Eating Away from Home

If you are going to be staying in a hotel for a long period of time, ask for a room with a refrigerator and microwave, and consider doing your own shopping and cooking. When you’re away from home, it’s good time to keep up with your food journal. Pay extra attention to where, what, and how much you eat. When dining out:

• Ask your server if they serve half portions or lunch size servings.
• Ask your server to package up half of your meal “to go” before your meal comes to the table.
• Ask to have your meal prepared without butter or oil.
• Request your salad dressing on the side.
• Ask for substitutions, such as fruit instead of French fries, or salad instead of rice.
• Focus on eating “green light” foods and avoiding “red light” foods.
• As best you can, avoid extra sugar and alcohol.

For breakfast, order low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit, scrambled eggs, a breakfast burrito, a whole grain waffle, an English muffin with peanut butter, or half a bagel with low-fat cream cheese. Avoid sausage, bacon, hash browns, and breakfast biscuits.
For lunch, get a salad with beans or tuna for protein, or order a wrap or submarine sandwich made with turkey, ham, roast beef, or chicken. Stay away from chicken nuggets, bologna, salami, and any salad made with lots of mayonnaise.
For dinner, have salad with broiled fish and veggies, a simple chicken dish, or a vegetarian meal. Avoid the bread basket, creamy appetizers, and dinners made with butter, gravy, or fatty cuts of beef. Most restaurants have health-conscious dinners readily available. If you don’t see anything appropriate on the menu, ask!

Re-Entry: When You Return Home

When you return from your business trip or well-deserved vacation, make a point of getting right back to your regular exercise schedule and healthy F.U.E.L. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to get back to a regular routine. Schedule an appointment with a friend or workout buddy, and focus on your 10 minutes of activity a day.