Hi
I am new to the BSD. Am doing it because just after Christmas I had a HbA1c test result of 43 which was quite a shock. So I am determined to try to reverse the result to a safe level. I am on Day 9 of the diet and have lost 3kg. I swim every other day for 30 mins (i’m not the fastest!) and I run 3 times a week following the Couch25k programme.
I would appreciate advice on how to keep on the straight and narrow when I travel for work which is quite frequently. I work in different locations abroad, often fed by the client – which can be a tray of sandwiches or a meal out. I have long days travelling, sitting in airports – where the choices available to me are limited. I am about to go on a work trip this week and am wondering how I can keep the BSD going well.
Any thoughts. I don’t want to throw away what little I have achieved so far.

Hi 8weeks. I dont want to put you off but I really do feel for you. Eating away from home is quite difficult and you will have to put your determined hat on. You dont say if you are travelling abroad or in the country you live in (where is that). When I am driving through Europe I find the motorway services always have a salad pot available. In the UK the M&S outlets do good choices of things like edame bean salads or packs of cold meats which you can take with you or to your hotel room. If you tell people (clients) you have to be careful due to a medical problem then they can at least try to come up with something and hotels can give you extra veg or salads. It is not easy and I hope more people will come on to advise you. My daughter swears by ordering a steak and salad and, if possible, using a hotel gym or going for a walk.

Would it work for you to only eat twice a day? You could skip breakfast as that is unlikely to be a client meal. it gives you a little bit more leeway at the other meals. That’s how am managing the diet and it is working well for me (not related to work travel though).
If you can order at a restaurant it shouldn’t be too hard, eg a vege curry or a stir fry but no rice, a steak with salad but no potatoes. also you may be able to request a small portion at some places? And if the client is catering, that is a bit harder, but would it be possible to say ahead of time “no bread”, and if possible ask for a salad?
Always just ask for sparkling water for your drink and refuse anything else.
Good luck!

Thanks – yes my determined hat is going on when I fly out tonight. I am based in London but mostly travel to Europe over the week.
Switzerland this week – breakfast is easy as you say. Lunch in this case should be ok as the client company restaurant has a proper salad bar and I think offers cold cooked fish. The evening will vary.
Please keep offering your tips – as I will use them.
I just need to know I can do it. Was buoyed up this morning by finding out I had lost another kg. Now lost 4kg. So it is working.

Thank you for your advice and tips – really appreciated.

Sandwiches can sometimes be transformed onto plan by just ditching the bread if it can be managed without embarrassment, the same with burgers and ask for salad, with no dressing rather than fries/chips. A teaspoon can be handy to eat quiche type tarts at buffets as well. Many buffets do have some finger food that is almost on plan, like chicken drumsticks or nuggets etc. Some commercial outlets now do some good ‘protein pots’ for eating on the go. Good luck with your trip.

I have been a vegetarian all my life, long before it became fashionable. – It was a delight when it became common for people to ask for details of food preferences when planning an event, or catering for a business meeting. It not only meant that I had the option to request that something I could eat would be provided, but also meant that if what turned up wasn’t vegetarian and I had to pick bits out to have something to eat, or refuse what was offered it was obviously caused by an error by the caterer.

– In the last few months I have experimented by specifying low carb, or ketogenic when giving a food preference, with mixed results in what was supplied, but again the advantage that people were willing to swap bits of dishes they were served or were sympathetic if i refused a course.

However, as a backup, I would recommend taking a food bag, or something else so if your hotel provides a buffet style breakfast you can get a serving of meat, or cheese which you can save for later in the day if needed. or find out where there is a local store and popping in to pick up some supplies.

Day 1 working abroad – managed to get a meal on the plane which was a beef salad with no dressing or carbs. And drank lots of water.
Day 2 – And today the client’s restaurant provides a big choice at the salad bar for my lunch. I chose well I hope.
So far so good…..

