7 Proven Ways to Maintain Your Weight During Business Trips

Posted by Kenneth Blair on January 31st, 2021

Recently a business acquaintance of mind, who I've not seen for awhile bumped into me. To my amazement, I noticed that he was at least a few kilograms heavier than the last time I saw him. Looking sheepishly and being very conscious of his waistline he told me that he has indeed put on considerable weight in the last few month. He blamed this on his frequent business trips he has to make. Staying in hotels that provided a sumptuous buffet for breakfast, meeting clients who insist that you have business lunches with them and being treated to a food galore fit for a king but not quite beneficial for the body. To tap it all grand dinner followed by evening entertainment with finger food and an unlimited supply of alcohol.

Sometimes it is difficult to refuse as in some foreign cultures it is considered rude manners when the host wants to treat you to a grand dinner and you eat in pittance. So the question is how can you maintain your weight during your business trips given this onslaught of food and drinks being thrust into your face with kindly host whose sole intention is to make your stay a pleasurable one both in work and leisure? Now this is indeed a tall order!
Having had my fair share of business trips when I'm invited to conduct seminars and conferences overseas, I realize that I too sometimes succumb to this malady which I call the "Business Trip Weight Gain Syndrome" or BTWGS for short.

1. Moderation and Discipline

The key to maintaining your weight and still have a successful business trip is based on two words: Moderation and Discipline. I know! I know! This might not be the easiest thing to do but if you can play your cards right you could have a very lucrative business trip and still maintain your ideal physique.
The secret is not so much in what you eat, but how you eat. You may have heard about it many times from fitness 'gurus' to dietician. The formula to maintaining your weight is moderation. You can achieve this with a bit of planning and achieving a sense of discipline in your ability to manage your diet.

2. Eat Your Breakfast in Moderation

When you are overseas and you have a breakfast buffet included in your itinerary - go ahead and enjoy it! However moderate your intake. Instead of loading your plate to its maximum capacity eat smaller portion. Before you go for the bread or rice or potatoes start with some juice, fruits and cereal. Fruits and cereal contain fibre. When you consume these it gives you a sense of fullness. Drink your coffee and tea in smaller quantity. Because these might be free-flowing you may be tempted to consume more of it. If you feel that the variety of food that is displayed is simply overwhelming, go ahead and have tasting portions of each.

3. Have a Light Lunch

Check your schedule for the day to see what is in store for you. If it is going to be a hectic day ahead of you, it is OK to consume a hearty breakfast. What you need to do is to reduce your lunch. Perhaps you could mention this to your business associate so that they might bring you to a place where they serve lighter meals. Again if you do have to have a business lunch eat your food slowly and drink more liquid preferably, water. Cut down on carbohydrate (Bread, rice, potato) and go for the meat dish or vegetables.

4. Reduce Your Intake of Alcohol

Alcohol has high energy content and adds to the unnecessary calories your body could do without. So you need to cut down your intake of alcohol. If you have to have the second drink, take something that does not have high alcohol content. Further drinking too much alcohol will also make you feel hungry and thus wanting to consume more food. All this will take its toll the following day and you do not want this to affect your business affairs. Therefore, if you have to have the drink see whether you could water it down and sip slowly. This way you will not only enjoy your drink but also will be able to stay alert.

5. Going for the long haul

Some business trip can last a few days to several weeks. If you have long business trip and will be staying in hotels, make some time to use the hotels' fitness facilities. Most good hotels are equipped with swimming pool and gym. Try to schedule an hour or so to workout a sweat and burn of the extra unnecessary calories that you might have accumulated. If your time permits and depending on where you are, you might also ask your host to take you around the city and perhaps have a little walkabout.

6. Drink Plenty of Water

If your business trip encompasses having to attend conferences and meetings it will most likely be conducted in comfortable air-conditioned rooms. Further if you are staying in hotel you will be sleeping in air-conditioned rooms as well. Air-conditioned rooms have a dry atmosphere and will have a tendency to dehydrate you. When you feel dehydrated you will feel tired both physically and mentally. So the remedy for this is simple: Drink plenty of water. I personally find that drink a whole litre of water at least two hour before bed time helps me to feel hydrated and fresh. More here 출장안마

7. Watch out for the Snacks in the Hotel Fridge

Most hotels have a little fridge in the room that is stocked with drinks and tit bits. When you are all alone in the room at night there may be a tendency for you to feel peckish and this might just inspire you to open the little fridge and help yourself to the chocolate bar or a soft drink. This is when you start to built the unnecessary flesh in your waist. So how to fight these irritating little hunger pangs. One word: Discipline! Think about the good hearty breakfast you going to have the following day, read a good book and distract yourself from thinking about what's in the fridge. You may even request the hotel to get rid of the stuff in the fridge and leave it empty so that you are not led into temptation. After a while you'll just get use to the discipline lifestyle and overcome the dreaded BTWGS.