Fit On The Road

Life doesn't stop so you can get fit.

So how do you travel with fitness and food in mind? You have to plan ahead and make the best choices possible while on the go. Between summer vacations and business trips, there are plenty of temptations to pack on the pounds and take a vacation from your fitness goals.

Michelle Pierson should know. She's traveled for work about every six weeks for the past year. The technology project manager and mother of two tries to focus on the big picture when she travels.

Michelle Teaching Strength Training

"Just because I'm on the road should't mean I sacrifice my healthy lifestyle and throw everything I've worked for out the window," said Michelle.

Michelle took up kickboxing and strength training two years ago and now shares her passion and talents as a coach and instructor in her free time at FXB Midtown in Omaha. She said her own mother had diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure and she doesn't want those illnesses to be a part of her own health picture.

Waiting to board her plane home to Omaha after a recent 5-day business trip, the upbeat and motivating coach shared some travel tips and advice.

• Take along healthy options. Michelle always packs protein bars and almonds. That way she has a quick and easy source of protein.
• Split meals with colleagues, or if you're on vacation, split a dish with a family member. 
• Take time to go to a grocery store and fill your mini-fridge with Greek yogurt, string cheese and carrot chips.
• Choose fresh salads at restaurants.
• Chew gum and drink lots of water. Skip the alcohol. 

Michelle said many times she's locked in back-to-back meetings and food is catered in. "If they have wraps, I'll eat the meat and veggies only. Yesterday, they ordered in deep-dish pizza, so that was a protein bar lunch for me," she said.

She tries to avoid refined carb temptations like pastries and cookies that are often offered as afternoon "snacks" in those long meetings.

"They just make you feel like garbage later," she said.

Michelle said she'll take a quick break to grab a protein shake or yogurt to keep her going instead.

She allows herself a "free" day to eat whatever she wants just once a week and said she didn't want to waste her free day on pizza in a conference room. She laughed that the "coach" in her never takes a vacation.

"I do try to encourage those I travel with to make healthier choices. 'Do you really want another handful of those wings?'" she'll ask co-workers.

Michelle also works exercise into her road trips, waking up before meetings and hitting the hotel treadmill or elliptical for 30 minutes and lifting free weights following the schedule at her home gym.

"I really try to stay active. I'm not spot on all the time. I'm human. I fall off my wagon," she admitted.

She said it's not always easy to take your fitness journey on the road, but it's certainly not hard.

"Don't give up. This is your journey and you have to own it and make it your own," she said. 

Families need a similar plan when vacationing too.

Randby kids enjoy clam chowder and crab cakes in Florida.

• Pack and plan healthy snack mixes with nuts and dried fruit.
• Bring along homemade, whole-grain muffins or cookies free of hydrogenated fats. 
• Find a grocery store and stock up on veggies, fruit and breakfast options like eggs, whole grain English Muffins and yogurt.
• Enjoy local flavors but keep portion sizes small.
• Bring along lean beef jerky.
• Prepare your own food when possible. 

My family even packs lunches to take on day trips when hiking or touring amusement parks. Turkey wraps travel easily in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack. My husband carries the backpack and the kids love a picnic. On a five day vacation, we'll plan just two dinners at restaurants opting to pick up local ingredients and cook our own food. It helps with the vacation budget and our waistlines!


 Julie's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 cups whole grain flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 over ripe banana

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

2 tbs olive oil

½ cup brown sugar (optional)

1 cup Stevia

1 large egg

¾ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line mini muffin tins with foil cupcake papers or spray with cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Mix oil, peanut butter, brown sugar, banana and Stevia in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add egg and milk. Mix until smooth. Add flour mixture to peanut mixture; beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into prepared tins, filling ¾ full.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Mini muffins: 110 cals, 3 gr.protein, 12-15 carbs, 7 gr or less of sugar.