Schedule restraints, limited food choices, and unknown quantities are all common occurrences when you attend a conference, making the thought of traveling and tracking seem daunting.

However, with some careful planning, a few pro-tips and a cooler full of confidence, you can successfully navigate your way through a conference. Below are a number of ideas to help you out.

Get Familiar

— with your schedule and the itinerary. Research accommodations and the itinerary so you know when you have breaks to escape and eat. Check here for ways you can master your travel day!

Inquire

— about what is being served or the company that is catering. If this event is held at a popular venue, generally they will be able to tell you the caterers — if not, depending on the type of conference, there will likely be sandwiches, pasta salads, fruits, cookies and tea and coffee.

Order and Prepare

Have food delivered to your hotel by a local service, Instacart, Thrive Market, or a meal prep service. You could even load your cooler bag up with goods from home by making a breakfast bake, preparing cold meats, boiled eggs, veggies sticks and fruits.

Never Be Afraid to Ask

Special food requests are very common due to allergies and dietary restrictions. Ask for special consideration ahead of time and have your meal prepared the way you like!

Have a Gameplan

— inclusive of Plan A and B. Having a clear idea and plan mapped out about how to manage the day will reduce unnecessary anxiety and improve confidence. Also, build a buffer into your macros for the day so having a drink is totally fine (see here how to estimate that beverage).

Go Large, Early

Load up each morning on a high protein, low GI breakfast containing plenty of fiber to keep you going throughout the sessions. Enjoy a substantial breakfast at the hotel buffet (here’s how you can master it).

Practice

Hone your estimation skills at home, do some research on the common foods you know are usually served and accept that you will not have total control.

Break Away

We’re all entitled to a bathroom break. Having a small piece of fruit, pre-made wrap or high protein snack available in your handbag or jacket pocket can be a game-changer.

Ideal Snacks for the handbag: Rice cakes, jerky, homemade wrap, fruit, boiled eggs, cold meat (time dependant)

Drink More Water

Conference rooms tend to be filled with stale air, and our tea and coffee intake tends to increase. Keeping your water intake up will not only ensure you stay nice and hydrated throughout the day but will also help to keep hunger at bay! Take a look at the benefits of keeping your H2O up.

At the End of the Day:

Confidence increases with practice and time, so use all these experiences as an opportunity to grow, learn and motivate you! It’s more than likely that you’ll need to engage your eyeball estimation skills, so keep in mind you can only ever do your best! Let’s strive for excellence over perfection.