I LOVE my job as a Beachbody coach, but I also have a full time job (that I love just as much!). My day job has me traveling as often as once a month, and that challenges me to stay on track while entertaining clients, working 12 hours days, and living out of a suitcase.

So how do I stay healthy while traveling?

The same way I do when I'm at home: PLANNING and PREPARATION.

Workouts:

Since I'm training for a half marathon right now, I created a hybrid schedule of distance running and ChaLEAN Extreme. I pack my resistance bands in my suitcase, as well as my running shoes so I don't have to miss a day no matter what my planned workout is.

One way I save space is by only packing my running shoes, and wearing those for strength training. If I were doing a program that is more cross training focused I'd need trainers, but since my current program is all about strength training and not much lateral foot movement, I'm OK using running shoes for the DVD workouts.

Healthy Eating:

Shakeology is really the secret to my success on work trips. I pack enough Shakeology to have two each day. Normally I only have one per day (I like it as breakfast) but when I'm traveling I can't always predict where I'll be eating, so having a backup healthy meal replacement is key just in case. I can always grab a bottle of water (or my blender bottle) and mix up a shake, and then I know I've had a healthy meal with the right carb to protein ratio to keep me full.

I always check to see if my hotel has a mini fridge. If so, I make it a point to stop somewhere (even if it's a bodega) to pick up fruits and veggies. If not, I've listed the healthy snacks I pack below.

What I love to bring with me:

- raw nuts. Emerald brand makes pre packaged bags with 100 calories worth of nuts, or I portion them out on my own into snack bags.

- Quest bars: These are clean protein bars with no artificial sweeteners. I always have them with me when I travel.

- Shakeology packets: My favorites to drink with just water are chocolate and strawberry, or I grab an iced coffee (no milk, no sugar) and add in Vanilla Shakeology.

- Kale chips: These don't always make it to the destination in one piece, but they are still delicious.

- Whole apples with peanut butter: Apples don't need to be refrigerated, so I can pack them and keep them in the hotel room without worrying.

Ahhhh the weekend. (Imagine a long sigh of contentment.) Two full days of freedom from 9-5 obligations. If you're like me, weekends are a hard time to stay true to the commitments you've made to your health. An afternoon nap starts to sound a lot better than a workout, and cocktails sound more tempting than a club soda.

I came up with my top ten tips for surviving the weekend without ruining your progress. These tips are the things that have worked for me and helped me stay focused on my goals without the structure of my normal day.

1. Make the most of your free time with a long workout

When the weather is nice, Chris and I will head out on a long hike. We're lucky to live near the mountains where canyon trails are plentiful, but there are so many options to take advantage of your weekend. Rent bikes and see the city, organize a flag football game with friends, or go swimming.

2. Take an active rest day

When you're focused on your goals, there is a temptation to over train. DON'T. Make sure you're taking the time to refuel. Instead of a regular workout, take a walk or take a yoga class to relax.

3. Plan for the week ahead

I take Saturday or Sunday to do my meal planning. When I'm focused on eating healthy during the next week, I find I make better decisions on what to eat during the weekend. Also, include Saturday and Sunday in your meal plan.

4. Follow your plan

Eat the same way you do on the weekdays. Set a timer on your phone to remind yourself to eat snacks so you don't miss a meal and end up over indulging later. If you've made a meal plan, you should already know what you'll be eating over the weekend, so you're prepared and armed against last minute meal decisions. Set an alarm to make sure you eat your small snacks so you aren't ravenous at meal time.

5.  Don't plan a cheat meal for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday

If you have one cheat meal a week, try to have it on a weekday. You're more likely to keep it to just one meal that way. If you eat a cheat on Friday night, you're might end up making it a Cheat Weekend, throwing away all the hard work you put in during the week.

6. Workout first thing

I personally take a rest day during the week, it works better for my schedule. So on Saturdays and Sundays, I make sure to get my workout done in the morning, the same way I do during the week. It sets the tone for my day, reinforces the morning habit, and I don't have to worry about fitting it in later.

7. Take time to reevaluate your WHY

I don't know about you, but for some reason when I'm out of my weekday schedule I lose track of WHY I want to be healthy. It seems like a couple cocktails or dessert won't do much damage. Each weekend I take time to motivate myself, and remind myself why I value my healthy lifestyle, and check in on my personal goals. Remind yourself YOU ARE CAPABLE OF REACHING YOUR GOALS.

8. Treat yourself (just not with food)

Find new ways to reward yourself for your hard work. Maybe it's getting a massage or buying a new workout outfit. Maybe you prefer some alone time to watch a chick flick. Whatever feels good, give that to yourself. You deserve it!

9. Don't make snap decisions

This doesn't just apply to the weekends, but it's when I am the most apt to make snap decisions. If you know you'll be going out to dinner, look at the menu beforehand and decide what you'll be ordering ahead of time, instead of at the restaurant. If you're thinking about skipping a workout, put your workout clothes on and take ten minutes before you let yourself make the decision. Deciding on something in the moment often leads me to make unhealthy decisions because I'm letting what I want NOW take priority over what I want long term.

10. Get enough sleep

Depriving yourself of sleep doesn't just ruin your motivation during the weekend, it can mean your sluggish and tired the first couple days of the week as well. So not only do you slow your progress for Saturday and Sunday, but you can risk having bad workouts Monday and Tuesday as well while you recover.

How do you stay on track over the weekend?

Sorry to use an already overused internet meme, but it's true!

NO ONE wants to spend a ton of money on food, just like NO ONE wants to spend hours cooking every night.

Warehouse stores like Costco are great for saving money on clean eating alternatives. Sure, there are plenty of processed options lurking in the aisles, so I've put together a list of the healthy products I buy there. These are just the reliable basics for me, but there are a ton of other great buys depending on your food preferences. 

Produce

Red, yellow, orange peppers

Baby spinach, 2 lb container

French Green Beans, 2 lb bag

Frozen berries and fruit

Poultry and Meat

Fresh chicken breasts

Frozen wild caught salmon and tilapia filets

Ground bison (super lean, great replacement for ground beef)

Etc.

Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, 6 pack 

Salsa, 2 32oz containers

Olive Oil, Kirkland brand

Balsamic Vinegar

Spices (I love the Italian blend.)

Raw Nuts (especially almonds for snacking and homemade almond butter)

Hummus

Cottage Cheese

You'll notice there aren't a ton of fruits and vegetables I buy at Costco. I'm lucky enough to live in an area with a ton of farmer's markets, so cheap produce is easy to come by. Also, some things just take more work than I'm willing to put in. For example - I could buy 2 lbs of tomatoes, but if I didn't want them to go bad I'd have to make jars of sauce and freeze them. Once in a while I'll do that, but not on the regular. 

I've learned my lesson on a couple items, too. The big bags of cauliflower? Too much for us. Same goes for the brussels sprouts, unless I'm having people over. 

How do you know what you're saving money on? My tip is to do a price comparison of items you buy frequently and figure out the price per unit. For example, a 3 pack of bell peppers at my grocery store is $5.99, or $1.99 per unit. At Costco, I buy 6 for $5.99, or .99 centers per unit. Once I determine the price per unit is less, and whether I can consume the amount I'm purchasing, I go for it. 

What do I do with 2 pounds of spinach and 6 bell peppers? Check out my post on meal prepping for ideas!