Travel Tips

Traveling short and long distances, by car or by plane, can disrupt your eating program. Whether it’s spending long periods of time in a confined space, having limited food options away from home, or being exposed to challenging eating environments, travel can slow weight loss progress or compromise hard earned weight loss “wins.” The best way to ensure traveling does not have a detrimental effect on your progress is to plan ahead.

Review this list of travel tips and check the ones you can incorporate when you next travel.

General Travel Tips

• Develop a plan prior to travel. It may be unrealistic to follow the JSMD meal program precisely while away, but this shouldn‘t mean undoing your progress by eating completely off-plan. Make substitutions where you can, eat smaller portions of those foods you typically avoid, and, most importantly, get refocused on going back to your usual eating plan when you return from your travels.
• Keep a QuestBar and other easily transportable snacks like jerky or nuts in your purse or briefcase for ready access.
• Instead of dining out for your meals, shop at grocery stores whenever possible. Choose ready-to-eat protein options such as pre-cooked chicken strips, rotisserie chicken, tuna, hard-boiled eggs and deli meat. Also, take advantage of salad bars that are available in many grocery stores.
• If you are staying in a hotel, ask for a room with a refrigerator. Stock it with JSMD-friendly foods.
• When you make an intended or unintended eating exception, keep the portion size small, and get right back onto your eating plan.

Air Travel Tips

• Avoid going to the airport hungry. Eat a healthy meal at home before you leave.
• Pack healthy snacks, such as fruit, nuts, jerky, or QuestBars. For longer flights, pack healthy meals, or arrive at the airport early enough to purchase healthy food for the flight.
• Bring a water bottle to fill up inside the terminal, or purchase a large bottle of water before getting on the plane.
• Bring a movie, a good book or magazine, knit, or work on crossword puzzles. Boredom can lead to unhealthy eating.

Car Travel Tips

• Pack a cooler with healthy meals or snacks, such as Greek yogurt, string cheese, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, almonds, pistachios, apples, deli meat slices, or hard-boiled eggs.
• Keep water and other carb-free drinks in the cooler, such as Crystal Light or Vitamin Water Zero.
• When possible, eat in rather than drive through at restaurants. Choose restaurants that have healthy, low-carb options.
• Driving long distances can create fatigue. If you need to drink a caffeinated beverage, choose calorie-free coffee, diet soda, or sugar-free tea.

Try using the tips you checked in Part 1 when you next travel. Keep in mind that developing new habits takes practice over time, so commend yourself even for small “wins,” and recognize that imperfections are part of relearning new habits.

At your next appointment, be prepared to discuss these questions with your counselor:

1. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = not helpful at all, 5 = very helpful), how helpful were the tips?
2. How did you feel when you were able to able to apply them?
3. Would you be inclined to apply the tips again? Why or why not?