How to stay on track whilst travelling

Many of us know the importance of sleep for overall health. And when you sleep better, you may also experience greater weight and fat loss, research shows. Why? It could have something to do with how sleep — or the lack of it — affects your hormones. 

Poor sleep can cause an increase in hunger hormones, causing you to feel hungrier and eat more calories, increase cortisol levels, or your stress hormones, which can cause an increase in insulin resistance and your appetite.

Long flights and drastic time-zone changes can make this difficult. Sleep patterns can also be fickle, so time changes may throw you off, leading to increased hunger and food cravings. 

If you stay at your destination for more than two days, it’s a good idea to adapt to the local time zone.

To help yourself adjust, try the following:

Avoiding eating a large meal close to bedtime.

It’s important to stay hydrated all the time — but especially before and during travel.

“Air travel is dehydrating,” says Cassetty. “When you’re dehydrated, it can make you feel tired, which can lead to increased difficulty making healthy choices.” 

Her advice? Drink extra water when you travel by plane. “Drinking water will help keep your energy levels up, and it contributes to feelings of fullness, which makes it easier to eat within your calorie needs.”

Drinking plenty of water also has some weight loss perks. As a zero-calorie drink, it won’t add to your caloric intake. Water’s effect on energy expenditure can also assist with weight loss, researchers say.

Keep a reusable water bottle with you while traveling. If you’re concerned about the water source where you’re going, it may be worth investing in a travel-friendly water purifier, she notes.

3. Bring Your Own Snacks

While it’s now easier to find healthier snack options at airports and convenience stores, you can’t always rely on them to meet your needs. Plus, when you’re tired and stressed from traveling, you often just want to find something to eat, no matter how healthy it is. But if you bring your own snacks, you might avoid this issue.

Bringing your own snacks will help you not be at the mercy of the snack options available in the airport.

I personally bring Tupperware meals with minimal carbs to eat before flight and during.

4. Make Intentional Food Choices

The protein plate is by far the best way to eat at the all inclusive buffet. Fill your first plate with the meats and veggies, avoiding the filler foods like chips and bread. Then save the carbs/desserts for after. This works especially well for me as I have a raging sweet tooth and love a dessert.

5. Do Something Active Every Day

To stay on track with your health goals and avoid getting sick while traveling, aim to do something active every day, Roser suggests. Exploring a new city? Skip the tour buses and rent bikes.

I personally factor the quality of gym into my hotel choice or find a hotel with a decent gym nearby. And I go every morning.