Summer is upon us! Ahh the days of warmer weather, shorts, tank tops & sandals ANNND vacations!
It’s always so fun to plan a getaway, whether it’s for a long weekend, several days to the beach, or maybe a longer trip out of the country. But through the years I’ve worked with women on their health & nutrition, I find a common fear that is prevalent among them… gaining weight on a vacation.
About 10 years ago, my family & I had the pleasure of going on a 17-day cruise through Europe. We saw so many places in Italy, Greece & Turkey. The vacation was like an amazing dream & full of all of the magic of what you would expect of a trip like that. When we returned, I got on the scale to see what the damage was to my weight. To my surprise, I weighed the exact same thing I did before we left!
That couldn’t be right, could it? I stepped off the scale & got back on. Still the same wight.
What had I done differently? I had only “worked out” one time on that whole trip. We did walk a ton, as is common in European countries, but surely just walking didn’t keep my weight the same.
Then when our next vacation rolled around, we returned, and my weight didn’t change again.
I know I was enjoying myself on these vacations. New foods, desserts & drinks were part of all of our trips. I never deprived myself.
But, what I had done was make a conscious choice not to go crazy, eating all the things because of some extreme idea that this was the only time in my life I could ever enjoy those things.
No, instead I had discovered in my normal everyday life, how to have balance. Eating mostly whole foods but enjoying desserts on a random Tuesday if I so choose. Also, I had realized that making extreme resolutions to never eat again dessert, chips, or have wine, weren’t serving me so I stopped doing it.
The way I lived my sustainable life at home was carrying over to vacations.
I still ate the things, drank the things & didn’t exercise as much as I normally do.
And it was working.
So, here’s my advice for you when you’re going on vacation:
· Eat fairly consistently with what you eat at home – every meal doesn’t need to be a splurge. This won’t be the last time you can enjoy food so don’t treat it as such. That is a bondage mentality that leads to the guilt you feel when you return from vacation.
· Eat dessert when you want it – don’t feel like you have to eat the dessert at every single location. Instead, eat it if you want it & eat it in a normal portion size.
· Choose protein first at every meal – protein helps balance blood sugar. Having protein with added carbs & fats you wouldn’t normally eat will help keep insulin production lower. Also, eating protein helps the body process alcohol better.
· Don’t overeat or overdrink – as mentioned in point one above, this isn’t the last time you’ll get to enjoy. Overdoing it on a food or beverage actually leaves you feeling bad. Why would you want to remember that feeling from a vacation? Wouldn’t it be so much more enjoyable to enjoy something & remember feeling good about the taste of it & the emotions you felt with the people you were with?
· Move some – bodies need rest. And if you work out on a regular basis, maybe vacation isn’t the time to do that, but gentle movement is still important. Go on walks, ride a bike, take a leisurely swim, do a yoga video.
· THE VERY MOST IMPORTANT TIP – if you come back from vacation & you’ve gained a couple or a few pounds, DO NOT GO ON A CRASH DIET! Simply base your meals in whole foods, stop snacking for a few days, cut out dessert for a week or so & drink plenty of water. You’ll be back on track before you know it!
If you want help in figuring out how to make your everyday life become a sustainable way of living so you can enjoy life but still maintain a healthy weight, email me. Let’s chat about what that can look like for you!