HOW TO PREVENT OVEREATING WHEN TRAVELLING OVERSEAS
If you’ve ever traveled overseas, you will know it can be quite hard to stay on track with your nutritional requirements and not overeating.
Here are 5 tips to help you to prevent overeating and even continue to progress towards either your fat loss or muscle building goal.
#1 TRACK YOUR CALORIES
This seems obvious, but if you aren’t at least tracking your calories loosely, it’s a lot more likely that you will blow out on your calorie requirements. Even in countries that may not have their food options on your calorie tracking apps library, you can always add in single ingredients if you have a rough idea of what might be in the foods you’re eating.
Example: If you’re in an Asian country and you’re eating a big stir-fry, there are plenty of options on ‘myfitnesspal’ that will allow you to have a guess at how many calories are in the meal you’re eating. Even if you can’t find a suitable option, you can simply add the ingredients (rice, vegetables, chicken, sauces etc). A rough estimate is still better than not tracking at all.
#2 PRIORITIZE YOUR PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS
Protein is the most important macronutrient and should always be on the top of your list when deciding which macronutrient goal you need to be closest to. After that, carbohydrates and fats can fill the rest of your calories with whatever ratio you please, as long as you are staying within or as close as possible to your daily calorie goal.
#3 PLAN AHEAD
If you know that you’ll be going out for a big meal for dinner, be smart about the first half of the day and reduce your food intake to allow some sort of buffer at dinner. This way even if you do overeat, you will most likely have enough of a calorie buffer so that you don’t blow out on your total calories for the day.
#4 PACK FOR CONVENEINCE
There are a few things I always pack and keep on me when traveling; Water, protein powder or protein bars, mixed nuts or trail mix and fruit. By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. If you have things such as protein bars and fruit with you at all times, it’s a lot less likely that you’ll pick up something else which will most likely be denser in calories and less filling.
#5 CONTINUE TO TRAIN
By continuing to train you’re then expending more energy allowing you to fit in a little more food. Along with the added energy expenditure, you also become a more aware of the food you are putting in your mouth.
It’s important to take into context what the overseas trip is for. If it’s a business trip or trip for an athletic/competitive event then the important of not overeating becomes a lot more relevant. Whereas if you are overseas for your honey moon or the family holiday you’ve been saving up for and looking forward to for so long then you need to take a step back and put things into perspective. A little bit of overeating while on the trip of a lifetime isn’t anything to lose sleep over. Life is too short to miss out on life experiences due to your fear of gaining weight.
Put these guidelines to use next time you travel overseas and notice whether you become more aware of your eating habits. Enjoy yourself but be smart about your decisions.
Safe travels!