How Not to “Pack It On” When Getting Away For a Week or a Day
You’ve been doing your 10,000 steps each day, eating healthy, and just moved your belt buckle in two notches. You are feeling good and looking even better! Then your calendar reminds you that you are booked on one of Starr Tours fabulous day or overnight bus trips. No need to panic!
You can still maintain your weight and exercise regimen with a tiny bit of planning:
- Weigh yourself before the tour date. This will be the guide to help you stay on track, especially when you get back home and see that you are the same weight or even less.
- Carry some snacks with you. Those, of course, that will give you energy and fill you up between meals – protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Dried unsweetened fruits, nuts, packaged cheese/crackers don’t take up a lot of packing space. Be sure to make smart choices when choosing snacks at rest areas, too. Many rest areas will have packaged fresh fruits and vegetables for those mid-day munchies.
- Drink plenty of water. While it will definitely hydrate you, it will also put the brakes on hunger. Remember, you may be moving a lot more while on tour which means your body will need more of boost.
- Eat foods that you know aren’t too caloric. It’s probably not a good idea to experiment with large volumes of high fat foods. These foods may also slow you down on tour. Eat light and feel better!
- Pace yourself. Most hotels offer a buffet breakfast. A trick is to walk around the buffet table first. See what looks appealing and then go back in line to make your choices. You are bound to eat less. If you’ve had a substantial breakfast, you may want to eat a salad and/or soup for lunch. When dinner is plated with large portions, it is a good idea to divide the food in half and ask for a “to go” box or share with your dining partner. Even though you are on the road, some hotels have microwaves and/or mini fridges that can safely hold your food perhaps for the next day’s lunch.
- Move it – of course at your own pace! The team at Starr do an excellent job of planning multi-level attractions. Some have opportunities for a lot of walking while others have a minimum amount of walking. When stairs are available and you feel comfortable, take them. Most hotels have small gyms with treadmills, bicycles, and weights. Some hotels offer indoor/outdoor pools and hot tubs. Even if you are not a swimmer just walking in the pool will work wonders for your joints and muscles while burning calories.
As the 2019 bus touring season revs up, I’m lining up my healthy snacks. . . see you on the road!
Christine Durling
Starr Tour Director
One of the most enjoyable things about traveling is the wonderful people you meet. Whether it’s across a continent or at a new coffee shop down the street, chatting with new people can be very rewarding. Starting conversations is hard, and continuing them is even harder. But fear not, because having great conversations with strangers is easy, and they can lead to some great new friendships.
Know where you are going. This may sound simple, but some people choose a destination without much thought, research, or investigation. This can lead to disappointment. For example, I once had a tour guest on a Vermont fall foliage bus tour who asked me, “When will we get to the casino?” I explained that there are no casinos in Vermont to which she responded, “Well, I can’t stand to look at any more trees!” Unfortunately, my passenger was not happy with her experience on the trip. In this case, the situation could have been avoided if she had simply read the itinerary.
Put down the camera. Once in a while, put down the camera and actually sightsee. You may think that taking a picture of that spectacular view, attraction, or sunset will preserve the moment forever. However, did you know a recent study found that people had more trouble remembering details of a scene if they photographed it? Those who just looked at it remembered 90% of the details; the ones who took a picture remembered only 78%.
Getting to know you! As society has become more fast-paced, and electronic equipment has taken over our communications, conversation between strangers has dwindled. But you never know who you may meet while traveling. On a recent bus tour, two couples reluctantly shared a table at lunchtime. During their conversation, the women discovered that they had been childhood friends, attended the same elementary school, and grew up in the same Philadelphia neighborhood! They had a wonderful time on the rest of the trip, reliving old memories and making new ones.
Expect the best; but prepare for the worst. Just because it is sunny on the morning your tour departs, that does not mean it cannot rain later. Basic essentials like an umbrella (I prefer disposable raincoats from the dollar store), sunscreen, a hat, bug spray, Band-Aids, aspirin, etc. are important items to pack and can easily prevent small annoyances from ruining your day.
Be flexible. While driving in Hawaii (before GPS was available), we missed a turn and ended up lost for quite some time. On the surface, this seemed like something “bad” had happened. But we ended up viewing the most beautiful scenery on Oahu’s northern coastline due to our unintentional detour. We all agreed it was the most breath-taking view of the entire trip!