Going back to your regular diet after a trip
While I don't have any strict dietary restrictions, I have certain nutritional preferences that I follow in my regular diet and try to maintain when traveling. Specifically, I try to minimize dairy and gluten in my diet. However, sometimes it's easier said than done.
For example, my work may bring me to a country like India, which uses butter and flour in most of its staple dishes, and all work lunches and dinners will be already arranged for me. Or I have a family trip to the Netherlands, famous for its cheeses and heavily relying on dairy in the diet. Then I don't make a big deal about deviating from the rule as it doesn't create any life threatening situation for me. Instead, I enjoy exploring local authentic cuisines and deal with consequences when I get back home. Below are some of my regular tactics on how to get back to a normal diet as quick as possible:
1. Do grocery shopping as soon as possible and get all our regular diet staples (in my case dairy-free milk, gluten-free grains, vegetables, berries, chicken and fish, etc.) This will help to stay away from take-outs in the first couple of days after coming back from a trip.
2. Rely more on soups and salads in the first couple of days after the trip. I do it not only because it helps me get back to my normal eating, but these are also the foods that I miss the most when traveling.
3. Pack your lunch to bring to work instead of eating in the cafeteria or going out. Although I bring my lunch most of the days, it always requires extra effort to do it right after the trip as there are no leftovers and the fridge is nearly empty (unless you did groceries right away.)
4. Consider using a calorie-counting app. If I did indulge on a trip and would like to get rid of those extra couple of pounds, I sometimes use an app like that for a few days. I am not a big fan of using it on a regular basis. However, logging my daily food intake for a short period of time helps me to be aware of what I'm eating and keeps me accountable at the times when I need to get back to my normal weight after a trip or a holidays season.
These steps help me in getting back to my regular healthy diet and shedding extra pounds after the trip or an indulging celebration or a holiday. What are some of your proven tricks to get back to your normal diet?