5 Tips for Traveling and Weight Loss [EP. 7]

Welcome to Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well; the podcast for women who want to lose weight, but are tired of counting and calculating all the food. I'm your host, Lisa Salsbury. I'm a certified health and weight loss coach and life coach, and most importantly a recovered chronic dieter. I'll teach you to figure out why you are eating when you aren't hungry, instead of worrying so much about what you are eating. Welcome back. This is episode seven first. Thank you to everyone who has already left such kind reviews of the podcast. Don't forget if you send me a screenshot of your review either by email hello@wellwithlisa.com or DM it to me on Instagram. And I'll send you a Starbucks gift card just to say, thank Also, if you share the podcast, I will enter you into a drawing for a hundred dollar Amazon gift card. First drawing for that will be this Friday, September 9th. So be sure to tag me in that so I can enter you. If you share multiple episodes, you'll get an entry into the drawing for each episode that you share. That can be a feed post that can be in your stories. However, it makes most sense to you. I also really want to say hi to someone that we met in Europe. Recently I met Fatima and her mother. So Helia, I hope I'm saying that one right at the Laderach chocolate factory in Switzerland. Fatima followed the podcast when we were chatting. And so I wanted to give her a little shout out because she lives in Dubai. So I think that would be my farthest away listener. So hi Fatima. But she was so nice and she and her mom, or like, oh, you guys should totally come visit Dubai. It's so amazing. And come in the winter. And I was like, yes, we should. But also I was thinking, well, we don't really know each other, so they're probably just being nice. But now I'm really regretting not taking them up on that offer and sharing more contact information. So although, Suheila did give my mom her card and it turns out. She works for her Highness and I, for sure, I'm so sorry if I mispronounce this, but she works for her Highness, Sheikha, Fatima bent, Mubarak, who I had to look up. I'm so sorry Fatima. I'm totally uneducated on your country, but turns out she's the wife of the founder of the United Arab Emirates. So that was amazing to meet them. We met so many fun people while we were. traveling around, but Fatemia was the only one I told about the podcast. So otherwise I'd be saying hi to tons of people. this actually does connect with my topic for today because we are talking all about eating while traveling. So should you try to continue losing weight while you are traveling or not? I'm going to give you all the details of what and how we ate and why it worked for And also give you some, other options for what you can do. Plus, we'll talk about what to do when you get home as well. So, if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my sisters, my mom and my niece, and I went to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, just a few weeks So, yes, it was amazing and yes, we ate a lot of good food. So you can see some of those photos that I posted. I'll be posting a real about that. first though, let's talk about eating on vacation. You definitely can continue with your weight loss efforts while on vacation, because remember that you are aiming to eat like the future you who has lost her weight, eats. So does that make Let me say it another way. If you looked into the future at you at your goal weight or your natural weight, and then you take a look. At what she eats. We are aiming to eat like that with just one small change at a time. But ultimately we would get to that point. So incidentally, this is the opposite. Of what most diets have you, do they have you drastically changed the way you eat all at once. And then when you lost your weight, you can go back to quote, eating like normal. I say that with those air quotes, eating like normal. Whereas, what I teach my clients to do is to gradually make changes so that you are behaving and eating like a naturally slim person. Or in other words like that slim person that you are going to become. So with this in mind. How does a naturally slim person or someone who is walking around at their natural weight, behave and eat on vacation. that's what we want to aim so with that in mind, I have five tips for you. Number And enjoy the food of the region. This is so important when you're on a vacation. That is specially is once in a lifetime. We ate schnitzel Brotts giant pretzels, cream cakes that barely had any sugar. My niece gagged and said it tasted like straight sour We have pastries for breakfast. It's gelato, beef and onions, fresh plums. Dumplings European breakfast, waffles. I could go on and on, but truly enjoy the foods that are unique to the region you are visiting. Now, if you are traveling for work or maybe to take your child to college, or some other reason, you consider yourself out of town, but not really on vacation consider if this area truly has foods that are different from your own city. Maybe there's a restaurant that you don't have back at home, but just get really clear and honest with yourself. If you're in a region that truly has food that you want to experience, or if the food in the area that you are in is basically the same as what you have at home. But this leads directly into tip two. Which is remember that more of this food