Staying Slim While Traveling

Location: Harrisburg, PA

Two weeks ago: Location: Vancouver, WA

I'm on the Building and Construction Trades Council circuit trying to peddle healthcare software to unions. The goal is to get their members to utilize the benefits that the unions invest in.  

This involves, traveling 5 and a half hours coast to coast via airplane or 6 and a half hours in the car.  Long days, cocktail receptions and a lot of sitting around with questionable diet choices.  What do to keep fit?

First thing is, I use the hotel gym EVERY SINGLE DAY.  I know 90% of hotel gyms are underwhelming.  But, to get the workout in daily gives you a step up.  Sure the equipment is below par most of the time.  Some dumbbells, a cable machine, one Peloton, a couple of ellipticals and if you're really lucky 4 treadmills.  

Here's how I attack it. Whenever I'm working out at home. I always lift weights first.  BUT, when I'm on the road the supply of treadmills is limited. So grab it first thing.  A half hour run. The downside is, you're shirt's soaked and clammy, but better than not fitting the run in. Thankfully the hotel provide LOTS of towels.

I never go heavy in a hotel gym, it's just a check the box workout.

A sample workout done today:

50 lb dumbbells. Bench Press 3 x 10 alternated w/

75 lb. dumbbell, One Arm Row L, R 3 x 10

Calf raises 3 x 20

Stomach Vacuum 12 x 10 second hold

35 lb dumbbell Goblet Squat 2 x 10, 1 x 20

40 lb dumbbells Stiff Leg Deadlift 3 x 10

Cable Machine, One Arm Reverse Tricep pushdown 3 x 10 L, 10 R

35 lb. Standing Dumbbell Curls 3 x 10

Second. I never eat breakfast.  The Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Buffet?  Nope, I'll stick to black coffee.  Don't eat until noon.

Third. No liquor.  We've all been there.  The stay up late, knock back a few too many and sitting in ballroom hell while hungover.  Those days are done.  Diet Coke or Guinness Zero for me thanks. I can talk a dog off of a meat wagon so I don't need the liquid courage.

Fourth Fast one whole day while traveling.  This is key, because there are going to be bad food decisions. So on a travel day, it is really easy to not eat.  Microwaved food at the airport? Pass. The pathetic plantain chips or biscotti for a flight snack?  Pass.  Driving to your destination?  Don't bring food. 

Sunday, I went to a catered graduation party.  Had pasta, meatballs, sausage, 2 pieces of cake.  I had enough. Drove out here yesterday 380 miles.  Didn't eat.  Set up my booth, ironed my clothes and then WENT TO THE GYM.  Ran and then walked on the treadmill for an hour.  Showered and just stayed in and watched soccer. Went to bed at 10 woke up at 6:30

Broke my 42 hour fast at 1PM today.  

When we have corporate meetings internally, sales kickoff, quarterly business reviews, they're LONG days. Everyone is SUPER EXCITED!   My ears and eyes bleed listening to presentations about product roadmaps and fake pipelines for things that have no chance of closing.  Knowing burned off some excess energy makes sitting through these purgatories easier. 

Welcome To Slimland.

 

I finally got my act together. On Valentine's Day, I weighed 197.4 lb.  My lifting was strong, my cardiovascular system was excellent and I felt great. Except for one issue. My diet.  Not that I ate garbage, I just ate way too much.  Not controlling cravings, going down to the kitchen and pop food in my mouth at 4 PM before dinner.  I NEVER eat after dinner. Never, and I never go to bed less than 3 hours after eating. Too many daily calories.  All in my belly.  

What's working?

40 hours weekly fast.  Non-negotiable.  Done it 7 weeks in a row. On Sunday. I had one week where it was on a Tuesday, because we had corn beef dinner to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and then went to the Celtics the next day and had a big Italian dinner in the North End of Boston, plus dessert.

4-5 days out of 7, no carbs after 3 PM including fruit.

No rice. I love rice pilaf but eating it weekly will fatten you up.

Bread one day a week. 

Any cheating is in MODERATION and I'm a terrible moderator.  Cheat meal, not a free for all day. 

If going out to eat, have only two meals on that day. Once at Noon and the outing. No eating until Noon the next day

No booze, nada, zilch.  I haven't drank since the middle of November, nor do I plan to, so this is business as usual.  It's just SO bad for fitness goals. Even in moderation.  I'm off the tiny amount of high blood pressure medication that I was taking.

Lift 3-4 days/week, 45-60 minutes of cardio the other days. 5 mile run, HIIT echo bike/ski erg, push prowler/kettlebell swings, StairMaster.

Walking 5 days/week now that the weather's getting nicer bump that to 6.  Great for mood, time with doggie, and moving calories.  No one has come back from a walk in a bad mood.

Do not weigh yourself more than 2x /week.  Weighing yourself daily is discouraging because of the volatility. If you really need to get to a certain weight and it's becoming obsessive, dry fast for 18-20 hours while doing the 40-hour fast.

Diet hard for 2 weeks, take one off and eat normally, within reason. Keeps your sanity.

Weight has been as low as 180.4 17 lb. in 9 weeks.  Slow and steady 2+ lb./week.  At fighting weight but would like to take about 2-3 more lb. off.  Averaging around 182-183 with a 4 pack.

Went to Naples, Florida for my niece's wedding.  Didn't drink, joined Crunch Fitness for a week, wolfed down a 21 oz. Porterhouse at Bern's in Tampa plus a hot fudge sundae on my last day and didn't gain a lb.

What Doesn't Work?

Alcohol.  Not even 1 drink.  If you're serious about losing weight, you need to take at least 60 days off. Nothing makes me fat like alcohol.  It affects, sleep, workouts, drive, fat burning. muscle soreness, inflammation. 

Let's take a look at how a night of drinking this poison packaged in a pretty bottle (See how to reframe it?) can sabotage a good eating week. 

1. Empty calories. 4 IPA's is 800 calories

2. Boby turns to alcohol to burn first before calories and body fat

3. Brain becomes uninhibited, will make bad food choices which will turn to fat because body is burning the alcohol you're consuming.

4. Terrible for recovery.  Bad night sleep turns to being tired in the morning

5. Subpar workout from bad night's sleep because you're fatigued

6. Bad food choices the next day.  Stomach doesn't want broccoli when hung over.

It's a domino effect and a sugar bomb.

Consuming dairy.  Log your calories some time. A piece of cheese is 100 calories. No one eats one piece of cheese.  Use water in protein shakes, not milk.  Have dairy once a week.

Eating out a lot.  I like restaurants, but if I cook my own food, I'm in more control of the ingredients, how it's cooked.  Once a week MAX. Once every 2 weeks, even better

Skipping workouts. If you can't make the gym. Walk. Or do Youtube Yoga for recovery.