Said no one ever….but yes I recently did!
TLDR: After being at a 5 day conference I came home the same weight. See tips below!
Early July I was at The Dental Festival in Nashville. I was gone for 5 days. As you may know by now from reading here I am also on a bit of a health journey.
So what do we do when we are working towards our health goals and have a trip?!
I used to panic, fret, and worry!
Not anymore!
I was so proud to return from this 5 day conference and I had not gained any weight!
Here’s what I did:
1. Workouts
I still got in a couple of workouts. I made it a goal to get in at least 1 workout over the 5 days. Getting in a second was a bonus! The hotel had a nice fitness center and my workouts are online from my coach. They can be done anywhere!
I left super early Wednesday so getting up even earlier was just a no-go. So when I saw Wednesday’s conference schedule that things ended around 4pm with a free evening, I was going to take advantage and get a workout in right after. Friday I just got up early to get a workout in at 6am before things started at 8.
For me, it has shifted from “oh I need to workout to burn calories” to “working out makes me feel good.” So getting in my workouts is a priority in that it makes me feel great not just physically, but mentally as well!
2. Walking
Uber vs walking to our dinner spots? Walking all the way! Anytime between sessions, I’d try to get a little bit of walking in as well. During our free evening Wednesday I walked to the Whole Foods about a mile away to pick up some things for breakfast. Basically, take any opportunity to get some movement in!
3. Protein.
I’ve found focusing on protein is huge for this process. I do track macros per my coach/nutritionist and protein is a biggie. Protein helps with building muscle and also helps us to be satisfied.
4. Planning
Taking some time to plan is huge. Planning when you might be able to get a workout or walk in and planning a little with nutrition. The meeting provided us lunch every day. I knew I’d most likely be going out with other attendees for dinner. That left breakfast.
As mentioned in #2, I did see there was a Whole Foods not too far away. The room had a small fridge and I asked to get a microwave. (***Tip – call ahead and ask and also ask at check-in. The hotel was super accommodating!)
So I ventured to the store and picked up some things, much of which was focused on higher protein (see #3). At first I thought it was nuts what I spent there but the reality is it was much less than buying breakfasts at the hotel for several days, and fit into my nutrition better too!
5. Water
I focused on drinking my water. It can be easy at these meetings and being on the go to not drink much water, but I carried a water bottle around with me and there were water jugs all over to easily refill. It was a pain at times getting to the bathroom but I did still get my 100+ ounces in!
6. Little alcohol.
I did not drink very much. If you’ve been to Nashville, you know there are a gazillion bars. Add a conference to that and wow….things could’ve gotten out of control easily. Not that there’s anything wrong with enjoying adult beverages, but with health and fitness goals it’s important to be mindful
We went out to a cool place for dinner one night that had a unique drink that sounded intriguing to me so I did enjoy that Thursday evening. Then, I only drank on the Sunday Funday outing and kept it to a minimum as well and was sure to enjoy what I did have.
As you have read, it might take a little work and extra-planning, but staying on track with your health goals is possible while traveling, as well as enjoying yourself! Happy travels!