Enjoying your meals is certainly a part of traveling—a HUGE part in fact for most people. I admit that I love food, and I look forward to seeing what culinary adventures I will face on my three-week business trips abroad. There is always something unique and interesting to try—whether it be a fluffy fantastic pastry, spicy sauces and dips, or creative meat dishes. However, trying to manage or (dare I even say) lose weight while on the road is something that I continue to struggle with.
About one month ago, I went on a vegan-eating plan for a few weeks to try my luck at getting more veggies in me, and hopefully shed some pounds in the process. I have been a carnivore all my life, but I wanted to try something new. While I didn’t lose too much weight (thanks to eating too many nuts), I did shed some inches and was feeling pretty good.
My heart sank, however, when I looked at the calendar and saw that I would be leaving for my three-week business trip to Argentina—the MEAT capital of the world. Could the timing be any worse?
I packed my things, headed to the airport, and prepared myself mentally. I told myself that my goal should not be about total avoidance of meat, or total overindulgence, but rather finding that sweet balance of enjoyment while also maintaining my weight.
I am happy to report that I didn’t gain any weight at all! With some pre-planning and a little self-control, I think I may have found a formula to help me stay on track, which I would love to share.
1. Enjoy a royal breakfast:
My strategy this time was to eat my largest meal at breakfast to hold me over until noon. Each day I balanced my plate with an egg dish, two or three scoops of sautéed breakfast potatoes, a filled-up bowl of fresh chopped fruit, and one, tiny wheat roll about the size of a plum.
The variety of protein and some carbs held me over until lunch. Frequently the room rate includes breakfast, which allows you to take advantage of this perk and keep budgets in check during a long trip.
2. Salads are king:
While I am grateful that there was a cafeteria at my company, each day seemed like Groundhog Day. The stars of every meal were some sort of quiche creation, grilled chicken, breaded and fried tofu, and sometimes beef.
Thank goodness, they had a small salad bar where I could load up on tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, and other veggies to supplement the monotonous proteins offered time after time. I managed to feel satisfied with this combination, but not overly stuffed. This allowed me to enjoy a small dessert or to nibble on a few cookies that graced our conference room every day.
3. Eat dinner like a pauper:
In my opinion, I think this next point was the key to my entire success. For about 75 percent of my trip, I ate a very light dinner. I brought along a large supply of pre-packaged snack bars; the only ingredients were dates and nuts. I ate two or three a day, along with a piece of fruit. Believe it or not, I felt fine and was not hungry.
This is not my usual repertoire while on a trip. Typically, huge dinners with my hungry colleagues are on the agenda. On top of that, Argentina is known for their late dinners (forks up at around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.), which didn’t fit into my evening plans and thankfully made it easier for me to do my own thing.
While I sacrificed somewhat during this trip, I did have some amazing meals that I will never forget. What I learned is that with a little planning, some self-regulation and strategizing, you can in fact have a nice trip with no impact on your waistline.
I wish you all good meals and happy travels!
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