Staying on Track While Traveling . . .

It's inevitable. . . everyone has to go someplace, sometime. Road trips, visits to family, vacations or business jaunts come up. So how do you prevent getting totally derailed while on the road?

First and foremost -- whether you're traveling or not -- I strongly recommend everyone find a high-quality protein bar to fall in love with. Yes, whole foods are always preferred over processed stuff, but given the choice between Dunkin' Donuts and a protein bar, I think a good-quality source of 15 to 20 grams of protein for a buck or two and 200 to 300 calories is the FAR better choice. At an airport recently, the options for breakfast were Einstein's Bagels (don't get me wrong, LOVE Einstein's, but at almost 400 calories, 13 grams of fat and SIXTY grams of carbs, you've kind of blown your load for the day if you're trying to keep the calories and carbs down), Mexican burritos, or McDonald's.

So, keeping a stockpile of protein bars stashed in your purse, computer bag or carry on is always a great trick. There are also fruits that travel well, such as bananas, apples and oranges, and there's always the option of dried fruit and nut blends to stash in your satchel for the emergency hunger pang, and to help to say "NO" to the flight attendants' salty, crunchy, carb-loaded offerings! Not only will this save you calories and fat, but it will save you LOADS of cash at the airport!

Once you've arrived at your destination, you can plan ahead to stay on track with your workouts to offset any bad food choices you may end up making. If you are a runner, it's super easy to keep up with workouts while traveling, simply throw your shoes and shorts in your suitcase and you're pretty much good to go no matter where you are. If you love to do a workout program on DVD, TurboFire is one that I've traveled with and done on the road, which requires no equipment, and if you love to lift, P90X can be done on the road with the use of resistance bands and apps on your iPhone if you don't have access to a DVD player.

Most people aren't quite as crazy as I am, but when I travel I know I am going to "blow it" for some meals/days/parties depending on my itinerary, so I bring along my two favorite meal replacement shakes, Visalus Vi Shakes, or Shakeology to minimize the damage. I also pack all of my vitamins and some Results & Recovery Formula so when I do get my workouts in I have perfect recovery nutrition and it also helps to "recover" from those nights out and the occasional over-indulgence in alcohol . . . I know I'm probably going to go a little off the rails, so I like to have some of my old standbys with me so I don't get sick and too nutritionally run-down on the road. Maybe now my husband will understand why I pack so many suitcases . . . half of it is food!!

Of course, traveling is a great excuse to indulge somewhat, but just remember: vacation calories count! Anything you gain while you're away from home you will have to work to lose once you return (in addition to catching up with your laundry, work, and whatever else has fallen behind in your absence!) so be smart and while enjoying yourself, don't go TOO crazy. Best case scenario is that you have a great time but keep those workouts up and come home to a wash rather than a gain in weight. Some of my uber-fit friends will check out restaurants before they get there to figure out the best menu options and have that decided before they arrive, and of course it's always a good idea to avoid the buffet, no matter what!

Well, since I already got my 5-mile run in today, looks like it's time for me to go enjoy my vacation!