Frequent flying fattened him up. Here’s how he lost the excess baggage.
Carrying an extra 100 lb of luggage on a flight is exhausting — and costly! Most airlines charge you upward of $50 for overweight bags. But what if the weight you are carrying is on your very person and the cost is your health? This was the case with frequent flyer Rick Cutter.
Like so many Americans, Rick traveled extensively for work, and as he accumulated frequent flyer miles, he also accumulate extra weight. In 2008, he tipped the scales at almost 300 lb. His doctor told him in no uncertain terms that if he didn’t change his ways, he should prepare himself for a serious cardiac event. The doctor suggested gastric bypass surgery, but Rick was wary of the procedure and instead took matters into his own hands. He said goodbye to his nomadic fast-food lifestyle and adopted a new outlook on eating.
Don’t Call It A Diet
“At first, I didn’t understand anything about calories, carbs, fat and proteins,” said Rick. “I had no idea what I was eating on a daily basis and what it was doing to my body. But with some basic nutritional knowledge, it became easier to retrain myself on the correct foods and amounts to eat. I kept a log and tracked my food intake and began to see changes in my body and energy levels.”
Rick was careful not to think of his new lifestyle as being on a diet. He wanted to illicit permanent changes instead of a quick fix, so he focused on healthy foods, including plenty of lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats, and still allowed himself his favorite foods in smaller portions. Doing so meant he didn’t feel deprived, and so he was better able to stick to his new plan. Because he was patient and willing to lose the weight slowly, he methodically and successfully pared down his physique. Today, Rick weighs 210 lb and has never been happier.
Because he is still traveling thousands of miles every month for work, Rick had to learn to adapt his new nutritional program to fit into his schedule. Instead of allowing his location and circumstances to dictate his meals and habits, he planned ahead.
Rick’s Road-Warrior Rules
Here are Rick’s baggage-free Road-Warrior Rules for living and losing while traveling.
1. Request healthy restaurants. Tell business partners you want to eat at a restaurant with healthier options. I found that my clients respected that I was trying to improve myself, and some even started changing their own eating habits as well. Talk about paying it forward!
2. Get plenty of rest when traveling. When you are tired, it is much harder to eat right and exercise, and it affects your metabolism adversely. I try to arrive at my destinations in the late afternoon instead of taking red-eye flights, so I can get a good night’s sleep.
3. Pack plenty of your favorite snacks and meals. If that’s not an option, stop at a grocery store when you arrive. Good travel foods for me are fruit, pre-cut veggies and hummus. I also like healthy high-fiber bars.
4. Stay at hotels that have fitness centers and healthy breakfast options. I don’t love the treadmill, but I feel great after I’m done, and I can’t use the weather outside as an excuse not to work out.
5. Pack a resistance band for quick in-room workouts. Look up new and exciting ways online to use the band to put together a total-body program.
6. Pack workout clothes and tennis shoes, even if it’s just for a quick walk.
7. Drink plenty of water and avoid soda. This will help your energy and decrease your appetite.
8. Never go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant. Need I say more?
9. Don’t deprive yourself. Plan “reward meals” where you eat a few fries or a baked potato a few times a month, not every meal out.
10. Understand how important portion sizes are. Order smaller or appetizer-sized portions at restaurants, and put anything extra in a to-go box. More is not better!
Rick is currently working on a book about living a healthy lifestyle as a road warrior.
Kim Lyons, NASM CPT, PES, CES and Prenatal Specialist, is an internationally known fitness trainer who worked on “The Biggest Loser.” For more information about Kim, visit www.KimLyons.com.