How To Lose Weight While Traveling

When traveling, it may sometimes be easy to pack on the pounds and not so easy to lose them. For some people, heading to places such as Italy may be an open invitation to indulge in pizza, pasta and Gelato — and all diets must be thrown out the window. This can quickly lead to weight gain.

However, maintaining or losing weight while traveling is actually quite easy, even in countries where pizza and pasta are popular dishes.

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— Calmwm (@calweightloss) July 21, 2015

Yahoo! Travel recently shared some tips in the article “5 Simple Ways To Lose Weight When You Travel.”

First, the article shared, one suggestion is to try new foods while abroad . The brain has been said to feel more satisfied with new tastes than old and familiar ones. Apparently, according to the book, Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss, favorite taste sensations can actually dull one’s memory, leading a person to eat more of a certain familiar food before feeling satisfied.

I would also suggest eating like a local, depending on what country you are visiting. For example, many countries in or around Southeast Asia serve fairly healthy fare if you venture away from the Western-style restaurants and explore local cuisine.

As one who lived in Taiwan for a little more than two years, I can say with confidence that when I switched my diet from heavy pastas, convenience store fare and fat-laden meals and ate from the local mom and pop shops, the pounds melted off. It was easy to lose 12 pounds in a matter of a few months. It helps, of course, that countries such as Taiwan have a wide abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables, and vegetarian fare readily available.

Don’t be afraid to eat what the locals are eating and try to eat fresh food whenever possible to keep weight stable. Have a culinary adventure!

Another tip for losing weight while traveling? Stay active .

This is easy to accomplish. If you enjoy traveling, odds are you also enjoy sight-seeing. Touring can help you lose weight, because you will be so consumed with exploring and having adventures that you won’t have time to sit there and snack on a bunch of junk food. Walk or hike whenever possible to points of interest, or rent a bicycle.

Try not to stay glued to a tour bus the whole time. Even renting a scooter is better than sitting in a car or on a cramped tour bus.

Adventuring not your thing?

USA Today also suggests booking hotels that have fitness facilities or finding accommodations that provide free day passes to a local gym.

Another suggestion on how to lose weight while traveling is to up your fluid intake .

If you’re nervous about drinking the local water, buy bottled, or better yet — water in glass bottles. Staying hydrated helps boost your metabolism, cleanses your body of toxins, and helps curb water retention. To keep hydrated and encourage weight loss, be sure to drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water a day.

Drink water, but do not overindulge in alcohol. It is a common sight to see many travelers or expats hanging out at Full Moon parties in Thailand or frequenting local bars. The extra calories from all those nights of drinking can add up quickly and lead to weight gain.

This goes for business travelers, too.

As CBS News shared in “ Business Travel Diet: 8 Rules to Lose Weight and Stay Healthy ,” a cocktail hour should be about networking and not getting looped. Not only will drinking too much while abroad cloud one’s judgment, the calories in alcohol will add up quickly. It has been suggested to have one drink at the beginning of the night and nurse it, or, if you’re worried about looking like a stick in the mud, have a club soda with lime. Everyone will think you are having a cocktail, even if you aren’t. And you will avoid gaining weight in the process.

By following these tips, you have nothing to lose! Except weight, of course.

Have any other suggestions for weight loss while traveling?

Feel free to share your thoughts below.

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