Macros in the Airport Terminal

Airports are where good intentions go to die. You can pack a shaker bottle, swear you’ll find grilled chicken somewhere between terminals, and even pre-log your protein goals. Then reality hits: it’s 8 p.m., your flight’s delayed, and the only thing open is a pizza place and a kiosk selling $12 trail mix.

This is where the discipline I built from bodybuilding, MMA, and now climbing meets the chaos of corporate travel. Because macros don’t care if you’re in an airport. Your muscles don’t care if you had a meeting run long. And the deadline on fueling your body is as real as the deadline waiting in your inbox.

The Math Doesn’t Lie

I used to think I could just “wing it” when traveling. Grab a snack here, a coffee there, and figure it out later. That’s the nutritional equivalent of throwing random punches and hoping one lands. Spoiler: it doesn’t.

I’m blunt with myself now: a day without hitting my protein target means I climb weaker, recover slower, and feel like crap. So yeah, I’m that person eating turkey jerky out of a Ziploc bag while everyone else is double-fisting Auntie Anne’s pretzels. Not glamorous, but neither is failing on a route because you under-fueled all week.

Excuses vs. Execution

Travel is the perfect breeding ground for excuses.

• “There was nothing healthy available.”
• “The line was too long.”
• “I’ll just make up for it tomorrow.”

Nah. Excuses don’t count as macros. Execution does. I’ve had layovers where dinner was a protein shake and a banana because that’s what I had. Is it exciting? No. Did it keep me on track? Yes.

The same rule applies at work. I can’t tell a client, “Sorry the proposal’s late, the Wi-Fi was bad at the airport.” Deadlines don’t care. Excuses don’t fly. Execution is the only currency.

The Packing List That Saves Me

Here’s my version of carry-on survival gear:

• A shaker bottle (yes, TSA lets it through if it’s empty).
• Single-serve protein powder packs.
• Jerky or tuna packs (not great for seatmates, but survival first).
• Electrolyte packets.
• A banana or two if I can grab them pre-security.

It’s not a gourmet spread, but it’s a system. And systems beat intentions every time.

Training the Same Muscle

Tracking macros on the road isn’t about food, really. It’s about discipline — training the same mental muscle I use in climbing and at work. When you set a goal, you don’t get to toss it out just because the environment isn’t convenient. You adapt, improvise, and keep moving forward.

Rock walls don’t rearrange themselves to suit your style. Deadlines don’t shift because your travel schedule sucked. Macros don’t magically log themselves. Everything comes down to how you execute when conditions aren’t ideal.

Closing Bite

So yeah, sometimes I’m the person eating protein sludge in an airport terminal while someone next to me demolishes a burger and fries. Do I want the burger? Hell yes. But I want to climb stronger, think sharper, and show up better even more.

And that’s the trade. Because in work, climbing, or family life — excuses don’t fuel progress. Discipline does.

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