is not going to make it taste better. And it won't make it more memorable. So if you overeat that regional food, You'll end up sluggish and uncomfortable rather than energized and ready to see the next thing. You don't really want to remember how uncomfortable you were in your clothes after that meal. You want to remember how delicious the food was? What great ambience there was at that restaurant or how kind your server was to help you translate the menu. The thing about eating regional food is that it is unique and memorable. But I promise you eating beyond your fullness cues will not make it more unique, more memorable, or a better experience. So continue paying attention to your hunger scale. It's a tool that goes with you, no matter where in the world you are. I remember too. The hunger scale is not just for weight loss. When I say, continue paying attention to your hunger scale. That means we want to just stop when we are comfortable. Perhaps when you're at home working on weight loss, you're eating between the threes. And when you're out of town on vacation, you might eat to a positive four or five. It's not. All the way into discomfort. But you may not be continuing on your strong weight loss efforts. You still can pay attention to your hunger. So a good example of this with the amounts is the chocolate factory tour we went on in Switzerland. They had a giant and I mean, giant chocolate The fountain itself was enclosed behind glass and there was dark chocolate, milk, chocolate, and white chocolate all flowing down and separate sections. At the bottom of this fountain, there were these little pole valves. You had to get a couple drops on a tiny spoon that they gave us on our tour lanyard. It could not have been more than a half a teaspoon or so, but it was delicious. And Polenti to remember that experience by it was such a small amount, but more of that liquid chocolate wouldn't have made it better. Wouldn't have made it more unique or more memorable. I thought that really gets in the way of this one is I'll never get this again. And listen. That is probably true for With 99% of everything we ate on this I probably won't ever visit that region again, because there are so many other places I'd like to go as well. I won't sit in that beer garden and eat that schnitzel ever again. But that thought just produces a lot of scarcity. If you were putting that thought in the model, I would put scarcity in the feeling line. And then my action from that feeling would be to eat more, which is what we do when we're worried about food. So you have a couple of options here. You can add a bridge onto that thought and say, you're right brain. I'll never get this again. And that's okay. Uh, green with a tantruming brain is a really quick way to calm it down. When your brain offers you thoughts, like you should eat all of this because you don't know if you'll ever have You can just say, yep. You're right. I don't know if I'll ever have it again. And when I do that, I notice I slow down and I savor that experience instead of hurrying to eat as much as I can. Because I recognize, Hey, this might be my only chance. I want to remember Another option for that thought of I'll never get this again is just to say, nah, that's I bet I could find an authentic German restaurant in my area. Or maybe I can learn to make this myself. Or I'm going to take inspiration from this meal and incorporate it into my own cooking. Simple roasted potatoes with butter or served alongside my schnitzel and you know what? They were so good. And I'm always trying to fancy up potatoes and I thought maybe I don't have to. My niece had green beans with bacon on her plate. And I was like, oh yeah, I really like bacon in my green beans. And so I did that just a couple of nights ago here at home. A couple of slices in a pound of green beans. Super good. And it reminded me of being in that outdoor beer So actually, even though your brain is like, we'll never get this again. You can just say no, you're wrong about that and move on. All right. Third tip. Consolidate your meals while you're traveling. We didn't make it out of our Airbnb too early because there were five women getting ready, but that's pretty similar to the last time my family went out of town as well. We tend to sleep in and enjoy our morning. So unless you are a morning, go getter on vacation. Chances are you're eating a later breakfast than you typically do before. You're leaving for work. So then what you want to do is just wait to get your next meal until you are actually hungry. This honestly is so simple, but such a great strategy for getting in more sight seen as well When you, aren't trying to find a restaurant three or four times a day, you have more time for the experiences and the sites. Most days, we ended up eating a very late breakfast. And a fairly early This also allowed for some later evening snacks like gelato or street food, like pretzels, because we weren't so full from having three big meals. So a couple things here. If you're traveling with small children and consolidate it into two meals, it's not an option. I totally get it. This isn't a strategy that will work for all families or traveling groups, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well this worked for us. So we can really take advantage of more time to sight-see. The other thing you might be wondering about is, well, that's less meals or less times we can enjoy the