July 26, 2015 by Lisa

3 Reasons why being on the road is a good time to lose weight

Before leaving the UK to start our adventure I knew I needed to lose weight. I was around the 11st mark and I feel much more comfortable around 10st. Don’t get me wrong I’d “tried” to lose weight but I wasn’t successful. I’m one of these people who starts a diet and instantly starts craving things I’ve never been mildly interested in before; Cheese strings! Where have you been all my life? Pork scratchings? Yes please!

So I left the UK feeling a little plump. I don’t know my exact weight because I’d been burying my head in the sand but my clothes felt tight and I was dreading donning a bikini. But I did nothing about it. I told myself being on the road wasn’t the right time to lose weight. I convinced myself I couldn’t enjoy the experience if I was watching what I was eating and I believed this was true through Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and a big chunk of Australia.

It took me 8 months on the road to finally get my arse in gear. It was in Australia that I decided enough was enough. I only brought one bikini on this trip and with 3 weeks on the Gili Islands approaching I decided I needed another bikini. Looking at myself in harsh dressing room lighting was embarrassing and the bikini I finally bought was two sizes bigger than I normally wear. I left the shop, went to the shopping mall toilet and stood on the scales; 11st 6lbs. I was shocked at the weight but the scales don’t lie.

That day I decided that being on the road was no excuse for not eating well. I pledged to eat better and exercise. 40 days later I had lost a stone – something I’d tried and failed to do at home. The 40 days were challenging at times but not that difficult, thats why I believe being on the road is a great time to lost weight! Here are three reasons why travelling is the perfect time to go on a diet.

1. Being on a diet will save you money and help you stick to your travel budget

I understand why some travellers think that being on budget means they have to eat fast food or load up on cheap carbs but truth is you can find cheap healthy food in most countries. Spend a little extra time looking for a local eatery with healthy options and make sure you order them when it comes to it! Most menus have a healthy section, it’s just picking it that’s hard!

Being on a diet might even save you money since you won’t be buying snacks and alcohol. Frothy coffee, ditched, $4 saved. Beer after dinner, ditched, $5 saved. Not eating out on a whim, $15 saved. You’ll be cutting costs and inches!

I started my diet in Australia, one of the most expensive countries in the world and it didn’t bankrupt me. I just stuck to basic healthy items and ditched the extras. Now that we are in Asia it’s easy to find healthy food within my budget.

Since I started this diet my appetite has decreased. We can now often share a lunch when previously we’d have one each, cutting our costs in half!

Seek out the local fruit that’s in season. It’ll be cheap and healthy!

We got a great deal on these protein bars. We carried one around to satisfy afternoon hunger and stop us wasting money on expensive snacks

2. Eating healthily will give you more energy for exploring and sight seeing

You might think that eating less and exercising will make you tired but the best diets involve eating differently not less.

I went on a low carb diet, not cutting them out but only eating them with one meal and within a few days I felt more awake than I had for months. Same goes for exercising, you have to expend energy but you actually get more back than you put in. Drinking more water to help lose weight also helped with my energy levels.

With so much to see you want as much energy as possible. Eating right gives me more energy to enjoy my travels

3. You won’t have the normal stressors that can sabotage your diet

When I was in the UK in a 9-5 job I’d often use my hectic schedule as an excuse for eating badly or skipping the gym. We’ve all been there, its been a tough day in the office and instead of going to the gym like planned you go home, eat your body weight in carbs and wash it down with a glass of wine. Being on the road takes this excuse away. Hopefully your travels will be stress free and you’ll be less compelled to comfort eat.

I was also doing more exercise just by being on the road, a day of sight seeing on foot can burn hundreds of calories versus sitting at a desk all day. Even if you can’t squeeze in formal exercise ditch the taxis and set off on foot or bike instead! This will also save you money!

We covered many miles of Darwin, Cambodia and Vietnam by pushbike. It saved us money and burned calories.

Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I ditch the diet. How can you visit Vietnam and not try Banh Mi at least once? And what about 20p beer? Having a pint of beer isn’t going to ruin your diet but everything in moderation is key here. Not always treating myself means I appreciate food more when I do.

If you’re on the road and want to lose weight I urge you to do it. Now is a great time to hit your goal!

Good luck,

Lisa

What excuses do you tell yourself to avoid dieting? Have you been on the road and lost weight? What was your experience?