Weight-wise, going travelling is like going to uni: you either lose a few kilos because you're not eating properly, or you pack them on...because you're not eating properly. New and exotic foods are one of the highlights of travel but foreign flavours, spices and aromas aren't the only things throwing a spanner in the works when it comes to maintaining a steady weight. I've put on 3kg in the past 6 months and - slowing metabolism now I'm officially in my mid-20s (sob) aside - here are the reasons why.
(Not so) clean eating
1) Hostel kitchens are so busy! I've managed to sort a healthy brekky for the most part as I only need the microwave for 2 mins, but when dinner time swings around, enter that kitchen at your peril. Unless you're cool waiting until 9 or 10pm to cook, forget it (especially in hostels with long term residents). This is when cheap, easy options like $5 pizza or the Maccas down the road start calling. You may not feel great about yourself afterwards but hey, it's food and you're on a budget.
2) Early starts and late night = increased calorie intake. When you're up early (for day trips, activities or just to make the most of the day) and going to bed late (room sharing and general hostel noise), you eat more.
Source: http://m.quickmeme.com/img/16/165e61f6ee7c9b017610bfad7eba7eb02a3a309cd176a6b0429fb5ef88297467.jpg
3) Sometimes you don't know when your next meal will be. Will there be food on my flight? When will they serve the meal? Immediately or in a few hours? Will there be places to get food after I've touched down and checked into my hostel? It's unlikely you're going to starve but you can't help worrying about it anyway, so you eat more regularly than usual and stock up on snacks just in case. I like to be particularly careful because I get the shakes and feel pretty ill when I haven't eaten for a while.
4) You get sick of hearing 'Table for 1?'. For whatever reasons, sometimes you just don't want to dine at a restaurant alone. Outcome: say ciao to that healthy chicken dish and side of seasonal veggies and oh heyyy (again) to a 6-inch Subway or double cheeseburger meal - not only can you take these away to eat on the beach or in a park away from annoyingly curious busybodies giving you a weird look but it's also more 'socially acceptable' to eat alone at fast food outlets.
Source: https://wendalicious.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/eating-alone.jpg
5) Booze - the biggest waist expanding hazard backpackers have to contend with. The travel/hostel culture lends itself to drinking on a regular basis, although having said this I've been off the booze since I landed in NZ (April 5) and haven't shifted any weight :(
6) You don't drink nearly enough water. Whether you're on a walking trail, strolling along the beach or on a long coach trip, your next loo stop is never a sure thing. Plus some drivers (mostly male) seem to think that a 5 min toilet break is plenty - err, have you seen the queues outside the ladies? Obviously it's just not enough time, so for fear of the coach driving off without me I go 8 hours actively trying not to drink. Not good! On the plus side, I've been sticking stoically to water to save money, except for the odd hot chocolate on chilly evenings to warm up (and go on a data rampage using the free Starbucks wifi).
Source: http://imperfectlynatural.com/images/Front_20image_drinking_water.jpg
Burning cals
I like to think I'm pretty active when I'm travelling. Time spent on coaches/in airports aside, I spend a lot of time on my feet: for me, walking is the best way to get to know a new place and stumble upon little known gems that you won't find in a guidebook. If there are hiking trails, I'm on them. If there's a hill or a mountain, I'll climb it. If there's a beach, I'll go for a long power walk by the ocean. But, according to the scales, this isn't cutting it. Why is it so tough to get the cals in/cals out balance right?
1) You're not in a routine. This is a blessing and a curse in disguise: while it's ace doing something new every day, it throws any kind of routine totally out of synch, making it hard to get into the habit of working out.
2) Unless you have money to burn, a steady supply of workout gear or you don't mind the smell of stale sweat, you're at a bit of a dead end. With an average wash and dry, plus laundry powder, setting you back around $10, getting hot and sweaty can be a money as well as a calorie burner.
Source: https://witnessestohope.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/piles_of_laundry_copy.jpg
3) You're in unfamiliar territory. Unless there's a park, boardwalk or running track right by your hostel, or you've been in the same place long enough to know your way around without consulting a map, working out a running route can be tricky, and the actual run is quite stop and start - not ideal.
And so the diet begins! I've devised a simple plan which involves healthier foods and using hostel kitchens as little as possible.
Brekky = oats (2 min microwave) + orange, banana and avocado salad plate
Lunch = usually out and about, look for a healthy salad/chicken dish at a cafe
Dinner = rice (2 min microwave) + add tomatoes and canned veg to beef up
I'm also on a mission to cut out the sugary tea and hot chocolate - no excuses now I'm in 25 degree C paradise!
Source: https://madtravelshop.com/sites/madtravelshop.com/files/category_pictures/lake_mackenzie.jpg
