Summer time is right around the corner. Warm weather, sun shining, endless outdoor activities! Who doesn’t love this time of year?! (now that I live in Florida I’m not super keen on the season–think 100º days with 100% humidity)—nothing some water sports can’t cure right?!
Anyway, with summer comes vacation time for a lot of families. #vacationmode I love exploring new cities, whether it’s nearby home or thousands of miles away. Each city offers it’s own unique spin on restaurants, arts/culture & activities they have to offer. Notice my first point—restaurants. Peeping out the food scene in any city is definitely one of my favorite things to do. Some people look for best happy hour, best live music…I personally look for best FOOD.
Now when you’re on vacation, I understand, we throw our cares to the wind & it’s our time to let loose. You don’t have to worry about cleaning the house, getting the trash out, prepping meals, finishing the dishes, picking the kids up from school….the list really does go on. BUT that doesn’t mean we should be completely careless about how we treat our bodies. We don’t need to be shoveling down all the happy hour appetizers & trying every drink on the menu. We can still indulge & stay on track with ours goals while on vacation.
My brother said something (while we were at THE best brunch buffet in town) over the Christmas holidays. I had asked him how he manages portion control so well –him & my mom somehow have this on lockdown, whereas my dad & I can snack anyone under the table! But his answer was simple, ‘I don’t like to be full & feel sick.’ Wow…profound, I mean, what a concept right?! You don’t need to stuff yourself silly every time you eat…? There is always dinner, tomorrow, the next day & so on.
Not only this but often times when we’re out to eat with friends & family (especially on vacation) it’s easy to forget that you’ve been working all year on that 1 (or multiple) specific health goal–whether it’s weight loss, getting stronger, eating better etc. Sometimes you have to stop & remind yourself you’ve been going strong for X days/months/years–getting in your workouts & your veggies & eating enough protein to aid in recovery. Why blow it all on vacation just to try a new version of chicken wings or truffled fries?!
Now don’t get me wrong, there is certainly a time & place for a treat, cheat, untracked meal. Whatever you want to call it–no one is perfect all of the time & we do all deserve to let our hair down once in a while. But don’t confuse that with ice cream EVERY night after dinner. We all have our vices.
My point is that just because you’re on vacation it doesn’t mean you need to go ham on every meal & skip your workouts. There is a balance to be made, you absolutely want to enjoy yourself, but you also don’t want to derail everything you’ve been working toward to look great in your new speedo! All jokes aside, next vacation you’re on (or the current vacation you’re on) make it a point to take a walk after dinner, explore the city you’re in. You don’t need to uber EVERY where–chances are your area has many walkable activities! Plan out which restaurants you absolutely want to hit. Make it point to stock your mini fridge when you first get in with some of the basics for breakfast & lunch. That will help you stay on track & save a little money—fruits & veggies obviously, but also get some lean protein in there, beef jerky, yogurt, cottage cheese, protein bar, because chances are a lot of your meals will be high in fat & carbs, you want to ensure you’re still hitting your protein goals. Lastly, STAY HYDRATED. I can’t emphasize that enough. Whether you flew, drove or biked into your destination you’re body needs to stay hydrated.
To re-cap, the top 4 things you can do on THIS vacation to stay on track:
- Move more!
- Plan your culinary itinerary (I’m serious!)
- Stock you mini fridge
- Chug H2O