I am going on another 4 day weekend trip – now before you get all Jeally (that’s cool Dad speak for Jealous using the kid’s lingo) it is just to Knoxville, TN for my youngest daughter’s Southeastern swimming championships at the University of Tennessee’s aquatics center.

4 days of sitting for a few minutes of swimming…

And, TOTALLY worth it! Seriously, I love watching my daughters grow into fit, strong, competitive young women.

The countless hours of practice, early mornings, late nights and tired bodies are easy to justify when you see them get up on the starting blocks for an explosive swimming start or make an approach to attack a volleyball.

Wait, that still sounds like fun other than having to see all that Tennessee Volunteer orange. And it is.

However, I am starting a new program for nutrition and supplements today for at least a month of cutting fat and going for defined abs.

Travel and Weight Loss

Travel and food has never been a good combination for me – eating out it is just too easy for me to munch on bread, have a beer, eat a big plate of pasta (my daughters need the carbs, I don’t), share dessert or whatever.

I was trying to plan out how I was going to approach it and then I saw a link on Twitter to a Muscle Insider article about eating on the road.

Now, I am not trying to compete in bodybuilding or anything of that level so I don’t need to go that far, but the concept is the same.

1. Plan your meals ahead of time. 2. Simplify. 3. Follow the plan!

Plan to Diet Success!

So, how can an Average Joe eat properly on the road for four days?

My plan and some tips – I will highlight the tips so you can skip the boring stuff – this is mostly for my benefit in writing it down as a plan/goal:

1. Breakfasts
   • My daughter has to be at the pool at 7 so we have to be up and out by 6:40am.
   • I am staying at an Embassy Suites and the room has a kitchen and fridge.
   • I don’t want to cook that early – she needs the sleep and so do I.
   • They provide breakfast so I will eat an omelette with egg whites if they have them along with yogurt and some fruit.
   • I love their oatmeal and I may have a bit of that with fruit, but it isn’t the best oats for a diet I’m sure – one day only – probably Sunday so I won’t be tempted the other days.
   • Tip – stay at hotels that provide breakfasts if you have long days of tournaments – lets you catch 20 or 30 minutes extra sleep and is usually just as cheap – this can be a calorie buster if you aren’t careful though.
2. Lunch and snacks
   • I like to eat lunch fairly early, but in this case she won’t be through swimming until after noon and then we have to grab some pasta or carbs for her.
   • Get takeout or cook some pasta/shrimp in the hotel for her so she can rest in between. Stop by grocery store on way there.
   • Get sweet potatoes, microwave vegetables, lean meats for me.
   • Snacks are a bit easier because we both like home made protein, honey, peanut butter, oat, chocolate bites. Make some before we go.
   • Tip – Protein bites or apples and peanut butter are an easy, convenient way to avoid eating crap calories at the tournaments and staying full – candy, muffins, popcorn, pizza can be tempting if you are overly hungry.
3. Dinner.
   • Tough one for me because we get out late and don’t get to the restaurant or hotel until close to nine. Needs to be quick because sleep and recovery are very important.
   • Some people struggle with dinner on the road and if I go to a restaurant I would too, but I am going to plan on cooking enough at lunch to reheat at dinner.
   • Tip – Plan ahead and cook two meals at lunch. Usually saves time and money which are two things we can all use more of…
4. Exercise
   • Workout in the morning while kids/family sleep or go during lunch while they rest in between sessions.
   • Most hotels have some weights and almost all have treadmills and ellipticals. Use this time to get much needed cardio done!

That Guy is at the beach so there may not be a lot of content here this week, but we have a new series coming that you are sure to enjoy. Please sign up for our email list and be the first to get the details!