*FVT Back-to-School 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge update – 8 spots left! Regisration closes at 30 … click here for details and to claim your spot now*

Here are my top 7 tips for eating well and staying track while you are eating out.

These are relevant to when you are eating out, when you are on the go and away from home for long periods of time – like a full 12 or 14 hour day – or when you are on the road and traveling for work or vacation.

One – make it a priority – there are only so many priorities that we can have in our lives at once time. Eating healthy does not have to be your number one priority – but if everything ELSE takes precedence over that – your work, your fun times, your everything else you have going on in your life – it makes it tough to actually get the results that you want to get from your fitness program.

Two – always make the best choice available – recently, I was on a two day business trip, and I hadn’t planned ahead as well as I could’ve. I was staying at a hotel about half a mile away from where the event was going on, I didn’t have a rental car, so literally the only option was breakfast at McDonald’s next door.

Now, there are a lot of not-so-great choices at McDonald’s, and there are some that are okay. I was able to get a decently healthy breakfast by going with the Egg McMuffin, packet of fruit, and a black coffee. I could’ve just as easily picked the deluxe breakfast which adds up to over 1000 kcal – but I was able to be okay and make the best choice available and stay relatively on track.

Three – eat half the portion – a great strategy when you go out to eat at a restaurant is simply to half the portion. Eat half of your meal, and then you ask for a doggy bag before the meal even comes and plan on bagging out the other half to save for later. This is a great way to save calories and the portions at restaurants are often so large that you hardly ever need the entire thing.

Four – bring healthy snacks – stock up on healthy snacks whether you’re going to be away from the house for longer than a few hours, or you’re going on the road for several days. Snacks that do not require refrigeration are always easiest and most reliable as you know you have a place to store them. Go with things like protein bars, beef jerky, nuts, fruit, etc.

Five – plan ahead – before you leave the house – whether it is for a meal out, a long day ahead, or several days away from home, you need to make sure that you have a plan. What are you going to be eating while you are away and how does it fit in to your plan? Are you going to pack food and take it with you, or do you have some kind of strategy to grab some healthy food while you are on the road? Think about these things and stick to them when you’re eating out.

Six – keep logging – while you’re away from home or eating out etc., a key to fat loss meal planning success is to keep logging your food. This way you can stay on track and be top of mind with what you’re doing, and it will help you make the right choices.

Seven – consider fasting – if you’re truly stuck and there are no healthy options available, what you could consider is fasting. Research is showing more and more health benefits of fasting, it’s a great way to get your focus away from food for a short period of time, and honestly it’s not gonna kill you to go without eating for 12 or 18 hours 😉

So there you have seven tips to help you stay on track – eating well while eating out. Keep these in mind next time you’re on the road or away from home for a long period of time and it will help you stay on track with your healthy eating plan and keep moving toward those fat loss goals.

And don’t forget to check out our upcoming 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge!

Train hard, and talk soon –

– Forest Vance
Owner, FVT Boot Camp and Personal Training

Been in Louisville for the last couple of days to meet and ‘mastermind’ with a small group of top fit pros from around the US, and it has been great.

I also decided to fly in a little early and check out Nashville for 1/2 a day, and that was a lot of fun too. Did a trolley tour around the city in the AM, walked down Broadway to check out the scene, and then finished up the visit with lunch at Hatti B’s and some SERIOUSLY hot – like worthy of an eating challenge hot – chicken!

So at this point, you are probably thinking – “Forest – you are a trainer! Why the heck are you showing me pics of you eating crap food?”

Really it’s because I want to show you that it’s perfectly okay to enjoy yourself occasionally … as long as you are more or less dialed in the rest of the time.

And in truth, I have been eating pretty well the rest of the time out while out here – I’ve actually been trying to follow, as I typically do, my “FVT Meal Plan” (basically what we’ll be using for the upcoming 30 Day Rapid Fat Loss Challenge).

Here’s an example day:

** Important to note that the actual PORTIONS are going to vary depending on the individual (use the guide linked to above to calculate your specific intake requirements) **

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FVT Rapid Fat Loss Meal Plan

Breakfast (730am)

– egg(s)
– veggies (spinach etc)
– piece(s) of fruit
– 12 oz coffee

Lunch (1130am)

– big salad w LOTS various veggies, chicken breast, olive oil + vinegar dressing
– iced tea

Snack (3pm)

– almonds
– baby carrots
– 16 oz water

Dinner (630pm)

– beef
– pinto beans
– avocado
– sauteed bell peppers and onions
– 5 oz (medium – size glass) red wine

Additional Notes

– Log your food every day using MyFitnessPal so you can track your progress.
– Drink 1/2 your body weight in oz of water per day
– About once per week (three times during the challenge), have a “cheat” day and eat whatever you want (within reason)

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So there you go – follow the meal plan above, or something like it, most of the time … and you CAN enjoy the foods you want more than you think!

=> Learn more about the Rapid Fat Loss Challenge and sign up here

Have a great weekend –

– Forest Vance
Owner, FVT Boot Camp and Personal Training