Traveling on Macros

Traveling on Macros 

How to be successful when traveling….Lori’s tips and learning from the last 16 months!

Background/Context

• I am required to travel a lot for work.  I also enjoy traveling personally so I end up traveling on average once month.  Some are short trips and some are longer.  
• Since I have been tracking macros (16 months) I have been to India, London, Paris, Italy, Greece, Canada and all over the US….and been successful in maintaining/losing in a reverse diet.
• Here are some of the tips I can share:

Choosing Hotels 

• I try to choose hotels that I know have fridge/microwave (Hilton garden Inn, Marriott Residence Inn, etc)
• If I am not sure, I will call ahead and ask what they have….most have at minimum a mini bar that you can throw some stuff in – many will be willing to provide you with what you need.  The cheaper hotels are actually better at this than the snooty/fancy big chains
• Ice buckets work great to keep things cold – or tub if you have a lot
• I always look at a map prior to travel and see how far I will be from a market – I will go out as soon as I arrive and pick up some essentials depending on accommodations/fridge space, etc (yogurts, fruit, cold cuts, etc)
• Most hotels have a coffee maker or some method to boil water…great for oatmeal packs

If travel is only 1-2 days

• I pre-log in MFP and pre-pack EVERYTHING – makes it much easier to stay on plan
• PRO TIP:  pack Ziploc bags labeled Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner – less to think about while on a trip

If travel is longer than 2 days

• I bring a variety of things and log as I go
• PRO TIP: Make sure to bring single macro fillers – in case you are short on one macro (all easy to travel with)
  • Carbs – pretzels, apple chips, rice cakes, fruit, veggies, applesauce
  • Fat – fish oil, nuts, 
  • Protein – jerkey, protein powder

Easy foods to travel with…that include a lot of protein which is usually the hardest for me to get in

• Complete meals:
  • high protein oatmeal packets with nuts
  • protein granola with yogurt (oikos triple zero has good fiber)
  • cereal pre-measured in bag (high protein cereals good) – add yogurt or milk if you get to market
  • bars – protein granola bars, clif bars or other
  • bagels/english muffins (the multi grain ones have a lot of fiber) and I don’t mind eating them cold/not toasted/high protein breads (throw a few slices in a Ziploc) and bring some travel peanut butter packs.  Or some PB2/peanut powder
  • Tuna pouches, tuna salad or chicken salad kits – pre-made pasta (high protein pasta), avocado
• Extras/snacks to fill in
  • Chips with moderate fats (good thins, popcorn, crackers)
  • Laughing cow cheese (does not need fridge and great fillers 1.5F/1C/2P) – use a few to fill remaining macros
  • Salad dressing – bring to-go packs or use special containers (will be very useful if you need to eat out)
• If you will have a microwave…opens up many more options!!!  Unlimited ideas
  • Mac and cheese singles, rice bowls, pre-made non frozen meals…too many ideas to list

If I know I will be eating out during travel

• Find out the restaurant you will be going to ahead of time
• I look at the menu online and see what I think looks best/easiest to track – confirm with Kelli
• PRO TIP:  Go to yelp or TripAdvisor and scroll through pictures – most restaurants have a TON of pics – grab one of your meal BEFORE you go and send to Kelli to help her estimate
• Pre-log your meals out FIRST in MFP….work around that for the rest of your day

Working out on the road

• Most hotels have a gym
• I am a cross-fitter.  I will always map my hotel and google cross-fit gyms in the area.  I will look at their website, schedule, etc. I contact them to find out the drop in policy
• If not – I will look at the app that my gym uses and see if I can do it with the equipment in the hotel gym
• If it is a busy travel week for work, I will prioritize hitting macros and SLEEP and skip the workouts when I travel if it gets to be too much – listen to your body

Other travel tips:

• Do the best you can when you travel – your food quality may not be as high…bars are OK once in a while

• TSA is getting strict with what you can bring through security – try to put all food in a checked bag.  If you will need food during travel, put in carry on in a separate bag/lunch box…take out to go through security – they won’t hassle you. 
  • TSA tip on yogurt…freeze container before travel…it will get through carry-on bag and keep your other stuff cold
• You MUST have a good travel scale
• If you screw up one day…shake it off…get up the next day and start again…get back on track as soon as possible – don’t say “I’ll wait until I get home to re-start”
• Just because something is free doesn’t mean you have to eat it…i.e. peanuts/snacks on the plane, food in lounges if you travel business class
• MOST IMPORTANT – let Kelli know as soon as you know you will be traveling (and if you think you will be on/off plan) so she can adjust you as needed leading up to your trip.
• Plan for the unplanned….things will go astray…roll with it.  Stay calm and don’t give up if something unexpected happens. Use the resources available to you (facebook group, voxer, kelli, etc) to stay on track