+ How do I travel and keep things in check?

TOOLS FOR TRAVEL

1) Preparing as best you can (pre and on arrival and FOR return)

2) Moving daily and not focusing it on being heavy training, just move :)

3) Mindful eating

4) Tracking tools

PREPARING

With preparation, I suggest you have a look at this post on travelling. I have also attached a short video in it, with what I take with me when I travel. And also there's one about social eating and how to track/guesstimate with meals out. https://runningheartssydne.wixsite.com/mysite/forum/cfer-2019-2020/week-3-travel-social-eating?origin=business_manager

I also suggest having things ready for return. Coming back you'll be tired and over it - so having staples ready in the cupboard, freezer etc will mean you are going to have less desire to eat out or get take away the day you get back.

If you can, keep yoghurt, protein bars and fruit in the fridge at the location for snacks. Buying or bringing oats/cereal/nuts/stevia are a good option too. Where you can, choose one main meal to be light, like steak/veg or salad with protein. This will allow for bigger, more calorie dense foods at the other meal time. This will allow for more variety and alcohol too. If you can keep things low fat/low carb and high protein at one meal, you get to "save" macros for another meal/drinks.

MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES

My other suggestion is to start to implement mindfulness techniques where you can.

Mindful eating helps to empower you to make healthier choices, unlike dieting or constant need of tracking, it brings awareness of your relationship with food. Mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose, and without judgement to the present moment. Once you adopt the ability to eat Mindfully, you begin to acknowledge that there is no right or wrong to eat, but there are varying degrees of awareness surrounding experiences of food. When we are mindful of the process of eating, we notice that we are also satisfied with much less food. When we bring mindfulness to eating we use all our senses to be totally present in the moment, to taste and savour what is before us.

Often, we eat quickly, with our phones in our hands, with racing thoughts going through our mind, standing up, walking and even while driving/on the trains etc. Through mindful eating, we can slow down, bring ourselves to the present moment as we eat. This automatically calms ourselves down and can reduce the amount we eat. We get the benefit of eating food as an experience – using all our senses and feeling full without going overboard and overeating.

IDEAS

1) Schedule the time - I know this is tricky, but if you can, schedule a meal or two it into your diary if need be! Just try find the 5-10minutes for you.

2) Pick 1-2 meals and ENSURE it is had whilst sitting down at a table, with no distraction. OR do this with snacking, like chocolates etc. Get your meal/treat and sit down at a table. No standing or picking whilst in the kitchen or cooking! This is an UNREAL tool that you can adopt and over time, as you habit stack on it, you'll realise how much you pick or graze whilst standing.

3) Put all screens away. Phone especially. Turn it face down and move it away. Turn away from all other distractions, this includes laptops, work phones and TVs.

4) With each bite you take – take the time to chew all your food, before you cut another piece and put anything else into your mouth. Think about the pace of your eating patterns, take the time to eat one bite, PUT THE KNIFE/FORK DOWN, chew it, swallow it, breathe... and then pick up the knife/fork, cut the next piece and pop it in your mouth. You’ll realise how much longer it may take you to eat, but how much more satisfied you are by being present in the moment with your food and how much more full you are once you are finished! This has been a game changer for me and a GREAT tool out at restaurants. I do it all the time on days I don't track. I'm less inclined to over eat or grab second helpings when I do this.

Each technique works on one of, if not, all of the components of mindfulness. That is - being present (focusing on the food, the senses and reducing 'autopilot' actions), having purpose (being deliberate with actions and reducing impulses), and being non judgemental (enjoying the senses of food - such as sight, taste and the experiences around you).

MY TRAVEL TOOLS

Depending on location, I will choose one of the 4 tools below to help with keeping myself accountable.

1) More often than not, I focus on hitting protein as best as possible and being in my calorie target. This takes a little pressure off and keeps me in control.

2) Track just AMs. I use this as an option when I have no idea WTF is happening later in the day or am out and about for hours. Ill track the morning for habit and consistency. I'll keep things low carb/low fat, allowing for flexibility for the evening.

3) Mindset for success tool. I do this on days when I know food is going to be everywhere or have ZERO idea what is happening. Essentially, this is a tool you can learn to implement for later on in life and to help reduce reliance on MFP. It is a simple rule that can help keep you on track for the days that you eat out socially, are on vacation or are totally untracked. By installing and learning this thought process now - it will help create good habits for the future.

For example, waking up and thinking (and if you can, writing it down) at the end of the day "success would look like...." For instance, "success would look like not having a second helping at dinner tonight" or "success would like having alcohol but not having dessert" or "success would look like enjoying low fat meals all day and enjoying some wine and cheese tonight" or "success would look like eating small parts of a few desserts without indulging on the entire pieces."

These kinds of things can really help "set you up" for a good day, keep you accountable, whilst being realistic. It can help to alleviate the pressures of food anxieties and tracking too. It helps me greatly on vacation and on days with big events like weddings.

4) I'll implement 2-3 mindfulness techniques without fail. Usually slowing down, putting the knife and fork down, and eating only when seated at a table.

+ Why is the scale not the best way to measure progress?

The scale is not an accurate reflection of progress. It is just a data tool. It should not be your only source to rely on your progress. It never represents mental changes, energy changes, habit changes, thought processes or behavioural differences and most certainly does not reflect your composition changes.

The process of changing composition has everything to do with your commitment to the process and the changes you make over the long term, to improve habits and behaviours with food, training and self talk.

The scale changes day to day. And reflects changes in water from things like:

sleep

sodium intake

training load

menstural cycle

stress carbohydrate intake

training style and more.

Through out the week, there will be high days, and low days. Don't let the higher days throw you off. Reflect on the day before and consider what data you have on hand, and what it was that was likely to increase it. For example, are you 3-4 days away from starting your menstrual cycle? Did you sleep poorly? Did you eat out?

The scale is a just data tool.

If your goal is fat loss, then you want to see a downward trend over several months. Do not expect it to be a linear progression day to day, or week to week! Zoom out and look at things from 1 month to the next.

+ I need help hitting protein levels, help!

We know! Protein can be hard to get. Here's a link to some sources that we use in NYC and some Vego options that may help too.

https://runningheartssydne.wixsite.com/mysite/forum/cfer-2019-2020/nyc-food-shopping-ideas?origin=business_manager

https://runningheartssydne.wixsite.com/mysite/forum/_ppp1/vego-protein?origin=business_manager

Here are some more ideas in video form :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_OHQ0rGyxM&t=1s

Here are some great tips in video form :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB-i63H9w_M&t=19s