Why We Train: Moving Day

Those of you that follow Michelle and I in other social forums know already that we recently moved across the country.  Despite a couple of hiccups, I'm happy to report that we are happily settled in to our new digs and beginning to explore the possibilities that Arizona offers.  (Although, yes - it's REALLY hot here in August).

As the flurry of activity subsides, we've been talking about the experience.


The question: how do you stay motivated to keep training for the long run?
We hear this one a lot.  People get frustrated.  They don't see progress.  They don't have a concrete goal in their head about what their time at the gym should do for them in the long run.  We've often used the phrase that we're training for life.  And let me tell you, the past month has thrown an awful lot of life our way.  So I thought it would be interesting to share with you how we feel our training has come into play during that time. Do any of them surprise you?


Motivator 1: Keeping our Sanity
Studies show that moving is one of the most stressful life events a person can experience.  While I will immediately give credit to Michelle's supreme planning skills in making this the least painful move I have ever experienced (and that's a large sampling, folks), the ability to keep at least one point of consistency in our lives was a huge help.  We did some serious flexing in our schedule, but putting on the gym clothes and throwing around heavy things for an hour was a way of taking back control of our time and burning off some of that nervous energy.

Motivator 2: Lifting All the Things
Michelle and I lived in Minnesota together for two years.  And I can tell you, those flower pots in the garage were a lot heavier when we moved in than they were last month.  I'm not sure how that happens exactly.  Maybe our flower pots have been getting ripped on Hydroxycut.  (I'll leave it to you to decide.)  We were able to self-pack and unpack 90% of our household, which saved us a ton on moving expenses.

Motivator 3: On the Road
I don't know about you, but I've done a lot of long road trips of over 1,000 miles.  It beats you down.  Back pain, arms tingling, hands sore.  Not to mention the lovely elderly penguin walk you rock after getting out of the car.  This drive was over 1,800 miles and, I'm telling you, I didn't get any of the usual side-effects road trips usually throw at me.  Granted, I was ready to get the heck out of the car at the end, but we hit the ground running upon arrival.

Motivator 4: Adaptation and Execution

Okay - Phoenix is HOT.  I mean, it's called the Valley of the Sun for a reason.  And, in August, it's the hottest kind of hot you can imagine.  And Minnesota  - well - isn't.  It was no small change to acclimate to the desert environment.  And we had a week from the time we moved in to have everything up and running before I had to be back into the work groove.  Landscaping, painting, arranging furniture, you name it, we did it.  Heck, we even helped Michelle's niece move into her new house when we were done with ours.  Having a body that is strong with healthy energy levels was key to us pulling this off.


Motivator 5: Keeping our Figures
We see and hear from a lot of others on their weight loss journey who complain about weight gain after a vacation or a stressful life event.  It's such a common theme, in fact, that we basically assumed it was a given that we would put on a couple pounds.  I mean, we cut our training way back, were stuck in a car for three days, and were subject to whatever food was available at the exit where we needed gas.  It only made sense.

When we weighed in, however, we found that we both lost a couple pounds.  How?  Credit an optimized metabolism combined with a lifestyle that has made us completely re-think what "food" is.  We did lose some ground in the amount of weight we could push in the gym, but a couple of weeks of getting back into our program put us back on track.

I hope I'm getting the point across here.  Life Happens!  If you find yourself wondering why you keep getting out of bed early or stopping after work to hit the gym, then think about the events coming up (anticipated or not) you're going to weather.  Even if it's changing a flat on the side of the road, these kinds of things go so much better when you feel strong.  They don't knock you down so much and you get back up a lot faster.  What will it take for you to be better prepared for that next big change? 

So - why train?  Because... you never know. 

Ten Tips: Eating Healthy on the Road

We humans are creatures of habit.  We all have our routines and rituals that keep us sane and anchor our habits (good and bad).  For people who are concerned about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, a major (or even minor) disruption in this routine can wreak havok on our goals.  Or - so our over-active worrisome imaginations tell us.

