5 Tips to stick to your diet while traveling

This week I am traveling to my hometown...TEXAS BABY! I have some work training in Dallas/Ft Worth and then heading down to Houston to be a bridesmaid in my college roommates wedding. 

While I'm always excited to visit with friends and family I get anxiety thinking about the food temptation that awaits me. Staying in a hotel for 3+ days and being away from my kitchen, cookbook and fridge full of fruit and veggies presents a major problem. 

Tex Mex, Whataburger, 44 oz. Sonic drinks and sausage cheese rolls from the donut shop are usually my downfall. Everything really is bigger in Texas, food portions included!

Over the past 7 weeks I've worked really hard to transform my health and fitness routine. I've adopted a vegetarian lifestyle, workout 3-5 times/wk and with the help of Weight Watchers I am down 7lbs a few inches and one dress size:)


**raises the roof** 

I have more energy and am motivated to keep pushing towards my 50lb goal!

This past week I had the opportunity to meet and interview Celebrity Dr. Ian Smith as part of my new gig as a Six Brown Chicks correspondent . (Check out their recaps here and here.)
I was a huge fan of his Fat Smash Diet, as it helped me lose 15lbs and 2 dress sizes before I moved to Chicago and started packing on the pounds. He now has a new 6 week revolutionary diet program: SHRED that is getting rave reviews! I've looked over the book, heard success stories and after getting tips from him on how to stay on track am excited to start the program!

Here are some strategies I’ve used in the past and what I plan on doing to stay on my "get healthy" plan this week:

Research – Google is your best friend! Search nearby restaurants and grocery markets that will be near your hotel. Finding out what dining options will be available to you is key in the planning process. Being a vegetarian I plan on getting specific with my searches, looking for vegan/vegetarian restaurants nearby. Also, if you have a go to restaurant that fits within your diet plan find the closest one. I always google the nearest Chipotle to my destination :)

      Plan – If you find out ahead of time what restaurants you will be stopping by check out the menu online and decide what you will order. Once you get to the restaurant pass on appetizers and DO NOT LOOK at the menu! You will only be further tempted. If you have breakfast offered at your hotel, soon as you check in ask the front desk what’s on the menu so you will be well prepared when morning rises.

For my Weight Watchers plan I will pick a meal, count the points and record them in my tracker before arriving. For a diet like SHRED you are already given a meal plan to stick to so I’ve found restaurants that carry those options and will plan to purchase foods at a local market to keep in my room.

Snacks – Keeping healthy snacks around is important. Some of my favorites are raw almonds, bananas, granola bars and popcorn. I have all of these at the house so I pack them in my purse or suitcase for my trip. If I don’t have a chance to do that I will stop by the market or Walgreens to pick up the essentials. Even Starbucks has fresh fruit and healthy bars to grab. If you must rely on the vending machine look for pretzels and avoid the Snickers bar:)

Skip the socializing – I know it will be hard but eating alone is sometime the only way to stay on track! When I am eating with a group of people, I tend to get caught up in the conversation and do a lot of “mindless” eating and drinking. Before I know it I’ve ate half the bowl of chips and salsa! No bueno!

Plus, there is always the added peer pressure: “C’mon one more round” or “Let’s split dessert!” I generally don’t like to tell people when I am dieting.  For some reason I feel like they either judge every food you place in your mouth or they purposely try to get you off track. Shameful! Claim you have work to do, your boyfriend to call or not feeling well and go back to your room or another restaurant to dine in peace:)

      Exercise –Pack your gym shoes and plan to workout on your trip! Even if your hotel doesn’t have a fitness center there are options. a) Bring workout DVDs to play on your laptop b) Download workouts on your smartphone or tablet c) Go for a walk outside. For this trip I will be using the fitness center and bringing my Pilates DVD!

When I travel I always workout in the morning since I generally have long days for business travel. Find the time that works best for your schedule and stick to it! Be Determined!

Being away from home may cause a disruption in our normal routine but that doesn’t mean you have to throw your diet out the window. Implement a new plan and stay focused on your goals to guarantee your success!

So, how do you stick to your healthy routine while traveling?