Life unfolds around us all the time. We never quite know what tomorrow will bring, despite our best efforts to make plans for our week and month. Truth is, things happen that cause us to derail from our path and we have to have emergency plans to compensate for this.

So if work keeps us busy until 10 o’clock at night, 5 days a week, or we work two jobs, or we are called to duty in Iraq and we’re just trying to survive, it doesn’t mean that our workout plans and goals have to go down the drain!

First off, desire is everything. If you want something badly enough, nothing that happens can deter you from your goal and path. You may have to go to Plan B, and get creative in the way you stay focused on your goals, but Plan B can get you there just as easily as Plan A, it just involves a few more detours.

Eating Under Less Than Ideal Conditions – A Few Scenarios

You’re at the Office 10-12 Hours a Day

- Being captive at work can make eating like a champ, challenging. Getting in the habit of packing food for the day in a cooler, for all the meals you’ll need over 10 hours, is a great way to plan ahead. You may not have control over your schedule, but you sure have control over how you choose to make up for that in planning.

You’re on Vacation

- Going on holiday isn’t an excuse for a diet free-for-all and pig out session! Yeah, sure, the guys in the Bahamas on that fishing boat don’t care about your spare tire, but you will when you get home. Eating on vacation, particularly at resorts, is sooooo easy, it’s a crime to not do it. Typically, you’ll have the best seafood, beef, fruit, and vegetables available to you. You don’t have to be on a contest diet, but keep it clean and you’ll just get better on vacation.

You’re in a Third World Country

- Just because you were drafted to Iraq doesn’t mean you can’t get a workout in. Military outposts usually always have weights available for soldiers, and some other form of fitness to keep the recruits in tip top shape. But chow time can be challenging. Try to go for as much protein as you can, avoid the sugars and eat as much fruit and vegetable items as possible to keep roughage and water content high. Both are important in hot climes.

Tips for Training Under Less Than Ideal Conditions

• Plan ahead – know what your liabilities will be and figure out a way around them

• If on vacation, go to the resort weight room and run in the sand, or ski

• If you’re on the job 60+ hours a week, run on a treadmill for 20 minutes and train for

• 20-25 minutes. The stress release is great and you’ll stay in shape

• Carry your own make-shift equipment. Rubber tubing or elastic for resistance, ankle weights, yoga/ sit up mat, etc… so you have a means by which to work out anywhere

• Have a workout buddy at work or meet your spouse or partner for a workout mid-day

• Be happy with less during the week or during the time you’re not in an ideal setting, and make up for it on the weekends or when you’re back to a normal schedule.

• Stuck without a weight room? Do wall sits, crunches, push ups, vertical jumps & steps

• Remember, activities such as skiing in the winter count as exercise and can be a great mental break from the gym. And if you think powder isn’t grueling, it’ll kick your ass better than any pass on the leg press!

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