With the holiday upon us many will be traveling. When I leave home my challenges is keep my weight stable.
Last week I spent the week in a lodge above Sundance, Utah at a Timpanogos Storytelling Institute workshop. When I knew I was going for a week, I began to plan what I could do to get in my exercise and eat healthy. I know from past experience I must set goals and have a plan. The last thing I wanted to do was to gain several pounds. It is easy to put weight on, but I have found that it takes me about 2 to 3 weeks to take it off. Bottom line for me it is not worth it!
There was not a workout room at the lodge so I decided walking would be my exercise for the week. I figured I needed 10,000 to 12,000 steps a day to maintain my weight. One of the keys to success was my pedometer. A pedometer senses your body movement and then counts your steps after you have set the length of your stride. It’s been a great motivator for me. I have walked more in the past year than at any other time in my life.
To keep from gaining I would also need to eat in a healthy way and avoid hidden high calories such as creams in soup etc. I first checked with the organizer to see if I could get a copy of the menus. That did not happen, so when I arrived at the lodge I asked if I could see the menus. I talked to the cook and asked her if it would be possible for them to help me on a few of the recipes that were really high calories. What I have found is that if you let people know what your goals are, they will usually go out of their way to help and support you.
This has been a wonderful week for walking and the food had been great. My skills for eating away from home have increased. Now I know that I will not have to go home and work hard for the next three week to lose what I have gained.
Success when traveling comes when you set goals, make a plan and then follow the path.
