So excited to be back home. In my bed. In a routine.
Traveling, site seeing and being on the go is exciting but for those who don’t know, I am an ESTJ on the Myers Briggs test… and the J is very much imbedded in my soul.
I like structure. Process. Order and you guessed it… ROUTINE!
You might contribute the way I am able to stay on track during my crazy schedule to my personality but this is all new to me over the last 6-7 years… remember… I was not a “Fittie” my entire life. I had to build up to it. It was a marathon and still is. And don’t worry.. if you’re a “P” you can still have some “J” qualities in ya which will help yeah during your travels!
To provide some background on why I have been M.I.A— Outside of running Fearless Fitness, I am a University Program Manager for a FinTech company and my position allows me the amazing opportunity to travel and share my love for the company while recruiting amazing peeps to SF.
That being said, Jan — March and Sept — October I am what is know to the IG world as the #FITTRAVELER
That is right, Fit—Traveler. It is a thing.
I still don’t think I have 100% mastered the art of Fit Traveling but I feel like I am pretty damn close… and that allows me to offer up some tips and tricks!
I will start by saying this… I can give you all the tips in the world, I can even tell you exactly what to do but if YOU DO NOT DO IT—you will not succeed. That is something that I struggled with at first, then I realized that in order to get better, I needed to be better and to actually put in the work. Was it going to be hard, yep, but that was no excuse for quitting.
Planing is key:
Seems pretty self explanatory and I am sure you are thinking to yourself, “Coach I plan— hello I plan my vacation and the days I want to work out and bring gym clothes etc.”
My response to you: great start! But it is deeper than that. For me, I have 3 months of being on the road; sometimes I will be gone for weeks flying city to city so planning each detail is key. So let’s talk deets!
Hotels:
Determine where you are staying.
Does your hotel have a gym that is equipped with cardio machines and weights?
If not possible, where can you drop into a Crossfit gym or corporate gym?
Most cities have local gyms like an Anytime Fitness, Planet Fitness or even a 24 Hour Fintess around the area!
No gym access? Vacationing on a beach? Great, get creative: can you workout outside? What is around you to use to build a WOD? Can you do a body weight workout?
Knowing that you do not have access to a gym or gym equipment ahead of time allows you to work with a coach (like me hello!) to program workouts that are easy to do in your room or even on a beach requiring no workout gear! (well maybe your clothes haha!)
Food: How do I not binge when I travel but still explore and try new things? What can you do to hit macros?
First you must decide if you will be on a cut, bulk or maintenance while being on the road. You must also decide how strict you are sticking to your macros.
My suggestion is to always be on maintenance and be a flexible dieter when on the road for more than a week or two.
In my experience and this past fall, I stayed consistently between 148-149lbs on a maintenance and it worked for me. I did not feel deprived and I did not binge either.
So you have decided, maintenance plan it is! Now you set or adjust your macros in your tracker, I use MyFitnessPal. Connect with me! Macros are in and you are set to travel. Completing your diet each night just like at home is key while on the road.
Quick Tips:
1. Plan what you will eat a head of time: check out local restaurants you will be dinning at. Look at the menu and pick what will fit your macros a head of time so you avoid the pressure of getting that gigantic burger and fries. Most hotels offer a continental breakfast (like the pic above), some better than others which include healthier items such as eggs, oatmeal and fruit. Stay away from the sugar and try to keep your plate balanced with healthy fats, carbs and proteins.
2. Stop by a local market or grocery store and pick up some non perishable items for snacks or quick grab and go breakfast. My go to travel necessities are: Quest Nutrition Protein Bars, Kodiak Protein Pancake Cups, Country Archer Jerky, RX Peanut butter, and salt free Rice cakes.
Balance:
Now if you’re exploring a new town, on vacation or find a cool restaurant it’s totally okay to treat yourself! We are not the macro police. Life is about balance and balance is key to not binging.
So if you find yourself starring at an amazing unique treat… take my advice. Eat the doughnut.
But here are my quick tips to not fall off:
1. Split it with a friend! Sharing is caring right? Then guilt be gone!
2. Balance your workouts around your indulgences! Spend an extra 20 in the gym, burn and extra 200 calories. Deficit is key here.
3. Have a treat meal not a cheat day.
4. Indulge in your treat then right back on track!
Now you have the just of working out and food while traveling but it doesn’t work unless you do.
You have to tell yourself you want it and that your short term sacrifice of some $20 airport fries are worth you crushing your goals. Remember 21 days to form a habit… so get to forming!
Recap:
1. Plan your schedule at month glances
2. Pick Hotels that have gyms within their building or locations that allow you to visit local fitness centers
3. Plan your fitness schedule for your weeks when on the road. If you do not have access to a gym, gather a fitness plan from a coach which requires no equipment.
4. Plan your food, bring prepackaged snacks and breakfast items that you can nosh on when hunger strikes instead of eating a candy bar!
5. Stick to your goals, plan a head, prepare for detours or potential road blocks and remember to be agile— it is okay to flex.
Life is hard enough, adding fitness and health into the mix shouldn’t make it harder.
Here are some things I use on the road to make travel life easier!
Hylete 6 in 1 backpack: This back pack has saved my life during travel! It converts from a backpack, to an extended backpack, small duffle, large duffle, removable daypack, and messenger bag. Literally the best bag ever! Check them out below:
FNX Supplements:Formulated by athletes for athletes, FNX’s mission is to provide fuel for greatness. Built for strength, engineered for endurance and designed for recovery. My go items are: RECOVER, RECHARGE, REBALANCE!
Super easy to travel with my FNX Supplements. You can check them out below and use code FNXFEARLESS to snag 15% off your order!
Hope this all helps! If I could travel with you all I would, but I can’t— obvi, so I hope this small novel can assist you.
Know that I am here for all your travel needs, questions, comments or concerns for your upcoming trip.
Keep a positive mind set, stay on track and remember life is short… eat the doughnut— I promise it can fit your macros!
Cheers for now,
Coach Tina
Team Fearless Fitness 