8 Tips for Maintaining Weight Loss When You Travel

You’ve been on a roll lately. You’re following your weight loss management program carefully, and you’re seeing results. The pounds are dropping off as you stay consistent with your program.

But there’s a hitch: You’ve got a trip coming up, and you don’t want to lose all of your hard-won progress just because you’re out of your normal routine. 

Here at Phillips Family Medical in DeSoto, Texas, Pamela Phillips, Ph.D., FNP-C, and our team love helping patients who are in our weight loss management program get through situations just like this. Here are eight tips for maintaining weight loss when you travel.

1. Have a plan

Part of the fun of vacation is the chance to be spontaneous, and that’s great. However, when it comes to your food, you should at least have a basic daily plan to stay healthy. Research a few restaurants and their menus ahead of time so you can know what’s available, and hit the grocery store on the way into town. Sure, enjoy some not-so-good-for-you delicacies, but be able to get back on track as well.

2. Pack your own snacks

Whether you’re on a road trip or flying the friendly skies, the snack choices you find along the way will mostly be processed foods full of calories, sugar, and fat. Pack your own healthier options for those moments when your stomach is growling. Try beef jerky — which has lots of protein and often doesn’t need to be refrigerated — and apples.

3. Don’t drink your calories

It can be fun to have a few alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks on vacation, but keep it to a few. If you’re not careful, you could end up drinking a lot of calories, not to mention that you’ll still need to eat.

4. Stay hydrated

If you get dehydrated, you’ll have to deal with headaches, hunger, and low energy, all of which could make it easy to fall off the healthy train. Keep a bottle of water with you all the time, but watch out for flavored waters, because they can add a lot of calories!

5. Watch your portion sizes

When you’re on vacation, you’ll probably eat out a lot more than you do at home, so your portion sizes may be much bigger than you’re used to. However, you don’t have to eat all of it! Split an entree with someone, or save the second half for your next meal. You’ll still get the same great food, but with half the calories.

6. Book a room with a kitchenette

Remember when we said to stop at the store? This is why. If you haven’t rented an entire house, try to get a room or suite that includes a kitchenette, so you can make a few of your own healthy meals.

7. Eat high-fiber foods

Eating foods high in fiber while you’re on vacation can aid in digestion, prevent constipation, boost energy and satisfy hunger. Apples, bananas, oats, and almonds are all great examples of high-fiber foods.

8. Keep moving

Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean you can’t complete some sort of workout routine. You could take a walk outdoors or hit the hotel gym. You could even take the stairs instead of the elevator!

If you’d like to have professional guidance in your weight loss journey, we can help. To learn more, call 972-709-3415 or book an appointment online with Phillips Family Medical today.