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.

Guest Post: 40 is the new 40

...A Blueprint for Keeping Your Muscle and Staying Strong

Michelle and I are on the road this week, but we have a special treat for you.

I'd like to introduce personal trainer and fellow Fitocrat Darren Moroney from Melbourne, Australia. Darren is new to blogging, but a veteran of the fitness industry, having been a personal trainer for a decade. Since turning 40 himself, Darren has come to notice (as we have) that the over-40 set is woefully underserved with specific and relevant fitness information. Enter: Fit as a Mallee Bull, Darren's new project.

He got our attention as a reader and commenter that turned into a conversation and now a partnership to get the message out to our fellow quadragenarians. We're pleased to be able to promote his work.

Without further adieu, Darren:

Just The Facts Ma'am

Here is a fact to consider as you pass the big 40.

You will lose about 1% of your muscle mass each year after 40 if you do nothing about it. The technical term for this natural process is Sarcopenia. I know it doesn't sound like much but think of the compounding effect over the next 10 to 20 years. This loss of tissue will slow down your metabolism which leads to weight gain. Basic everyday tasks will become more difficult. Even the look of your body will change as you become soft and flabby.

That doesn't have to be you.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that being 40 means that your body is resistant to change. Start a program that has the best exercises and you'll reduce the impact of the aging process.

Where To Now?

It's time to arm you with knowledge to select the best exercises to give you the results you want.

Compound Lifts

These exercises form the foundation of any effective exercise program.

A compound lift is any movement that involves multiple joints.

For example a squat involves the hip, knee and ankle joints.

MORE JOINT MOVEMENTS=MORE MUSCLES INVOLVED=MORE OUTPUT, MORE STRENGTH AND BETTER RESULTS

Six of The Best

1. Squat. Often referred to as the king of exercises because of the number of muscles used when done properly.

2. Deadlift. Second only to the squat in its effectiveness for the lower body and hips.

3. Bench Press. Probably the most well known upper body exercise and performed religiously on a Monday in gyms worldwide.

4. Barbell/Dumbbell Row. An essential exercise to build a strong back and improve posture.

5. Pull ups/Chin ups. The greatest test of upper body pulling strength. Has the added benefit of building your arms also.

6. Overhead Press/Military Press. Another effective upper body exercise. A word of caution though if you've had shoulder injuries or problems, overhead pressing may not be a suitable exercise.

When starting any new exercise program a slightly conservative approach to begin with is best to gauge your starting point.

Recovery, Recovery, Recovery

You must accept the fact that your body does not spring back the way it used to. But that doesn't mean you can't challenge yourself. The harder a workout the longer the recovery time.

Don't beat yourself up for having a day off after a workout, rest is essential to stay on track.

Use some light exercise on recovery days to stay active and get the benefits of other types of exercise.

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Rep...

The number of times you move the weight or the rep range will decide the results you get from it. A good range to work within is 6-10, this will build strength and maintain/build muscle.

Anything lower than this generally involves more weight which can place more stress on the joints.

Looking after your joints while still lifting a challenging weight will keep you on the road to long term health.

Not a Bodybuilder? Don't Train Like One.

Programs that utilize a full body or upper/lower split will give you the best results.

The benefits of this style of training allow you to hit muscle groups more than once a week while maximizing recovery.

For example a Mon/Wed/Fri split allows for a full day of recovery between workouts and you can cycle between different programs.

No one can claim to have the perfect routine. But when you take into account personal preferences, your body's response and time available you'll be we'll on your way to achieving your goals.

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato

Five Reasons You Shouldn't Listen To Us

(And one why maybe you should)

We've been doing this for a few months now and the response has been really humbling and enriching for us both. But recently it occurred to me: "why are you listening to us at all?". Well - I'm a big believer in "buyer beware," so I figured, in the spirit of total transparency, I'd give you all the chance to turn tail and run.

So (deep breath) here goes nothing.

