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Traveling, enjoying food, not cooking a single meal for myself for 7 days, and not gaining a single ounce of body fat.

Sounds like an impossible task.

But I did it.

And so can you.

Some of this will be obvious.

But some will leave you thinking, “damn that’s a great idea.”
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1.) Make a list of FOMO foods for the trip.

These are the foods you MUST have on the trip.

These are the foods that you would regret not having on the trip.

This list will help build the hell yes template that’ll make food decision making super easy for the trip.

For the Dominican Republic, it was Mofongo, Chicharron w/Batata, Dominican Cake, Sandwich & Milkshake from Barra Payán, Sancocho, Presidente Beer, Dominican Rum, Mangu, Limoncillo, Gofio, Dulce de Manis.

As you can see, a LONG list haha.

And all of this is high calorie but I was able to make it happen while still not packing on the lb’s.

So that leads into my second point.
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2.) The Hell Yes or PROTEIN Framework.

What this means is, most hell yes foods when traveling are devoid of protein and RICH in delicious carbs and fats.

They are also super dense in calories (aka not very filling).

So around these foods, you want to go digging for that precious gold while traveling.

And that precious gold is lean protein sources.

Think of protein sources that are native to that area that are also delicious (aka they add to the trip!).

For me on this trip, the DR is close to the coast (so seafood is really good here) and most places will have it on the menu.

So for my meals, I would go with a grilled seafood platter with mixed veggies as my sides.

This provided protein, food volume, satiety, fiber and micronutrients.
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3.) The Emergency Protein Cookie Dough Kit.

This is a lifesaver to have when traveling, not only for getting some protein in.

But also as a sweet treat craving crusher.

I used it mostly in the airports to and from DR.

And would use it as a sweet treat at the end of the night if I wanted something before bed.

All you gotta do is take 1-2 scoops, add to a bowl, mix with water and then you have a cookie dough!

Here is the recipe for each serving. Just multiply out how many servings you think you’ll need on the trip and then add that amount to the bag.

• 30g Vanilla Protein Powder (I went vegan just because I can only handle so much dairy and when traveling, I usually have a good bit so this helps to not add to it.)
• 15g Powdered PB or PB Party Protein Cookie Butter Powder
• 8g Sugar Free/Fat Free Cheesecake Pudding Mix
• 5g Zero Cal Sweetener of your choice
• Pinch of Sea Salt

Then just add to a bag along with a protein scooper so it’s easy to know what a serving is.

2 scoops is around one serving aka 60g.
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4.) You can be lazy but don’t be Snorlax.

You don’t have to go to the gym while traveling.

You can! But you don’t have to (especially if it’s going to be annoying).

Enjoy your damn trip!

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be active.

Do fun activity on your trip that will add to your experience!

Go for walks, hikes or whatever local activity there is.

For me, it was walking, biking, and surfing.

I did go to the gym 2 days on my trip, but only because it fit super well those days into my schedule.

Also, take the stairs for anything 4 floors or less. That’s anti-Snorlax behavior haha.

All those extra lifestyle calories you burn do add up and give you a bit more buffer.

Plus, because you are in a new place and out of your routine, your body will naturally burn more calories due to NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis).

Just think of all the non predictable movement you do when traveling that your body isn’t used to.

Fidgeting, getting up from your chair more than often, pointing at the sights, tapping your foot to the music, etc.

All this random subconscious movement all day long adds up as well!
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5.) Drink, drink, and drink some more.

I drank 6 of the 7 days I was in the DR.

I also got the cool experience of getting drinks made by the mixologist representing the DR at the World Mixology Championships.

My point is, anyone who says you can’t drink and reach your goals is a fraud.

You most definitely can.

I personally don’t like to drink that often just because of how it affects my performance.

But when traveling, my performance doesn’t mean anything to me since my performance is to have a great time haha.

So when the experience would be enhanced by a few drinks, I will for sure drink.

The only thing to keep in mind when drinking is the lack of nutritional buy in that comes when you are drunk lol.

The “oh fuck it” mindset once you’ve crushed into that abyss 🤣

And of course, alcohol does have calories, and it can add up.

But most of the damage does come from the food after the alcohol.

So the best you can, lean towards the higher protein foods so you can avoid that slippery slope for your taste buds.
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6.) The Basic Duo

These two are what I like to call, simple but not easy.

Sleep and hydration.

BORING.

But damn are they important to get “enough” while traveling.

They will help most importantly with appetite regulation so you don’t overeat.

My simple framework for water is:

1. Tall glass of water first thing in the mornings.
2. A glass of water with every single meal.
3. And drink water anytime I get the though “oh shit I am thirsty” or “damn I think I haven’t had water in awhile.”

That’s it.

And then for sleep, just try your best.

When traveling, you only have so much time to play with, so sacrificing a little bit of sleep is fine.

But having just one early night to get a great night's sleep will help a ton (especially if you really feel like you need it).
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7.) Don’t be an asshole to yourself.

I can almost guarantee you didn’t gain much (if any) body fat on your trip.

Why am I so certain?

• You have been eating out of your normal schedule.
• You have been eating foods your body isn’t used to.
• You are consuming a lot more sodium than normal.
• You are drinking less water.
• You are sleeping less.

So what does this lead to?

BLOATING and Water Retention.

And this will lead in the short term looking a bit “soft” and like you’ve gain a shit ton of body fat.

But in reality, it’s just your body doing its best trying to juggle all these changes.

And holding water is what it’s great at when given a bunch of new stimuli.

So you are literally 1-2 days back in your routine from looking back to normal and losing all that extra water bloat.

Don’t cut calories. No need to be drastic and add more stress.

Your body just wants normal.
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Bonus #8: Body Fat Math will give you peace of mind.

Body fat math is what it actually takes to gain body fat.

The numbers are way less scary than your brain wants you to believe.

To gain one pound of fat, you need to eat about 3,500 calories more than your body needs.

So even if you were in a surplus on your trip, you’d need to overshoot your normal intake by around 500 calories per day for 7 days straight to gain just one pound of fat.

That’s not nothing…

But it’s also not easy to accidentally do unless you’re going crazy every meal of every day.

And if you were even a little intentional with your food choices (like hitting your protein, skipping random snacks, or moving your body), you likely stayed way closer to maintenance than you think.

The real culprit behind that “soft” feeling after vacation?

Water. Sodium. Alcohol. New foods. Less sleep. Less fiber.

Not fat.

And once you’re back in your normal routine, your body sheds that bloat fast (usually within a day or two).

So give yourself some grace.

You didn’t ruin anything.

It takes weeks or months of consistent overeating to create real fat gain. Not a week of living your life.

So to wrap this all up.

If you gain some body fat while traveling, who gives a shit.

It’ll be off in a week or two, but now you have memories that last a lifetime.

Memories are all we are left with.

Lol I get it. But hopefully you can see how I did it and can apply some of this to where you can have your friends saying that same shit to you 🤣

If you found this helpful, please reply to this email and let me know!

That’s how I gauge how impactful each email is so it would be much appreciated 🙏

I hope you have a great July 4th tomorrow!

Much love and happy traveling,
​Zach

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