Traveling for business getting in the way of your workouts?
Social plans and dining out wreaking havoc on your good intentions to clean up your diet?
These things used to trip me up all the time.
Back in my corporate days, there was always a business dinner, a working lunch, or business trip on the horizon.
My weekends usually included some sort of social event like a bachelorette party, a baby shower, or a girl’s night out, all of which would get in the way of my healthy and fit lifestyle.
I used to think to myself, as soon as thing calm down I’ll get back on track.
But, things never really calm down, do they?
I started thinking about this a few days ago as it is coming up in our Fat Loss Coaching Program that is currently underway. (By the way, this group of rockstars is killing it, so impressed with their ambition and dedication to transforming themselves. It’s inspiring!)
For many of these smart and successful professionals in our program, and I bet for you too, juggling multiple responsibilities is a reality of your day to day. And if it’s not addressed and dealt with, it can derail you from achieving your fit and healthy lifestyle.
Because the truth is, there is never going to be a time when your calendar is clear or you’ll have weeks upon weeks to cook healthy meals from home and get to the gym everyday for an hour. Never gonna happen.
So the key here is:
Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good.
When it comes to being fit and lean you don’t have to be perfect. All you have to do is make smart choices, get a little bit better each and every day, and be consistent with your workouts and eating habits.
The all or nothing mentality will literally get in the way of you getting started for the rest of your life.
So how do we tackle the day-to-day of living an on-the-go lifestyle?
How do we navigate eating out, airport and airplane food, and less then ideal situations?
Here are 4 insights to help you do just that.
1) Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good – I used to think that if I couldn’t eat home cooked meals or salads that it was impossible to eat healthy. I thought, well since there is nothing on this menu that looks just right I might as well throw the towel in and eat the bacon cheeseburger with fries. And since I’ll start my diet next week, I’ll get dessert too. Back then I didn’t understand eating good will still help you get results and will definitely help you avoid weight gain.
2) Plan. Plan. Plan. – spending even 5 minutes thinking through a day you’ll be traveling can make all the difference. For example: you know you’re getting on an airplane. Don’t show up to the airport hungry. In general, airports aren’t known for having many healthy eating options. Bring with you cut up veggies, an apple, and protein sources like turkey deli slices, cheese, beef jerky, hard boiled eggs, nuts. Having your own go-to stash will get you through the flight without downing drinks and airplane junk food.
3) Do your best with what’s in front of you – No matter where you are you can usually find a way to order protein and veggies. When there aren’t great options keep it simple. Usually you can get any restaurant to steam you whatever veggies they have available and some chicken, fish, or steak. Although it maybe boring, keeping it simple can help you in those situations from eating a bunch of food you’ll regret later.
4) Stop Making Excuses – Looking back, I realize that my mentality of waiting for some other day to start making better eating choices and living a healthier and fit lifestyle was just an excuse. It was my justification for why I wasn’t getting started today. To my credit, I didn’t really understand that there are time efficient way to exercise (HIIT) and easy eating strategies that get you results if you focus on the right foods. But alas, I know better and make the best choices I can in any situation.
So now I want to hear from you. What do you do to make moderate, healthy decisions even when options are limited? How do you get your workouts in even while on the road?
Share in the comments below so we can all learn form each other.
Julie xo
