4 Tips on How to Stay on a Diet While Traveling

It can be tough to stick to your usual diet while traveling. But there are some ways you can manage your sugar, calories and carbs while on the road (or even at home). Here are four tips to not gain weight and for eating healthy while traveling on the road

1. Order eggs. Continental breakfasts may be convenient, and the menu photo of the French toast may look amazing, but for nutrition and weight management purposes, your best bet is an order of eggs. Skip the hollandaise sauce and order them poached, hard boiled, scrambled, baked, fried or as an omelet with vegetables.  

2. Drink green tea throughout the day. Green tea has compounds in it that help boost metabolism and burn fat.

3. Make smart choices about alcohol. When it comes to weight management, skipping alcohol is the smartest choice. Water or unsweetened iced tea are much friendlier to your waistline. But if you want to drink to relax, celebrate or socialize, know the differences between alcoholic beverages. Here’s a breakdown of some popular drinks by calories, carbohydrates and sugar.

DRINK	CALORIES	SUGAR GRAMS	CARBS
Cocktails
Bloody Mary	125	5.1	6.8
Cape Codder	137	16.5	19.5
Gin and Tonic	171	15.7	15
Margarita	274	36	36
Martini	160	.11	.4
Mimosa	144	10.4	14.7
Moscow Mule	120	13	15
Pina Colada	245	32	32
Rum and Coke	160	30	30
Screwdriver	180	20	20
Wines
Bold red (ex. red Zinfandel)	125	.9	3.8
Dry red or white (ex. Chardonnay)	123	1.4	3.2
Light dry	81	0	2.1
Beers
Lagers (ex. Budweiser)	145	0	10.6
Ales (ex. Samuel Adams Summer Ale)	165	0	15
Stout (ex. Guinness)	125	0	10
India Pale Ale	200	0	12

4. When dining out, look for menu items that are grilled, steamed, baked, roasted, braised, broiled or seared. Limit dishes described as pan-fried, crispy, dipped, scalloped, breaded, cream or alfredo.

The Correlation Between Sleep Deprivation and Weight Gain

If your job involves a lot of traveling, chances are, you're sleep deprived. Traveling through different time zones can easily cause jet lag. And you may find your sleep quality is rather poor when sleeping in a hotel room.

But here's the problem -- weight gain is linked to sleep deprivation. A lack of sleep suppresses leptin, a hormone that regulates fat storage and calories burned while triggering ghrelin, a hormone that drives hunger. And of course, exhaustion drains your motivation to exercise.

Studies also have found that sleep deprivation increases your cravings for junk food. This can be a problem if your travel food options include airport food, minibar snacks and calorically-hefty restaurant dinners. 

If you travel a lot and are struggling to maintain your weight and notice that sleep deprivation may be a factor, try these tips to help improve the sleep environment of your hotel room.

• Tidy up your hotel room so that it doesn’t distract you as you try to fall asleep.

• Begin a relaxation routine about one hour before bedtime. This can include meditation or listening to calming music.

• Turn off unnecessary electronic devices.

• Turn off your bedroom television and radio.

• Set the hotel room thermostat at a comfortably cool temperature.

• Wear ear plugs and eye shades if necessary.

• Close the curtains.

• Go to bed at the same time you would at home.

If managing your weight and/or getting enough sleep has become a struggle, talk to your doctor. They may be able to provide guidance and/or refer you to specialists.