1. We're not doctors, nutritionists, or professional trainers

Michelle and I have no particular qualifications to dispense advice on the subjects of health, nutrition, or fitness. We're veterans, world travelers, expert planners, and experienced leaders. But not health professionals. Health professionals, through decades of modern medical science will tell you all about "heart healthy diets" and being active 20-30 minutes a day, three times a week. They went to school for years to build a vast arsenal of health knowledge. And, clearly, it is working. The obesity epidemic is on the decline; the science is settled and incontrovertible, and can be applied with predictable results for nearly any healthy human.

2. We don't subscribe to mainstream diet and exercise recommendations

Dr Oz knows precisely zip! about achieving body recomposition in a person. There, I said it. It feels so good to get that off my chest. We don't count calories. We eat whole eggs, bacon, and steak with relish. We put full fat dressing on our (sizable) salad, and don't skimp on the cheese either. Nothing in our house is "low fat" or "lite", and a cheeseburger (without the bun) is not considered a cheat meal in this house.

Nothing in our nutrition or training regime is branded, trademarked, or published. We don't own a single diet book or workout video.

We don't do three days of cardio a week. We don't jog or cycle or hop on an elliptical machine at all. In fact, you know what? I have absolutely no idea how many calories we burned in today's workout, last week, or last month. I'm like a kid running around with scissors.

My God, people, we don't even own a scale!

3. We haven't achieved all of our health and fitness goals

Nope. Not there yet. Call me fickle, but when we started, I just wanted to be able to achieve the "not a wimp" goal of benching my body weight. Then, I hoped to see 200 someday. Now, I'm hunting for 225 (there's just something about piling on 45 pound plates). And Michelle has more than doubled her starting weight on the bench press. In fact, most weeks, her stats for total pounds lifted beat mine. (Seriously, she's a machine!)

We can't make up our minds what we want. Have more energy? Feel good in our clothes? Feel good out of our clothes? Lose weight, gain weight? Swing on a trapeze? Seriously - no focus whatsoever. Progress makes us giddy. Every day and every milestone open up a new vista of potential. Why on earth would we declare "mission accomplished"?

4. Nothing we write is new knowledge

There are probably thousands of blog and reference sites out there. Between Michelle and I, we probably subscribe to forty of them. We haven't conducted any controlled studies. We haven't conducted caloric analysis of the kumquat versus the mango. We certainly don't have the chops of Mark Rippetoe, et al. All we have done is read, researched, filtered, and applied everything we could to try and produce the results we were looking for.

Virtually everything you read on these pages can be found, backed up, validated (and in many cases refuted) elsewhere on the 'net. Albeit without the unique charm of our delivery.

5. We aren't promising you results

Any reputable service gives you some kind of guarantee, right? What kind of "bait and switch" operation are we running here?

The simple fact is that the human condition, physical, emotional, and psychological, is a complicated one. Everyone is different. I do believe that we represent what the "average" person can accomplish, but I don't know what will work for you personally to achieve your goals. But, if like so many of us, you've tried other approaches without success, what do you have to lose?

But...!

After forty years of being unsuccessful in applying mainstream thinking of diet and exercise, we decided to yield to Einstein's definition of insanity and to try something different. And it worked! And, even more bizarre, we're having fun doing it. I swear, I would have laughed out loud a year ago if anyone had described either one of us as a "gym rat".

Since starting in July 2012, we have each lost pounds, cut our body fat by 65%, gained muscle mass, gained strength, gotten faster, and look and feel better than any point in our lives. The results are undeniable.

We don't have anything to gain by doing this. We aren't selling anything and most of you will never meet us in person. But this is important. People are unhappy and unhealthy. And the vast majority of standard guidance out there isn't getting them anywhere.

We are passionate about getting the word out, especially to those of our generation, that you can actually be in control of your body and uncover possibilities you only dreamed of before. It's simple. It's not easy, but it is simple. (Props to Fito Derrick for that last little gem).  Just start!

So, if you haven't given up hope on us yet after baring our souls here, let us know.  Tell us what kinds of posts you want to see in the future.  And please, if you know someone who might be ready to make a change, share our message with them.