3 tips for eating on the road

Hey, it’s Arash 👋

I’m at my 3rd hotel in 3 days.

2 weeks ago when I was on the road, I gave in to every temptation possible. Ate like there were no consequences. And forget the 4lbs I gained, I was feeling tired, moody, my digestion was off, and I was just irritable. So when I got back on the road this week, I promised myself I was going to be more intentional about my choices.

This is definitely not a lecture from someone who has it all figured out. It’s just a reflection on how my mindset has changed and what I try to keep in mind now.

Here’s what I’ve learned after years of doing this badly: eating well on the road has almost nothing to do with willpower.

It’s all about managing 2 things: 1) your hunger and 2) your blood sugar. When those are steady, you can make reasonable decisions without having to use every last drop of your willpower. When they’re not, no amount of discipline can save you.

Almost every bad food decision I’ve ever made has happened at a weak moment.

So I try to decide before I’m hungry. Look at the menu in the car. Pick the place before you land. Eat a real meal at 1pm so 4pm doesn’t become a crisis.

Protein is what actually keeps you full so you’re not swinging between shaky and stuffed.

It’s usually pretty easy to find. And when it’s not I ask for a side of chicken, salmon, or shrimp.

This is the mistake old me would make. Regularly.

If I try to white-knuckle every single meal for 3 days, I know that I will eventually binge and give in to every temptation. I thought I could overcome this with more willpower but this is a good example of doing something “smarter not harder.”

Now I choose my moments to order the thing I actually want. And if you watch my IG stories, you’ll see I do order the exciting foods. Whether that’s the viral Italian sandwich spot, the best chocolate chip cookie, or even the pasta dish, I try to make sure I enjoy these parts of life.

But instead of the all or nothing mentality, I’m mindful of the portion size. I enjoy the things I’m craving on purpose, which ultimately means I’m not sneaking them later and feeling terrible about it.

Get movement when you can and try to move after you eat. A 10 minute walk after a meal does more for your blood sugar than almost anything else available to you.

And when I’ve got 30 minutes to spend at the hotel gym, this is my entire workout:

Treadmill: 12 incline, 3.0 speed, 30 minutes.

No program, no equipment, nothing to decide and I feel unbelievable afterward every single time.

I’m not doing things perfectly this week. And that’s the whole point.

Temptation is everywhere. And honestly, most of it tastes incredible... for about 2 to 5 minutes. Then it’s over, and I’m left with how I feel afterward.

I know that cycle really well.

One thing I’ve learned on this journey is that the temptation never really goes away. You just get better at recognizing it and making more decisions for your future self than the version of you that only wants the next five minutes.

I’m going to keep practicing that for the rest of this trip. I’ll let you know on Sunday how it went.