Sticking to a healthy diet can be somewhat challenging in everyday life, but it gets even trickier when you add travel and vacations into the mix. If you think gaining weight on vacation is inevitable, think again. There’s no reason why a break from your regular routine has to mean complete reckless abandon when it comes to your fitness. There are ways to enjoy your time away, even indulge a little and not come back heavier.
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Stay active – It’s vacation, so you obviously don’t want to (or need to) hit the gym every day but look for opportunities to stay active on your break. If you’re at a vacation destination that is walkable, do just that. Walking to meals or seeing the sights on foot instead of in a tour bus are just a couple of ways to up your steps and activity level. If you’re at a beachy area, walking the coastline or participating in activities like swimming and snorkeling are fun ways to burn calories while enjoying your surroundings. You may even find if you wear an exercise tracker that you are more active on vacation that you are in “real life” since you’re not tied to a desk or in your regular routine of work and home.
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Choose your indulgences wisely – You shouldn’t feel that you need to adhere to a strict meal plan while you’re on vacation. One of the best things about travel is the opportunity you get to try new things and experience the local flavors of a destination. So, choose which indulgences you’ll have based on what’s special about the place you’re visiting. As long as the majority of your meals are healthy, a few special treats won’t sink your health efforts.
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Think before you drink – Vacations and drinking seem to go together for most adults. But, what many don’t realize is that if you have even just 2-3 alcoholic drinks a day, over the course of the week that adds up to thousands of extra calories. To avoid this you can limit your drinking to alternate days, or consider your drinks part of your allowance of indulgences. Choose drinks like a vodka seltzer, a glass of red wine, a light beer or tequila over ice versus mixed and fruity drinks like coladas, margaritas and sangrias.
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Pack yourself some healthy snacks – You won’t find very many healthy snack options in the hotel vending machine, poolside or at the beach shack. Bringing some nutritious snack food of your own is a great way to ensure that you have some healthy foods to stave off hunger in between meals. You’re also less likely to make poor food decisions for your meals if you’re not famished. Protein bars, nuts, dried fruits and even apples and bananas are super foods to munch on while you’re sightseeing or enjoying the sun.
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Keep breakfast light – While you may be tempted to treat yourself to a hearty breakfast of all of your favorites, loading up on omelettes, pancakes, french toast and bacon in the morning can slow you down for the rest of the day. A high calorie, high carb breakfast can drain you of the energy you need to go out and actually do things afterward. Instead, stick to high protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates in the morning. These could include eggs, avocado, whole grain breads, oatmeal and fruits.
