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The holiday is over and I’m looking back on my December thinking…. phew! I did that. A week ago I went on a work trip that involved being on set for 2 days filming fitness content. At first, I was stressing. How can I possibly pull this off getting ready for a magical Christmas with a 7 year old? How will I not stress eat all the cookies? How can I look and feel my best during this time of year?
My question to you: Do you give yourself the ok to slip during the holidays or while traveling??? Here are some of my tips to help you stay on track when faced with obstacles… Yes I’m talking about the cookie tray, social peer pressure at parties and when visiting friends and fam, and just being thrown off your normal day to day schedule. Because, let’s face it. December is crazy!
As you know, I’ve been following the intermittent fasting and “keto-ish” lifestyle for awhile (If you don’t know, check out my other blogs). Over time and some trial and error, I’ve figured out a strategy that helps me stay on my game while I’m prepping for a fitness video, traveling, and faced with all the holiday treats. And to be honest, it’s not much different than everyday life, but it is a little more focused and planned. Because failing to plan is planning to fail.
I’ve talked about IF in a previous article, but I want to bring it home. The bottom line: Eat when you’re hungry! When I’m traveling and prepping, I tighten up my intermittent fasting window. A typical day for me is 16:8, meaning I don’t eat for 16 hours and eat for 8. So from noon-8 or 1pm-9pm, is when I eat my food. The hours outside the window is when I drink water, coffee, green tea, Aminos, and my KPOW… more about that on #2.
Here’s the BOSS trick to IF. I extend this 16 hour normal fast even more when I’m traveling or have an evening event. You see, I rarely, meanly hardly ever, eat breakfast and that’s especially true when I’m traveling for work. There will be arguments that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but fasting has also been proven to facilitate weight loss. Fasting lowers insulin levels, increases growth hormone, and enhances the breakdown of body fat to facilitate its use for energy. Fasting 16 hours or more can help your fat loss goals and also get you into ketosis. So choosing to extend my fast not only helps my body burn fat, but it also helps keep my mind clear and not consumed with my next meal. Can I get a hell yes for fat burning!?
I personally do not eat until I feel physically hungry while traveling. And sometimes that may be 3 or 4pm. And don’t forget, you will spend the majority of your fasting hours sleeping so this isn’t a hard 2 or 3 day fast. This is just being more aware of the fasting benefits and taking proactive steps to not eat until your body is telling you to. The supplements I mentioned above can help you extend your fast… so let’s go there next.
I’m a big fan of traveling with my supps. Seriously, never leave home without them. My necessities are a preworkout, aminos, a superfood meal replacement, and the secret weapon KPOW Keto.
If you’re wondering if these will get confiscated at airport security, I’ve never had a problem. I clearly label them and only pack as much as I’ll need for the trip. I use a small zippered packing cube to put smaller containers of the supplement. You can find traveling supplement containers at Target, Marshall’s, or Amazon. I mean, what can’t you find at those places.
Aminos like BAANG that has a natural source of caffeine and KPOW Keto are both ok to take during your fasting window. BAANG is a fuel source for your muscles and KPOW Keto is a fuel source for your brain. Some may argue that these supplements break a fast, but remember we’re not fasting for medical or therapeutic benefits. Our fasting can have some more relaxed rules. My general guideline is nothing more than 30 calories. Is this research? Nahhhhh, but I’ve seen it stated before and it’s something I’ve personally trialed and experimented with. So I’m sticking to this rule for myself.
I sip on my aminos in the morning. It’s kinda like my coffee, but fruit fusion in my shaker is more my jam. I love the little natural energy knowing I’m feeding my muscles. This was my routine on my way to set in California. A 16oz shaker would last me til midday. I’d eat a light lunch, mostly protein and veggies. And then I’d mix up my KPOW Keto to get me through the afternoon while I was performing. I actually combined it with a preworkout for a little extra zing, but I felt great and was able to power through the physical and mental demands of filming a fitness video. KPOW Keto also helped me during my busy travel days. Consider these tools little biohacks and ways to make your life more simple and easier.
When traveling or going out to dinner with friends, it’s easy to get off track. For me, I play it safe and always look for a Cobb salad on the menu. Leafy greens, hard boiled egg, grilled chicken, avocado, and bacon. Say no more! Now if this is not an option, a bunless burger and side salad is another go-to.
Eating out is not the hard part for me. I’ve noticed I do tend to get into trouble if I don’t have fatty snacks on hand in my hotel or at my house if I get the late night munchies (within my eating window of course). Over the years, I’ve eliminated my protein bar addiction and have replaced it with almonds, macadamia nuts, and pistachios. I also travel with nut butter pouches. The FBomb brand is my favorite. You can also find some Keto friendly snacks like Fat Snax cookies or Choc Zero chocolate bark. Just don’t go crazy and watch your portions when snacking. Remember, eating higher fat foods will get you fuller faster.
Now if you don’t want to go out and buy these specific products, it’s totally cool. You can pack snack baggies of nuts and a little container of low sugar almond butter from home. Whatever works for you. Just don’t give in to boredom and emotional eating habits that may have you led you to the sugar monster in the past. Bring your fats and you’ll be good!
I hope these 3 tips will help you while traveling or while managing a busy event filled weekend. Just remember, this is a lifestyle. There’s nothing quick-fix or trendy about this approach to nutrition. Having some tips and tricks in your toolbox will help you stick to your goals. And hey, you never know, you may inspire someone along the way.