regional food, which is tip So, yes, that's true. You are eating in restaurants fewer times if you do this, but I didn't ever feel like we had missed anything. And that is another scarcity thought I would encourage you not to entertain. Just dismiss that as untrue or just not a problem for you. number four. Could be a little bit of a controversial one, But I found it to be true for myself. You might think this is a little bit odd, but my number four tip is don't bother with bringing your own snacks. So I brought a lunch for the plane the first day, but I didn't bring any snacks to have while we were there. The reason I did this is I actually took inspiration for a client I had about a year ago. She told me that whenever she traveled or even just when she left the house, she had snacks packed. Like an apple or nuts just in case. She was always worried about getting hungry and said, I thought it would be terrible to be caught without food. But she had been working on consolidating her food when she was at home down to three meals a day with no or very little snacks. This was something that she had a goal for, because she found that she was grazing all day. And so we worked on consolidating her food So that she was hungry before she ate. And full when she stopped. So she decided then when she went on a trip, Not to bring any food with her. She said she felt lighter and had less to worry about. The thought that she used was there is plenty of food and I find it when I need it. And I just thought this was so interesting that she used That having some food kept her from worrying. About getting hungry. But when she freed herself from having to carry around food, she actually worried less. It was like having the food with her. Reminded her that she might get hungry. she said, she knew that if she was hungry, she was an adult and perfectly capable of finding food she wanted to eat. And that's the phrase she used. She said food. I wanted to eat. So she replaced worry with confidence. Also, she had been learning that feeling. Some hunger, like we talked about with the hunger scale is actually nothing to worry about. It's just a physical sensation, letting you know, Hey, it's about time to bring on some So she had realized that that hunger signal wasn't actually the emergency that it She was no longer worried about being caught without food. She just noticed her hunger and then found food when she needed it. I actually remembered this when I was packing for my trip and I thought, you know what? I, I'm not going to need any snacks. And if I do need a snack. I would rather get some street food from the region and try out something new than bring a snack from So, if you do want to carry around snacks while you're sightseeing, You can always find snacks locally as well. it's always interesting to go into a local grocery store. we stopped at a couple of farm stands and grabbed some fruit. So have confidence in yourself that you can find food when you need it. And that hunger is actually not an emergency. my last tip. Is number five, stay hydrated. This is a given since water is such a big part of your losing weight efforts at home. But listen, it is worth it to carry around water. I carried a backpack so I could have my Hydroflask, which I filled as often as I could. A couple of times, I was like, ah, this thing is so heavy. I don't really want to carry it. But. Far more often. I was glad that I had A couple of times there were fountains in the town square. I had seen an Instagram video about these drinkable fountains in Rome. So I had it in the back of my mind, wondering if that was common in Europe and sure enough, we found a couple in Switzerland, so that was fun to fill our bottles We also purchased several large disposable water bottles that we filled each night and brought with us in the car. When we had the options at Airbnbs for our freezer near the end, I fro some bottles to keep it cold for the day. I wish I had thought of that earlier in the week, because, um, the thing about water in restaurants, at least in the area that we were in, like I said, Germany, Austria, Switzerland. What are your restaurants is not free. They don't just bring you a cup of ice water and keep filling it like they do in America. So we ordered water, but that was like one or two large bottles for the table. Also, I'm sure you know this, but you have to specify either in Germany, they asked you with gas or without, but it's like sparkling or not. I happen to love sparkling water. So we did get a few of those, But mostly it's just imperative for me that I have my own water because a few ounces. At mealtime is just not, not enough for me. on that note about the water and ice, they don't actually have ice, so they don't ever bring it with the water. We ate at one sort of fast food type restaurant, and it was the only place with an ice machine. And it was so tiny. It was almost like a countertop unit and the worker was not even sure how it So I really did miss cold water. I drink room temperature, water, rather than no water at all, though. So staying hydrated. Not only keeps your hunger cues in line. So you aren't getting false hunger signals from actually being dehydrated. But it also helps with ankle swelling. While sitting for long periods and planes and cars. The other main reason to stay hydrated. Is that pesky constipation that comes with traveling. So, I don't know if you knew I'd go there, but