource for ideas.

Lunch options are easier since they are easier to customize. If you are into sandwiches, stick to whole-wheat, go easy on the cheese and incorporate protein If you are into fuller meals, try and stick to whole foods as much as you can and balance you diet with protein and complex carbs:
- A turkey/chicken/tuna sandwich on whole-wheat is available most places, a healthy and filling option
- If you are eating salads, try and throw in some chicken breast, turkey or another source of protein
- Go easy on the fatty options such as dressing, mayo, butter, cheese and so forth
- If you are into fuller meals such as rice with meat and vegetables, you can still use the same rules. I usually avoid, fuller meals since they tend to make me sleepy in the afternoon, more fun to save them for dinner :-)

Dinner is usually the meal where most people "cheat" and end up eating a whole lot of crap. I have done so myself. If you have been good for breakfast and lunch and have had a long day at work, nothing like a nice dinner. However, don't go overboard. Incorporate the rule of moderation and whole foods here. If you want to have pasta or rice with, go for it, but incorporate protein and vegetables, eat slowly, savour it, and this will ensure you don't overeat. The same goes for any beverages that you have with your meal.

Ultimately, you should enjoy what you eat without compromising on your health and fitness levels. If you have been a junk-foodie all your life, this may be hard initially. Once you start incorporating healthier choices, you will notice you will actually stop craving the bad stuff and will feel a whole lot better about yourself :-)

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