I just returned from a road trip in rural Canada. I used the tips you shared, IP packets, a cooler of veggies and precooked meat ( frozen ). My biggest challenge was drinking my water, when you're driving 10 - 13 hours a day you can't be making a potty stop ever 20 min.!!! ( I finished my water in the evening ) I stayed OP and was thrilled to find that I lost 5 pounds this week - normally I've been loosing 2-3.
With all the great advice I get on this site and especially the IP forum, I thought I'd give back a little for a change. I travel a great deal with my work, and have been OP since June 11 and not cheated once - even at restaurants. Given that, here's a few tips I've learned along the way:
1. Think about your trip - personal vs. business, etc. and where you'll be and what will be available to you for veggies, salad, protein, etc. buy food accordingly.
2. plan your day - think about your schedule and activities so you can adjust.
3. Bars are a travellers best friend - no shaker needed and can go in a coat pocket (or purse, ladies). Just calculate the increased carbs into the equation.
4. Subway is also a traveller's best friend -a veggie salad gives you close to 2 cups of veggies of a good variety. I also use regular mustard for a salad dressing. I use mustard on their sandwiches, so why not?! It works great and makes for some interesinting conversations!
5. Restaurants will almost always work with you. If they don't want to accomodate, I go the gluten free route, and say I'm allergic or that I need a diabetic diet choice. But when I'm light hearted with my server and tell them I'm allergic to fat - makes me swell up, they almost always loosen up and help me!
6. water bottles and Starbucks cups make great shakers so I don't have to pack mine.
7. Water! Water! Water! A gallon a day keeps the hungries away. 2 cups an hour gets you a gallon in by dinnertime so you're not up and down all night long!!! lol
8. I buy sugar free jello for my nighttime snack on the road. 10 calories and no carbs. (By the way- the Hunts brand has carbs- Jello doesn't).
9. I've actually carried cucumbers on a plane since most veggies in airport food courts are steamed with butter.
10. I pack a zip lock of lemon juice packs, salt/pepper packets, mustard packs, WF salad dressing, foil packs of tuna for emergencies (small town restaurants don't do healthy well, so I've had tuna, mustard, and cucs for dinner on multiple occasions). I also keep an IP drink packet and bar in the zip lock for emergencies.
Okay, that's enough for now! Since starting IP in June, I've put in around 50 room nights in hotels, 10 plane trips, many road trips, and a week's vacation doing mission work in Mexico - never cheated once!!! It works!!!!
Have a great weekend!!!
Ken
Thank you.... I should of read this yesterday.. packing food and having a bar in the purse is a life saver! rock on people!!
Thank you so much for this post. I'm a union Insulator and travel a ton. I just started this diet last Tuesday. I was worried about the road till I read your post. I have bookmark this so I can get to it easily.
Great ideas, I travel frequently for work but haven't yet had a trip since I started IP. I'd definitely like to stay OP as much as I can, these tips will be so helpful.
I need to make myself an "emergency IP kit" for my purse. I always carry a bar but I never thought of a plastic spoon, condiments, a camping spork or a measuring cup!! Clever, clever!
Grčaaat tips, Ken!
I travel once a month for 4 days. Work. Different flights, 2 to 6 hrs, hotels, etc. Not always easy, but I find airports are the worst. Cucumber is an excellent idea. Last month I paid $15 for a cucumber salad which was about half a cup of lettuce and maybe 5 slices of cucumber. Never thought of taking lemon packets. Perfect for water. And never thought of water bottles instead of a shaker. Several people have mentioned that Subway's salad is a good choice. I've never tried it, but will. I have taken boiled eggs on flights, but never thought of packaged tuna. Could mix it with mustard and soy sauce packets. Or even WF sesami ginger dressing packets. And pickles! Thx! And you look just great!
With all the great advice I get on this site and especially the IP forum, I thought I'd give back a little for a change. I travel a great deal with my work, and have been OP since June 11 and not cheated once - even at restaurants. Given that, here's a few tips I've learned along the way:
1. Think about your trip - personal vs. business, etc. and where you'll be and what will be available to you for veggies, salad, protein, etc. buy food accordingly.
2. plan your day - think about your schedule and activities so you can adjust.
3. Bars are a travellers best friend - no shaker needed and can go in a coat pocket (or purse, ladies). Just calculate the increased carbs into the equation.
4. Subway is also a traveller's best friend -a veggie salad gives you close to 2 cups of veggies of a good variety. I also use regular mustard for a salad dressing. I use mustard on their sandwiches, so why not?! It works great and makes for some interesinting conversations!
5. Restaurants will almost always work with you. If they don't want to accomodate, I go the gluten free route, and say I'm allergic or that I need a diabetic diet choice. But when I'm light hearted with my server and tell them I'm allergic to fat - makes me swell up, they almost always loosen up and help me!
6. water bottles and Starbucks cups make great shakers so I don't have to pack mine.
7. Water! Water! Water! A gallon a day keeps the hungries away. 2 cups an hour gets you a gallon in by dinnertime so you're not up and down all night long!!! lol
8. I buy sugar free jello for my nighttime snack on the road. 10 calories and no carbs. (By the way- the Hunts brand has carbs- Jello doesn't).
9. I've actually carried cucumbers on a plane since most veggies in airport food courts are steamed with butter.
10. I pack a zip lock of lemon juice packs, salt/pepper packets, mustard packs, WF salad dressing, foil packs of tuna for emergencies (small town restaurants don't do healthy well, so I've had tuna, mustard, and cucs for dinner on multiple occasions). I also keep an IP drink packet and bar in the zip lock for emergencies.
Okay, that's enough for now! Since starting IP in June, I've put in around 50 room nights in hotels, 10 plane trips, many road trips, and a week's vacation doing mission work in Mexico - never cheated once!!! It works!!!!
Have a great weekend!!!
Ken
