“Excuse me, that’s not what I ordered…”
*Confused*, *Confused*, … “Oh, thank you sir…”
It’s happened more than once… That language barrier… It’s a killer…
My favorite is when I tried ordering chicken and veggies in Marrakech and the waiter brought me a bread-filled pastry thing… And yes, it’s happened more than once…
I’ve done my best to eat right while traveling through Europe and beyond, but here’s what I told my dad the other week on the phone:
“I just ate more bread and pastries in the last week than I do in most months…”
For the first time in a very long time, I am struggling on the diet end of things. What’s funny though is what a coaching client of mine said that really put it into perspective for me…
“You have the language barrier and unfamiliarity… I have the office parties, co-workers who bring in donuts, and a spouse that buys soda, ice-cream, and cookies.”
Talk about dropping the truth bomb on me…
Look, I know that eating healthy is not easy… There are many different barriers and temptations that surround us on a daily basis.
I want you to know though, I am right there with you… After the first 4-weeks of travel and really letting my diet go haywire, I’ve made a few simple changes that have allowed me to get back on track.
Feel free to steal one or all of these.
1. Start With ONE Day
All those breads, desserts, and pastries were really starting to suck the energy right out of me… I knew I couldn’t eat them freely if I wanted energy for my workouts and energy throughout the day.
So I challenged myself to take one full-day to say “NO” to the breads and pastries. That’s it, just one day.
After that day of success (which ANYONE can do), I then made the same challenge the next day.
Don’t overwhelm yourself by saying, I am not going to eat any sweets for 60-straight days… Talk about intimidating…
Just do it for ONE day… Then repeat the process.
Try for six straight successful “one-day goals”, then enjoy a cheat day.
2. Cycle Your Macros
Europe is very carb heavy and offers some of the best pastries and breads you will ever have. Traveling is a once in a lifetime experience, so I WILL enjoy these foods while here…
… Just not everyday…
Have a plan in place for when you are going to indulge in your carbohydrates and cheats. I’ve jumped back on my Daily Shred Diet as this allows for flexibility and simplicity in your diet.
(Note: If you have never gone through 30-days of my Daily Shred Diet, I encourage you to do so. Some clients have lost up to 8-pounds in the first 7-days and up to 22-pounds in 30 days!)
3. Have Fruit/Veggies With ALL Your Meals
This has been a BIG focus lately. For whatever reason, eating fruits and veggies just makes you feel healthier…
Not only that, it will of course help you get healthier, burn more fat, and get lean.
My go-to’s on Spain have been broccoli, onions, kiwis, and strawberries. I’ve been including broccoli with nearly every meal and the fruits with snacks (typically some almonds and cashews.)
This has been a huge help to the digestion and I’ve definitely noticed a nice bumping energy levels.
Those three simple tips can help you get back on track. Remember to take it one day and one meal at a time.
If you want a full nutrition plan, go grab my Daily Shred Diet HERE!
Until next time,
Dennis Heenan
Nice. So do what you can, with what you have, where you are, and be conscious of every way you have to mitigate the damage when it comes. I like.
So, if you don’t mind me asking, what are your thoughts on relatively lean indigenous groups with relatively carb-heavy diets (Okinawans, Kitavans, Islanders, etc.)?