On the Road… and on the Decision-Free Diet

My frequent flier miles say it all: 1.5 million miles. That’s A LOT of travel AND a lot of opportunities to get into trouble with my diet. Over the years, I have been in different phases of dieting while being on the road. I’ve been on the HMR Decision-Free^® Diet, the Healthy Solutions^® Diet, and in Phase 2, working on maintaining my weight. In many respects, I’ve found being on the Decision-Free Diet while travelling is the easiest of the three. It’s NO muss, NO fuss, and NO decisions. But being away from home always means things can go way off track without a lot of planning to pull it off.

Here are my travel strategies for being on the Decision-Free Diet:

Planning is Key… When on the HMR Decision-Free Diet (in my case, a minimum of three shakes and 2 entrees per day), the planning I do before I actually head out is the most critical. I make sure to pack enough meal replacements. I always take enough entrees to have at least 3 per day – just in case – and I take enough 70 Plus packets to make puddings – they are terrific for the plane, at the airport or in the hotel room. I pack enough Multigrain Cereal packets for breakfast and snacks, and finally, I take a few BeneFit® Bars with me for help getting through those times when I am feeling deprived. I try and choose a hotel that has at least a coffee machine and if possible, a microwave in the room. But as a back-up, I also make sure the entrees I’m taking are ones I like to eat at room temperature, in case there is no microwave handy (my favorites eaten at room temp. are: Beef Stroganoff, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, and Pasta Fagioli). Another tip is to pack a beverage “shaker” to mix up shakes when a blender isn’t available.

While en route… I drink a shake or have cereal, and make sure I have packed in my carry-on bag at least 2 entrees, several packets of 70 Plus for puddings and 2 packets of cereal for the plane ride. I always pack extra in my carry-on just in case my luggage gets delayed. And I always have plastic spoons and forks in my bag (note: metal utensils will not make it through security). This way, I have plenty to eat while at the airport or on the plane (I can get hot water at most airports and always on the plane).

Once I have arrived… First thing when checking into my hotel room, I make a cereal (using the hotel room coffee pot for hot water) or pudding or eat an entrée – this saves me from the temptation of the vending machine down the hall.

Restaurants: The bottom line for me is that when I am on the Decision-Free Diet, I have to stay out of restaurants. There are just too many temptations and I’d rather not put myself through that.

Record Keeping and Exercise: Keeping records while I’m on the road keeps me focused to stay on the diet, even when I’m out of my “normal” routine. And keeping my exercise in place keeps me feeling good and helps me stay on track rather than allowing myself to get in the mindset to break the diet and get back on it when I get home.

Phone Calls: Checking in daily with my coach/health educator while on the road might be the most important call I make each day. That extra level of accountability really helps!

Have enough food packed for the plane trip home… I have found that I need to plan on taking 20% more meal replacements with me than I think I will need. I learned this lesson the hard way (having before used up all my meal replacements during the trip and then left without enough for the plane trip home). My minimum prescription while on the road is two entrees, 2 puddings and 2 cereals with a few bars to throw in when I need them. When I add in 300 physical activity calories each day this minimum prescription brings me in at between 1,000-1,200 calories per day, still on the diet and still losing weight. And of course losing weight is what it is all about.

What are some of your techniques for staying on the Decision-Free Diet while traveling?
 

by BodyMechanic on 11/02/2011 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, HMR, in the box, planning, strategies, travel