On top of all the holiday temptations associated with the holidays, travel can throw a wrench in even the best weight loss programs . But if...
Prepare for the stress. The airports may be packed, flights can be delayed, and your entire family may quickly lose patience. Instead of heading to the bar or the most fattening airport restaurant to pass time, have some tools to get through the transition. Pack some healthy snacks like apples, bananas and pre-packaged servings of omega-3 packed nuts, such as cashews, almonds and walnuts. These types of snacks will help balance your mood and stave off hunger. You can also visit one of the many clinics for weight loss in advance to pick up some prepackaged healthy snacks. Make sure to bring a book, download some movies to your iPad and bring some small toys or games if you have children to keep everyone busy so they’re not thinking about food.
Look for healthy options. If you didn’t have time to pack snacks, bypass the fast food restaurants in favor of some of the more nutritious choices many airports now feature. You can find kiosks and restaurants that serve salads, hummus and vegetables, sandwiches and wraps made on whole grain bread or pitas, Greek yogurt and other healthy items. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, in 2012, 76% of the busiest United States airports served at least one low fat, high fiber vegetarian entrée.
Choose your airline carefully. It’s tough to eat healthy on your actual flight, especially when it’s long haul. However, airlines including Air Canada and Virgin America have recently been recognized for providing healthy options as well as nutrition information for the food served on their flights. With a little bit of knowledge, you can probably find something that doesn’t stray too far from the type of meals recommended by clinics for weight loss. You can also modify what’s served to make it as healthy as possible—push fattening sauces to the side, skip the package of mayo provided for sandwiches, stay away from anything fried and avoid chips and other high-sodium foods. In addition, pass on drinking alcohol on flights—it’s extremely dehydrating and packs empty calories.
Walk it off. If you’ve already checked in and you know that your flight is going to be delayed an hour or so, then invest in a SmartCart and explore the airport. Many international airports have a variety of cool stores to browse and areas you may not be aware of, so clock some steps and burn some calories as you go look for them. While there may not be a Pilates studio or Elliptical nearby, weight loss programs and diets will still benefit from walking an extra mile or two. If your travel uniform involves heels, make sure to pack your workout shoes in your carry-on in case there is a delay.
Choose your airline carefully. It’s tough to eat healthy on your actual flight, especially when it’s long haul. However, airlines including Air Canada and Virgin America have recently been recognized for providing healthy options as well as nutrition information for the food served on their flights. With a little bit of knowledge, you can probably find something that doesn’t stray too far from the type of meals recommended by clinics for weight loss. You can also modify what’s served to make it as healthy as possible—push fattening sauces to the side, skip the package of mayo provided for sandwiches, stay away from anything fried and avoid chips and other high-sodium foods. In addition, pass on drinking alcohol on flights—it’s extremely dehydrating and packs empty calories.
Walk it off. If you’ve already checked in and you know that your flight is going to be delayed an hour or so, then invest in a SmartCart and explore the airport. Many international airports have a variety of cool stores to browse and areas you may not be aware of, so clock some steps and burn some calories as you go look for them. While there may not be a Pilates studio or Elliptical nearby, weight loss programs and diets will still benefit from walking an extra mile or two. If your travel uniform involves heels, make sure to pack your workout shoes in your carry-on in case there is a delay.
image credit: latimes.com
