When it comes to sticking to any diet, changing and forming new habits is crucial. When you're traveling, most of your habits go out the window (no pun intended). Your time zone may be different, your sleep may be disrupted, and you're out of your groove diet-wise. When I traveled for the first time after losing 100 lbs, I knew I needed to have a plan. I've been on many trips since and have fine-tuned my tips for sticking to your diet while traveling!
Always have a plan - Just like you may have a diet plan at home, you need one for when you travel. Not having a plan is planning to fail. Sit down with yourself and decide what that plan looks like for you. Know what you'll do for each meal/snack, have backup plans, etc.
Go to the store first - If you're going to be cooking any of my food, try to hit the grocery store as soon as you reach your destination. Once you have your food and maybe some snacks for the appetite from traveling. That way, you can get settled in without having to worry about going back out again, because you'll be tired (or maybe just me?)
Research take-out options ahead of time - Doing a little research goes a long way. All you need to do is go to Google and search "healthy options near *blank*" and you'll have a list of healthy options whenever you're going! I suggest picking several places that peak your interest and look at their menu ahead of time. That way you have an idea of what you want before you go!
Meal prep food for the trip - I always take time to meal prep something for each of my trips. Sometimes this is a lot and other times it's a few snacks. Again, this is why having a plan is so important. Some of the things I like to take are: overnight oats, protein bars, trail mix, simple sandwiches, and protein shakes. These are all easy to transport and eat on the fly. Of course, you could just buy this stuff at your destination but I've always liked having things ready to go during my travel time as well. Makes it easer to stay on track!
80/20 rule - The 80/20 rule is focusing on eating healthy food 80% of the time and not worrying as much about the other 20%. Traveling is already stressful enough, so I like to follow this rule to make sticking to the diet a little bit easier and less stressful.
These are the most helpful tips I've found when I comes to sticking to your diet when you're traveling! Ultimately, everything comes down to having a plan. Again, not having a plan is planning to fail.
If you're interested in letting us help keep you accountable with your diet, you can contact us at 440-568-0029 or by email unifiedfitnesscle@gmail.com!