Fitness/Weight while travelling

[corey]

Hey,

This is a rather random question. Anyway, i'm about to leave for a few months in Asia (thailand/cambodia/vietnam/china/laos) mainly seeing sights, going out, and a bit of trekking.

I've been losing weight for the past year, about 1 more stone I want to lose - but a bit concerned that i'll pile the weight on while travelling? I've heard different stories from people about gaining weight or losing it while travelling!

Anyone have any tips for generally keeping fit while away? I know i'll be walking alot, but maybe anything else thats good?

Cheers!

[space virgin]

It's far more likely that you'll lose weight if you're walking around and looking at things. Unless you park yourself at a coffee shop gobbling up pastries and sitting in front of your laptop all day-- then you'll probably gain some weight. Excess consumption of alcohol can be something to watch out for though.

Have a great time!

[uninspired]

There are tons of "Fitness for Travellers" books; check your library or a bookstore. They typically give suggestions for foods to watch out for (fried and/or sugar-coated = bad) and resistance exercises you can do without equipment, if you're worried about losing muscle tone while you're away. They're not really worth $20 to buy, but you should get a good idea just flipping through.

[mowark]

You'll do so much walking that you're almost guaranteed to lose weight. Like SV said, unless you do nothing, you'll be fine.

[omisan]

If you feel that walking/running aren't enough, don't forget freehand exercises. Push-ups, sit-ups, squats... even doing pull-ups off your bunk if you don't mind hanging that low!

[LiveFreeorDie]

In this month's Men's Journal, there is a brief, two page article on resistance exercises you can do anywhere, with no weights - using your own body's weight and using certain muscle groups to create resistance for other muscle groups. It was interesting and might fit your needs quite well. It had about 10 to 12 exercises to work all muscle groups.

[TheJake]

I normally do a lot of curls when I travel. Some of those beer bottles are too heavy though so i empty em a bit...

[tumblezweedz]

The combination of walking miles a day, often carrying a pack, and eating on a budget is usually a good way to keep your weight in check - think rice and some veggies rather than a plate of meat and potatoes! In Europe I found a lovely diet of bread, cheese, water and chocolate was quite pleasant (though not perhaps the healthiest...)

[mowark]

With the amount of excercise you get walking around, calories are important. I say go for the meat, potatoes, cheese, etc, because cheap calories are important when you aren't eating often and you're getting loads of excercise.

[U2fan]

I am a big fan of jump rope! Doesn`t take up much room in your pack.

I might be the only person on this board who tends to gain weight while abroad and yes, I am doing a lot of walking! But I guess it`s because in the past year I have been living places and am not on the go as much, so it`s more real life as opposed to travel. I work out a lot at the gym and walk too but damn, the sweets in Japan and South America are just so much more tempting and exciting than the states. Not to mention all the rice...

Anyway, not to sound depressing but I`m just saying, walking might not be enough.

[benna2]

I was concerned with piling on weight when I moved to the DR. But so far I haven't gained anything. I have lost about ten pounds in fact. I think the most important thing is to just stay active. (Which, when you are backpacking, it is a given to be active!)

All the walking around does wonders. But also, you tend to only eat at proper meal times because there is so much else to do. Generally when people overeat it is from sheer boredom. Sometimes I will look at my clock at 4pm and realize I hadn't even eaten that day!

And like SV warned....careful with all the booze!

[mowark]

Side note here: Brooke I love you, but I have to contradict you. Eating more often is much more healthy and helpful for losing weight than "only eating at proper meal times." If you want to lose weight just take your three meals a day that you eat now and make them into 5 or 6 spread out in the same amount of time. If you do that and nothing else, I guarantee most people will lose weight just doing that.

edited to add:
Obviously this is completely useless information for people travelling, and therefore I should probably just keep my big mouth shut

[benna2]

Mo! Love you too man. And I agree with what you said. Eating more smaller meals during the days is better as far as weightloss is concerned.

When I said my thing about eating only at proper meal times, I just meant that generally people do not OVEReat while they are traveling. Most times, they have to actually set aside time to eat.

Also though, the danger of eating several times a day is that people do not make the actual portions smaller....they just end up eating the same size meals that they would eat, just more often, which is also dangerous.

[kev840]

hi guys just reading this topic and since im a sport science grad and a pt I thought id offer any help or answer any questions that anyone may have about staying fit etc. (well il try!!).

[Wanderlussst]

When I backpack I bring a pair of running shoes and go for an hour run each morning. It's a unique way to see a city - watching a city wake up in the morning is beautiful - and it always gives me a little "preview" of what I might like to wander back and check out later. Plus, running burns oodles of calories, and gives me more energy for the rest of the day. For me, sampling exotic foods is one of the pleasures of travel, so I've found with my morning run, I can enjoy whatever I like and stay fit too. Safety can be an issue in some places, so try to research where you'll run ahead of time to make sure you don't put yourself in a dangerous situation. Best of luck staying fit during travels

[goyincognito]

I left Israel for Egypt at 230 pounds....and after 10 days of brutally-paced touring with a 20 kilo pack in 45-55C heat, and eating very little cause of the heat and the fact that vegetables in Egypt are generally the fast track to dysentery (mmmm...tasty! ) I came back 208 pounds :P

So, yeah. Depends on what you eat/how much (eat several small meals per day as opposed to a couple of large ones) and how much running around you do/how much weight you're packing with you while you're running around.

Also, drink lots and lots of bottled water. It'll make you feel full and keep you from eating too much...not to mention flush your body of any new exotic bugs that decide to give your immune system a run for its money :D