Vacation time means RELAXING TIME!! I get so many people coming up to me asking for tips to stay on track through out their vacation. Of course you want to enjoy yourself but you want to find that healthy balance so you aren't coming back 5 pounds heavier, undoing your hard work, bloated, and back to square one. That's why I believe in HEALTHY lifestyles instead of DIETS> Find your perfect balance and over time it will get easier.
So over the last few years I've learned a few things that have totally made it easier to go on vacation and still live my health life. I no longer have to stress about not having any healthy eats and totally going off the band wagon. I want to help you make your next trip as stress free as possible! Vacation can still be FUN even if you are eating healthier! It really is all in the mindset. Changing the way that we think so that our full focus isn't on the foods we eat but on the people we are with.
1. Resist the urge to splurge. When we eat out we tend to tell ourselves that this is our cheat meal for the week. So we order things we typically wouldn't eat! These foods are higher in calories and fat and usually are WAY higher than we could ever anticipate. The other factor is that even the act of eating out is going to cost your more calories than when you eat at home. This is because most restaurants do not cook clean. They use high fat oils, butters and sauces to achieve flavor that blows your mind. Even when you order grilled chicken, steamed veggies and a baked potato most likely the chicken has a marinate, the veggies are in butter or oil and the potato possibly comes smothered with butter. Also restaurants tend to serve us with larger portions and we eat it. This is as opposed to cooking at home and measuring out the correct portion size. So what can you do to combat this restaurant nightmare?
Order an appetizer as a meal.
Order a half size portion
Split your food with someone else.
Box up 1/2 of your meal right away before it ever even hits the table.
Stick to water and enjoy the company you are with!
2. Enjoy the scenery and sample the food. While on vacation most likely it is a place that you enjoy going and that has lots to see and do! Instead scheduling your trip around which restaurants you want to go to focus on the things you are going to do there! For example, bike riding, hiking, snorkling, kayaking, long walks on the beach, massages and yoga classes. Sure when you hit up a nice restaurant and see a dessert that completely blows your mind you should sample it vs gorge yourself in it. Ask for someone else to split it with you and just do a little bit!
3. Use exercise as your secret weapon. When you go on vacation you don't have to pack up all your DVDs or weights but you should find creative ways to get in your daily exercise. Walking to and from the pool bar is not going to cut it! Instead walk to the restaurant instead of drive. Take an after dinner walk on the beach. Rent bikes and ride to breakfast each morning. Have a family fun day of volleyball or wave surfing! Swim laps at the pool and do anything you can to stay active.
4. Better Choices on the menu. Make healthful choices that appeal to you at fast food and restaurants whenever possible. Why is it important to order more healthful choices only if they appeal to you? Because if they don't, you're going to feel like you are depriving yourself and resent it.
Sometimes you can make a fast food or restaurant choice instantly better just by ordering it with a different condiment or sauce (say, Dijon mustard instead of mayonnaise, or marinara sauce instead of a white sauce).
5. Water is your friend. Keep all systems going by drinking your daily water requirement. Traveling can dehydrate you, and so can being out in the sun more than your body is used to. If you can, stock your car, backpack, or hotel room with ice-cold bottles of water. Bring water everywhere you go.
I always hit up the local grocery store wherever I go and buy a case of water. I also take my refillable water bottle with me and always keep it full of water! If your mouth is dry then you are already past the point of thirst! Plus staying hydrated also is going to keep hunger at bay!
6. Eat When You're Hungry and Stop When You're Comfortable- It sounds simple, but many of us have gotten out of the habit of paying attention to whether we're truly, physically hungry. Eating opportunities and celebrations are all around us when we are vacationing, and we're in the "I'm on VACATION!" mindset. That's when we will be the most vulnerable to eating even if we aren't hungry and not stopping when we are comfortable.
7. Pack healthy snacks- This is one of the easiest things to do! A lot of times we think oh I can find an apple and almonds anywhere! Then the gas station you stop at doesn't have apples and the almonds are salted! You are right back to square one again! So how do you combat that? The answer is easy. You pack healthy snacks in a cooler and you don't leave it up to chance. You can't control everything while you are on vacation but the things that you can control you absolutely should!
I always pack:
Apples because they travel well.
Unsalted raw almonds and I portion them into little baggies with 14 in a bag.
Shakeology Packets- yes you can take them on the airplane
Shaker Cup
Bottled Water
1/2 cup oatmeal measured out in a ziploc bag with 1/2 c raisins.
Lara Bars- Very clean snack.
baby carrots and individual hummus cups
I have a great little 31 cooler that I take everywhere with me! It travels well and believe me no body questions what I have! Most of the times it gives other people ideas for how to pack healthy snacks! Also, the little hamilton Beach mini blender travels so well! It's quiet, it has the twist and go cup and it fits perfectly in your luggage! This gives you the best tasting shakeology ever!!!!
8. Go Easy on the Alcohol- It's easy to get carried away with the drinks on vacation but they also pack on the calories pretty quickly! It's really hard to track how much you ingested as the drinks flow! Plus you can get dehydrated pretty quickly! So my rule of thumb is 1 glass of water for every alcoholic drink. I also tend to stick to soda water and vodka with a splash of lemon, lime or strawberries! It's low cal and still is refreshing with the bubbly!!!
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| Vodka Soda Water- Low Cal Drinks |
9. I always lay out my plan ahead of time! I know when I am getting my workout in. If I don't feel comfortable working out at the hotel or at someone's house I ask them if we can go for a run or try out a class at their local gym. You never know who you seek to inspire by your healthy habits!
Also, it is YOUR vacation! Don't ever ever let anyone make you feel guilty for sticking to your healthy habits! I mean who has the right to tell you, "It's vacation, you should enjoy it!" Seriously, I enjoy my vacation eating my fruit and yogurt! I honestly have no problem at all when I take things in moderation. Vacation is supposed to be fun and I want to have the energy to enjoy it! So I am going to stick to my guns on the things that are important to me! Having dessert 5 nights out of the week is not going to make me feel good. Instead after each meal I am going to regret my decision and by the end of the week I am not even going to want to put on a bathing suit. That to me is not fun! I don't want to come home from vacation and have to start at square 1! I own my body, my emotions and my decisions. I don't feel guilty for eating healthy, its actually what we should do! I will tell you that while on vacation I will enjoy my wine and cocktails and I will enjoy some ice cream. Those are the things I like. The rest I will forget! I pick and choose what's important to me! That's the balance between the two!
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| Fear of Failure |
Enjoy your vacation!! I will be on vacation September 10th - 30th to go back to the mainland for my Brother in Laws Wedding. So you can follow me on my Facebook to see how I stay on track!! :)
If you want more tips like this join my August 18th Challenge and get the tools each and every day to help you be successful during your summer vacation!!!
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