1 year ago in Hawai’i when I had a somewhat stable and predictable life, I’d say that I was in pretty damn good shape. I was running 7 and 3 miles every other day and lifting weights 3-4 times a week. I was also leading a fairly active lifestyle that included hiking, surfing, swimming, snorkeling, and anything else I could do to keep myself entertained. How times have changed!
Before 1 Year of Travel
Over the last week, I’ve finally returned to the gym after a 1 year leave and I’m certain of one thing, I’m completely out of shape. I blame traveling for the entire last year for this mess, but looking back there were things I could have done to prevent me from feeling like a 90 year old man this afternoon.
STAY AWAY FROM THE KEBABS!
My unconditional love for kebabs seems to have come back and bit me in the ass! And no, I’m not talking about meet on a stick. I’m talking about the mouth watering doner kebabs that seem to be everywhere abroad. These babies are loaded with some type of mystery meat that is slow roasted and then combined with veggies, hot sauce and tzatziki sauce all rolled conveniently in a flour tortilla or pita. If I’m ever to have a last meal, that’s it.
I literally survived on kebabs for nearly half my trip. And by survive, I mean breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Nothing but kebabs. And the sad thing was I couldn’t get enough! Suffice it to say, such a one sided diet is probably not the best to keep your six pack showing.
COMPLETE LOSS OF MOTIVATION TO EXERCISE
Don’t get me wrong, I still got physical activity while I traveled. I walked more often than taking public transportation and I occasionally did a fun activity that involved exercise like biking or hiking. That said, I think I actually ran to work off some extra lbs. 3 times in 1 year and then completely threw it out the window.
Why I stopped exercising? A complete lack of motivation. To put it bluntly, I no longer cared to exercise or what would happen as a result of me not exercising. The only thing I cared about was having fun, seeing someplace new, and meeting cool people. Although it was awesome, I sure wish I would have stayed in shape more now.
TOO MUCH BEER!
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a beer (or more) a day most certainly brings on the pounds like kids to a candy store. It’s hard to stay away from the drinks especially when traveling. Everyone is out to have a good time and it’s a great way to meet other travelers. Everything in moderation though, right?
Now this is just from the outside looking in because I definitely did not have the will power to lay off the booze. If you can hold off on the drink to a certain extent, you will have a much better chance staying slim and fit. If your like me and you can’t, well then screw it. Life is too short. So have fun, drink up, and enjoy. Lord knows, I did.
Now that I’ve gone completely contradicting myself and supporting an unhealthy lifestyle, let me tell you one thing. I wish I would have done a bit more exercise while abroad and I wish I had the will power to stay away from kebabs and beer. I also wish I had a million dollars and my private leer jet!
Go out, have fun, and don’t worry too much about staying in shape. In fact, us Americans, who attempt to stay in shape, are almost too bulky at times for the rest of the world. Go to Europe and you will find skinny guys in skinny jeans and t-shirts that cling to their rail thin arms. It’s weird to me, but I guess it works.
Just heed my warning, once you have one doner kebab, it’s a very slippery slope.
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I can definitely relate! I was in much better shape before I left on my six month trip to India, Vietnam, and Nepal. Now I’m back in the United States and realizing how much I let my health go out the window. I think I was just too busy with the new experiences and logistics of things that I skipped exercise.
I’m working off all that crap now and training for my first marathon this year. I eventually want to run an ultramarathon (100 miles)… just for the hell of it.
Keeping a nomadic lifestyle and staying in shape is definitely a challenge I’ll be working on this year.