Your job sounds similar to mine!

I found it really helpful to get hotels/motels with a Microwave if I could. That way I can pre-purchase or make good quality meals, stick them in a cool bag in my suitcase when I leave home - shove them in the motel fridge and nuke them at dinner time. I also take fruit, an exercise DVD (in case there's no gym or pool nearby) and something to keep myself 'busy' at those odd times in the evening when I get 'snacky' because I'm bored.

It does take quite a bit of management though which can be really challenging when 'crazy busy' is an understatement!!

Other than the kick in the guts at not seeing your weight change - do you feel better physically?

And remember your weight fluctuates during the day and the month (women) so weigh yourself again in a few days.

Chin up! You are so not a failure, keep your positive attitude up :) So you didnt loose weight, how are your clothes feeling? did you take measurements? Dont just look at weight alone.

A portable lunch I have is precooked falafel and a tub of hummus. yum. or vegi sticks in a snap lock bag again to go with the hummus, yum. I find these are fine fridge free for a few days.

ps happy birthday :)

I think the fact that you didn't put ON any weight in 6 weeks is still something to be celebrated :)

Hi Rachel! You are so right about having to be planned when away for weightloss! So many places don't cater for healthy options these days! some lunch ideas for you - take tins of tuna (the light flavoured ones are great!) and some pita breads, you can top these up with some salad type things if you get hte chance to buy some. Try mentioning to whoever caters your events that you are "gluten free" (even though you aren't!) as the food options will automatically become healthier- in my experience it tends to be fruit and high protein options given as everything else has gluten in it! If you are just doing day trips, maybe invest in a really good airtight container and take a packed lunch. Take a pouch of vege soup with you if you are going somewhere with a microwave handy.... EAting on the go things like sushi are good options, paninis with the cheese taken out! Good Luck with the planning!

Hey Rachel - keep in mind its winter, when the weight likes to cling :) Tips for travelling - try to book hotels that have a gym in house ... let your hosts know in advance that you are gluten intolerant (might help a bit), get a dehydrator and make a bunch of stuff while you are at home that you can take with you on trips.

Travelling is really hard. We recently had to do an emergency marathon mission from Wellington to Whangarei and back at short notice so no food was prepared, except for the 3 mandarins I grabbed from the fridge on my way out. We drove mostly at night, and given the amount of money we were spending on diesel, we were really on a tight budget. To keep us awake at night we drank LOTS of water but also consumed chips, pies from the service stations we stopped at, and once when we stopped for food simply out of sheer hunger, we had to choose between the only two places still open: KFC or Pizza Hutt. Needless to say we were both craving real unprocessed food by the time we made it home.

But that wasnt very helpful was it :P We're back now and first thing I did was head straight to my kitchen to make pumpkin soup. Good homemade soup cannot be beaten. Could you try taking soup in a large flask for dinner? Sorry, thats the closest thing to a suggestion I have today

ok you guys seriously rock! This is all really helping :)

I like the idea of taking an exercise dvd with me :) better than my hotel room yoga! :)

and thank you for the positivity - yes, my clothes are fitting better, and I'm feeling better. Next thing is the scale change :)

I know about living out of your suitcase. -Stay only in hotels with a gym and use it. -Talk to the kitchen staff about a special breakfast option for you. They are usually very sympathetic and happy to make a customer happy if you ask them nicely and make sure they feel valued. I called in advance and had them prepare fresh fruit salad and cereal/ muesli without sugar for me at a set time each morning. That way you don't get tempted if you stay at hotels with buffet breakfast and save a lot of time searching for the healthy options. -Bananas and apples travel well.

Hey Rachel! I think its fantastic with all that travelling you have managed to not put on any weight! When you are at conferences and meetings it is so easy to nibble on the biscuits, morning teas, catered lunches and over indulge in coffees, especially if they are 'real' coffees and made with steamed milk - remember all that milk counts for something. A couple of tips I would offer * Always carry a water bottle in your bag and try to drink 2 litres of plain water (teas, coffees and juices do not count) a day, if you are well hydrated you are less likely to snack. *if high calorie snacks and morning teas cannot be avoided, then allow yourself one snack and then either chew on gum or have a mint - the alteration to the taste in your mouth will stop the urge for more. *fruit is your friend, try to carry fruit, raw nuts and perhaps a protein bar or two in your handbag for when travelling. *Pick foods to travel with that have the health tick - these have already been reviewed and must stick to high standards for sodium and fat levels etc. Look in the supermarket ailse at items such as foil packed pasta and tuna meals - tins of tuna are great to add to things for protein, remember protein will keep you full for longer and give you energy. *The gluten free suggestion is a great one, perhaps alternate your dietary requirements with normal, gluten free and vegetarian. *Some veges travel better than others and dont need refrigerations, think carrots, tomatos, avocado, lettuce will survive a day or so etc. So perhaps some salad and tuna would work? No need for microwave and you can buy premade salads from supermarket for a few dollars.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!