Finding a Goldilocks Feel-Good Relationship with Food + Fitness on the Road
This weekend I made my way back to my old stomping grounds: Columbus, Ohio, for The Arnold Classic Expo, and this reel shows everything I ate while experimenting with a “just right” approach to nutrition while traveling!
In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s own words: “The Arnold Classic is all about starring people of any age, who train every day, to exercise, eat well, and stay fit” - whether it’s weightlifting, powerlifting, strongman competitions, strongest firefighter competitions, armwrestling, dance, or bodybuilding, there is definitely something for everyone at this expo, along with every protein sample under the sun! 🤩
Ironically, I never went when we lived in Columbus for 12 years. But now that I’m exploring bodybuilding, it felt like the perfect excuse to hop on a plane, catch up with some very special friends and clients, watch my first bodybuilding show in person, and enjoy some tasty local foods. 😋
Training + Tracking too much, too little, and finding “just right”
- 🔺My NYC trip in November was my first time traveling while reversing out of a caloric deficit. Even though I didn’t plan to, I still felt pretty “sticky” and ended up tracking almost everything I ate—while still enjoying bagels, pizza, and more. I also wound up lifting more in NYC than I typically do at home, which was probably overkill.
- 🔻That was followed by a birthday trip to Cancun in February. This time, I intentionally took a full week off from tracking to reconnect with hunger cues and eat more intuitively while enjoying some special birthday meals and treats. I did a couple of lifts on that trip, too, one with an BWB friend annd client and one solo. While I definitely got plenty of movement in, I didn’t feel my best on this trip, probably due to lower fiber and protein intake and overall higher intake than I’m used to. It took me a few weeks to feel fully back to routine following this trip (which was fine and provided a lot of learning opportunities, but also had me craving a bit more awareness surrounding my intake going into this weekend!)
- ✅ For this trip, I tried to find a Goldilocks middle ground: I decided to pack a food scale to track my morning meal (prioritizing a meal rich in protein + fiber that I enjoy and know digests well), then eyeballed the rest, while staying hydrated and mindful. I packed a few bands and got lots of steps and mobility in, enjoyed reconnecting with my BWB friends and clients to give some form checks during their workout, and got a lift in before traveling earlier this week plus one solo lift in, in my hotel gym, which felt just right!
While I don’t have quantitative scale data yet, qualitatively, this felt pretty good. I’m still learning and experimenting, and probably always will be! Every trip happens in a slightly different body with slightly different needs. But this time, I really enjoyed finding a balance that prioritized connection, community, and feeling good rather than worrying about perfect adherence.