What do you do to maintain some semblance of normalcy when your routine is broken?  Or do you just throw up your hands?  My brother-in-law travels for work all around the state all week long, and food choices are a real challenge. 

Taking in the sights in San Antonio on business.

In the course of three months, Michelle and I will spend a total of four weeks traveling out of state, under a wide variety of conditions.  Some celebratory, like our wedding and honeymoon.  Some business travel.  And even one of the touchiest ones of all - visiting family.  I won't say we got it perfect.  I don't think there's any such thing.  But I do think we managed to recognize and tackle many of the issues that threaten to derail the conscientious eater.  

Depending on the nature of your travel, you can "mix and match" these helpful hints as they work for you.

1.  Bring a bit of home with you.  

Everyone has their "go-to" snacks.  We generally make a practice of loading up snack baggies when we are traveling.  Trail mix, roasted garbanzo beans, and usually a couple of Atkins protein meal bars are loaded in the backpack.  On long flights and layovers, these have been a godsend.  

2.  Strategically plan your hotel location.

The folks at GNC were great! 40g of protein.

This one is obviously dependent on how flexible your travel plans are.  Most people, given a choice, will compare prices and in-hotel amenities.  But what about facilities outside the hotel?  On a business trip, we chose a hotel that was 1/2 mile from a GNC, a mile or so from a good grocery store, and across the street from a Golds Gym.  Not to mention an assortment of restaurants that fit our nutrition needs, all within a five-minute drive.

3.  Choose a hotel with a kitchen.  

Extended stay type hotels, like those that Marriott offers, have kitchenettes and full-sized refrigerators.  This allows you to stock up on good veggies, cheeses, meats, and other perishables that make up the center of a clean eater's diet.  You'll also save a ton on eating out costs.

4.  Eat local.  

The local regional flavors of your travel destination are much more likely to be made from fresh ingredients.  "Mom and Pop" places with made-from-scratch menu choices are going to be a superior nutritional (and taste) choice. 

5.  Eat Breakfast (anytime).

If you're traveling in the US, you can find "all-day breakfast" restaurants pretty much anywhere.  Eggs and bacon or sausage ALWAYS fit my macros!  Plus - it's pretty hard to screw up eggs.

6.  Offer to cook.

Peach cobbler at County Line Barbecue, San Antonio.

When you're visiting family, often times they're not on the same page when it comes to meal planning. Rather than declining what they offer, try creating some excitement by sharing some of your own recipes.  Shop together; cook together.  Use it as an opportunity to talk about how important nutrition is to you and for anyone who wants to lead a healthy life.

7.  Accept less than perfection.

I'm not saying throw it all out the window here.  But the very nature of traveling means you're giving up some control over your environment.  Make the best choices you can, but don't beat yourself up for compromising either.  You are not going to erase all your hard work with a few less-than-perfect meals.

Food and friends.  Isn't that what life's about?

8.  Have fun with it.  

If you're traveling for vacation or some other celebration, don't forget to smell the culinary roses.  Eating just for the sake of enjoyment is perfectly fine, even on a fairly strict nutrition plan.  Enjoy the company, enjoy the food, and step out of your comfort zone if the opportunity presents itself.  

9.  Remember your macros.

When it comes down to it, you've got a pretty simple guide to follow: protein first, veggies always, other complex carbs and fats in moderation.  When you're reading the menu or hitting the local supermarket, pick the selection that matches your macros.

10.  And finally: you don't HAVE to make a "happy plate".  

Lots of restaurants over-portion.  And they love to throw on the breads, pasta, and rice side dishes (these are cheap on restaurant food cost).  Don't feel remotely guilty about "wasting" food you don't need.  Don't forget to ask if they will make a substitution.  Extra meat or extra vegetables instead of the white stuff will always work better to fill you up without the accompanying "food coma".

These tips may not seem all that revolutionary, and, honestly, they're probably not.  But if your nutrition is a priority, plan ahead a little and apply them to your next trip. Hopefully you'll find eating a little less stressful.  Which means the rest of the trip should be that much more enjoyable.