I survived my first week working abroad using many of the tips you gave me above. Weighed myself this morning back in the UK and I have lost nearly 5 kg in two weeks. I have another 7kg to lose.
I managed to ignore the plates of patisserie that were plonked in the room all day. Had no bread, pasta or rice – and ate salads and seafood or lean pieces of meat. No puddings. Lots and lots of water. I scraped the meat off sandwiches to eat – and did the Quiche trick mentioned above!!

Thank you -next trip is next week.

Are you asked about dietary requirements on these occasions? If so you could state you don’t eat bread and pastry (the most likely high carb options) and would prefer soup or salad.

hi squidge – no I am not asked in advance.
Am now in Berlin – and at a conference centre where the options are great for me – grilled fish, endless plain salad – and big seelction of vegetables.
I have shunned all the booze, the bread, the cakes, the pasta etc – No carbs or sugar has passed my lips in two and a half weeks! I do hope I can keep this up.

C

Survived the week so far in Berlin. Despite the freezing cold. I have not strayed from the diet but I think I have had to eat more – so will se if I still lost weight. I have not eaten any carbs or sugar. Just a little more fish than normal – slightly bigger portions.

C

My problem when travelling for work is evening boredom and subsequent mindless eating. I always now take my trainers and gym clothes and at the very least go for a walk – not all easy in some locations. With food I just try and stay vigilent and not drop into bad habits. I’ve lost 5kg since 30th December so it must be working, it’s just easier to control when based in the office and not travelling

Thats fantastic Sheilb – you are clearly doing it right!
For me – once I go into my hotel room there is no food and I have no access to a fridge so it is pretty easy. However when it is meal time and everyone is enjoying choosing in teh restaurant or looking at a tempting buffet it is very very hard.

C

PS just weighed myself and have lost now 5.5 kg since Jan 4th.

Hi 8weeks. I travel extensively in UK and Europe escorting groups of people for short term breaks. They are special interest breaks and I stay at the same hotels and eat the same food. Because the groups are usually around 30 people most of the meals are not individual choice so there is limited ability to choose salads, vegetables etc. Because the hotels are 4/5 star (it’s a hard life!) the cuisine is often ‘Fine Dining’ so I totally know how difficult it is when you’re having to eat with other people. Here’s what I try to do:
Breakfast- I have 1 or 2 eggs with a tomato (I don’t like plain egg) and green tea or black coffee. I find green tea better as you don’t get a bitter aftertaste which you then want to mask with more food.
Lunch – if I’m away from the crowd I’ll just have a few nuts (which I bring with me) otherwise if I’m trapped I just have a very small lunch and say I’m having a large dinner or that I had a large breakfast and I’m not hungry.
Dinner – my real problem, partly because if you’re with a large group of people then you’re not eating till late. If I have any choice at all then I will have 2 starters with one served as a main course so I’m still eating along with everyone else for most of the meal (I never eat desserts). If that’s difficult then I refuse the starter and just have the main course. A good excuse for not eating a full dinner course is that you’ve had a large lunch.

To be absolutely honest I find 800 cals is difficult for me on a daily basis when I’m touring, I’m sort of ‘on duty’ from breakfast to late evening and it’s long, tiring days. On the other hand I can’t reach into the kitchen cupboard for ‘just a few nuts’ etc. I did do really well on BSD but on a very tiring and extended tour which was 2 months with 2 groups I lost the plot and ended up ‘holiday eating’ along with everyone else and couldn’t get back on track. Hence I’m back here!!
Good luck and if you can lie convincingly about how you need to save your appetite for the next meal or are taking a medication you can’t drink alcohol with then you’re halfway there.

A lot of what you say resonates with me….it is hard. My trips are shorter – a day to five days normally. But its the same issues. This time I say – I was diagnosed as ‘pre-diabetic’ and I need to get my blood test back in the normal zone – and that seemed to do the job.
I am three weeks in – nearly – and 5.5 kg down. Another 6.5 to go.