Last Updated on April 15, 2022
Travel. Fitness. These aren’t two topics you typically hear about in the same sentence unless it’s “I have to get my fitness on before I go travel so I look good” or “I’ll get my fitness on when I get back from traveling”.
Prioritizing health and fitness while on the road is not near the top of most travelers’ priority lists. It certainly wasn’t for me when I first started traveling…
Let me rewind a bit first
Back in 2016, I began training for a bodybuilding competition. I wasn’t happy with my body so I decided this would get me into shape and teach me how to eat healthy.
The training was gruesome.
I spent 3-4 hours at the gym every day with one “active rest day” (aka I still had to run but just not lift).
Dieting
I was eating approximately 5 meals a day which consisted of a certain number of macros (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), that I had to meet each day that I could not exceed or go under. I was obsessiveabout what I put into my mouth.
Most meals consisted of egg whites, chicken, broccoli, brown rice, or a protein shake. I could, however, get creative with my meals.
I would put egg whites into the little amount of oatmeal I was allowed to eat to make it seem like I was eating more (the egg whites would expand). I would treat myself to protein pancakes on the weekend with who-knows-what’s-in-it syrup (aka 0-calorie Walden Farm’s syrup). Oh, and my pancakes were literally a scoop of protein powder mixed with egg whites and water in a pan. Yum!
My absolute favorite time of the day was when I was allowed to eat two rice cakes or half a banana! It was like dessert to me.
Hangry
If you’ve ever dieted, especially with low carbs, you can probably testify to how moody/angry/sad you became.
I kept an emergency jar of peanut butter in my desk drawer at work. There were certainly a few unnecessary breakdowns where I would sit under my desk and binge-eat spoonfuls of peanut butter until I felt better. … But then I would be kicking myself for the rest of the day that I ruined that day’s diet and felt like I needed to spend an extra hour at the gym to make up for it.
After months of hard work and dieting, I was seeing the difference in my body, but I still wasn’t happy with it. I wasn’t confident with what I looked like. Could more dieting and training really make more of a difference or help me look in the mirror and be happy? Probably not.
I felt miserable. I was pushing friends and family away because I was so moody. I didn’t want to go be social because I wasn’t able to eat or drink with friends. I spent hours of my life at the gym (and even had crying episodes there because the ideal image of what I wanted to look like and feel like just felt so out-of-reach).
Change of Plans
I quit training for the bodybuilding competition I was scheduled to compete in when I got a job offer in NYC. I moved there and tried to keep up with the diet and training regimen as much as I could, but still let myself splurge a day here and there.
First Trip Abroad
A few months later, I went on my first trip abroad – something I had been dreaming of doing for years. I did a group tour by myself to seven countries around Europe.
I decided to let myself go on the trip and splurged daily on gelato, pasta, pizza, stroopwafels, chocolates, baguettes, macarons, and more. I was in heaven! …well, at the time of eating.
Quickly after the time of indulgence, my body was far from happy with me. I would try to work out a little in my hostel to calm the anxiety, which helped to an extent, but in reality, I knew I just needed to take it easier on the food.
A Moody Foodie
Ever since I was little, I’ve struggled with food affecting my mood. I didn’t really put two-and-two together until I started my bodybuilding training.
Learning about the food I was eating – how much fat, carbs, proteins, sugar, etc. was in it really helped me to realize what foods trigger certain moods.
Surprise, surprise – healthy, unprocessed foods made me feel so much better than when I ate foods higher in fats, carbs, and sugars.
Unfortunately, most of the foods I was eating abroad were trigger foods for me. Eating them in moderation would be fine – maybe a bite or two here and there to just taste it – but I was going to town like the Cookie Monster.
Fixing the Damage
After I came back to NYC once my trip ended, I spent hours in the gym every day trying to “fix” what I had done while traveling.
I began eating healthy again – not on my bodybuilding diet, but simply foods that made me feel good.
Between eating healthy and working out – really just focusing on my health overall – I felt so much better.
Travel or Fitness – Choose One
I had the most incredible time on my first trip abroad and was absolutely hooked on travel. The only problem was that I was starting to associate travel with feeling unhealthy. For some reason, I felt like I could either travel or stay fit, but not both.
That’s when it clicked. Why not? Why can’t I stay fit & healthy and travel at the same time?
Travel Fitness – Together!
Today, when I travel, I make time every single day to do something fitness-related. Whether that be doing exercises in my hotel room or in a nearby park, going on a walk or run, doing yoga, or hiking – I make my fitness a priority in order for me to keep my anxiety stabilized.
Still Enjoy Being a FOODIE while Traveling
In addition, I do my best to pick certain times to “splurge” on the local cuisine.
For instance, breakfast is the big make-it or break-it meal for me. I know that eating yogurt or oatmeal with fruit makes me feel good. Therefore, I always make the effort to seek out these easy-to-find meals while traveling if I can.
I also like to pack healthy snacks to have with me to munch on during the day so I don’t get tempted by hunger to splurge on something unhealthy.
I’m still a huge foodie and love to try the local food when traveling. But rather than over-indulging in all the local cuisine, my husband and I will usually split things so we can still get a taste of everything without feeling the wrath of it later. Or if I’m not with my husband, I will have a taste and save the rest for another time.
The biggest trick is MODERATION and having an idea of what is in the food you are consuming. Too many sugars, carbs, and/or fats can, personally, really throw me overboard. Keeping a mental note of what I eat helps me to know when I need to cut back or if I’m in the clear for another slice of pizza.
Discipline – Always Remember your “Why”
Don’t get me wrong, this all takes lots of discipline. Though, knowing that the benefits outweigh the alternative, I’m much more motivated to stay in control of my health & fitness so I can travel the world at my best.
Today, my husband and I love to seek out wellness resorts or activities while we travel. We try to walk places whenever possible. We eat things in moderation so we can ultimately enjoy more things. We still go out for a drink to check out the local nightlife, but have just one or two so we still feel good.
Ultimately, it all comes down to being in control of yourself and your actions. You can still enjoy all of the benefits to traveling, but just on a more modified scale.
Even if working out and eating healthy is not your typical lifestyle, it is worth adding them in. The reward could mean being able to live a longer, healthier life, as well as continue to travel throughout the duration of your life.
Ready to make a change in Your Travels?
If you are looking to make this change in your travels or current lifestyle but have questions or need some assistance, I’m happy to help! As a NASM-certified personal trainer and AFAA-certified group fitness instructor, helping you work on your health & fitness while you travel is a passion of mine.
Contact me for more information or a free consultation!
Ready to add fitness into your travel plans?