yes, travel-related constipation happens to most of us, so don't worry. You're not alone in that. Primarily it's happening because you are thrown off your regular routine, but also apparently the way cabins are pressurized in airplanes, if you are flying can make you bloated and constipated I didn't know that actually, before I was looking at reasons why this happens. I just, it always happens to me and I just assumed that it will. But when I think back, I definitely have had an easier time when it's a road trip as opposed to a flight. So I thought that was really interesting. Other contributors are trying all that new and different food. Anxiety and stress that might be happening. And of course, sleep disruptions. So don't compound that problem by not drinking enough water. It's worth it. Let me reiterate, carry your own water. All right now for some tips for coming home. This is what I call a re-entry plan. Having a re-entry plan might seem like overkill, but when you are tired or jet lag and you're thrown back into your regular schedule, the first thing your brain will suggest you do is to overeat, to compensate for how uncomfortable that is. So you're also going to be craving those highly palatable, highly processed foods, because they give you the biggest dopamine hit. So to keep yourself on track. I suggest you make a grocery list prior to leaving home. clean out your refrigerator of anything that's going to spoil before you get back and then decide on a few of your very, very simplest meals to make when you I'm talking spaghetti with store bought marinara. Salad mixes with a rotisserie chicken, or if you have time, maybe before you leave, you put together a freezer meal that could be thrown in the Crock-Pot the morning after you get home for that night's dinner. Chances are you're going to be tired of restaurant food. So you'll want to eat at home, but when you're tired and have no food in the house, that's a daunting task. So here's my best tip. At that grocery list you made to the cart on your local grocery store app. For me, Safeway is the closest grocery store and I can add things and select a delivery Up to a week out. If you're going to be gone longer than that, just leave them in your cart until you're at the airport heading home, or just a few days before select a time you'll be home and you can even swing by the grocery store on your way, home from the airport. You of course could also just select to have it delivered, but check your local store. I know most stores will allow you to create orders for pickup at no extra charge, but there might be a fee for delivery, but you might decide that is worth it. The key here is just the planning ahead. Really consider your future self here. Don't just plan and prepare for that fun trip. But be kind to that future you who is not going to want to walk into another restaurant. But as also too worn out to make any food decisions. Make them for her now. So you set yourself up for getting right back into eating vegetables and fresh fruit and having milk and eggs in the house. Of course. Remember you're not the only one in the house that can run to the store and pick up the groceries. When I'm talking to my clients, they tend to primarily be responsible for what I call the hunting and gathering of the food. that's why I'm talking to you about creating that grocery list. But if that job generally falls on your partner, then encourage him or her to do that before your You can also send a teenage driver to the store to pick up those groceries. It's really can be done by anyone in the household. So don't think that I'm just telling you that you have to do all of the grocery shopping and cooking. Of course, whoever this job falls to in your family. That's who maybe could do this. Before your trip Okay. I hope these travel tips have helped you and I hope you are enjoying the podcast in case you are wondering, I don't know that I've mentioned how I work with clients. I actually do one-on-one coaching and a 12 week session format. My clients see me once a week and have unlimited access by a Voxer to me in between. If you are looking to lose weight, feel better in your current body and make lifestyle changes to improve But you are tired of the typical diet, culture driven advice and counting and calculating all Then you need to check out my one-on-one coaching Check my calendar and schedule a time to talk to me. The link for that is in the show notes. It's a free session and we will talk about what your current goals are and get all your questions answered about my program and make sure it's the right fit for you. Don't worry. It's not a hard sales call. I will be honest if you are not a good fit for my program. Okay. 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Thanks for listening today. If you're ready to get some personalized help from me, I'd encourage you to schedule a free strategy session. Visit www.wellwithlisa.as.me or find a link in the show notes. We'll talk about where you currently are with your weight loss goals, and I'll give you some actionable tools. You can start implementing right away. Before you go, make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you can receive new episodes, right when they're released. And if you're learning something new, I'd love for you to leave me a review. Thanks again for joining me, Lisa Salsbury in this episode of Eat Well, Think Well, Live Well. I'll talk to you next time!