Staying Fit & Healthy While Travelling

Vegan World Vegan Travel Forum
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Hi everyone, I just wanted to share a problem that I had during my four months travelling in South America.

I have been doing plenty of walking and hiking but also plenty of eating. Cusco for example was amazing for Vegan food. But being vegan doesn’t always mean healthy. Also on a lot of the hikes we ate a lot of white bread (they had eggs available for vegetarians but they didn’t really cater for vegans). I started to fall into the trap of getting desserts just because they were vegan. One day as I was looking in the mirror I started to feel really bad about how I looked. I had lost all the muscle definition that I attained working out vigorously at home and had most certainly started to jiggle a lot more.

I really had to compose myself and remember that I was travelling the world!! Who cares if I was a little more ‘fluffy’ than usual. It’s uncomfortable not to fit into my clothes as well as I used to but I am taking a year out to travel which is an amazing experience. I couldn’t believe I was getting down about my weight.

However there was a middle ground to be achieved here. This gave me a great chance to remember everything I had learned and get control of my thoughts and actions again. The desserts had to stop, my health is far more important. I also try and work out everyday. But it is also ok if I miss a day because I am touring an amazing new location. I just wondered if anyone else had come across this during long term travel?

I made a blog post about it if anyone is interested in reading:- https://veggietravelgirl.com/fit-healthy-while-traveling/

1 Like
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Thanks for this post. I am a new vegetarian. I have been traveling in Southeast Asia and sometimes, there are places where vegan/vegetarian food is just hard to find. It’s been a challenge trying to eat healthy. Anyway, I have adjusted and these kinds of tips really help.

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I completely get your point! In Thailand, I experienced the similar problem: there were many vegetarian options, but they weren’t always the healthiest. It all boils down to finding equilibrium and avoiding excessive stress. I’m glad you’re figuring things out.

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Honestly, I really feel this. Travelling around Europe for work and trying to find healthy vegan options? Nightmare. You end up living on chips, bread, and whatever sad salad you can scrape together. I came back from a month in Eastern Europe feeling noticeably fluffier than I would like.

My trick now is to bring a few shelf stable bits with me. Protein bars, nut butter pouches, instant oats. Stops me reaching for the fried stuff just because it is there. When I am home, I order a box of Trek bars or Pip & Nut sachets from McGrocer and throw them straight in the suitcase. Saves me at the airport.

Also, I try not be too hard on myself about missing a workout or eating a few too many vegan brownies. I just try to balance it with some walking or a run when I can.