Happy Labor Day Weekend to all! Whether you’re traveling and enjoying the 3-day weekend, or staying home and relaxing, I hope everyone stays safe and healthy over the holiday weekend. I am fortunate enough to be taking advantage of the long weekend and am going to the beach to stay with family for the week! Although vacations are crucial for our mental well-being, deviating from our healthy normal routines can be a source of stress for some of us. If this sounds familiar, keep reading for 5 tips to keeping up with your healthy habits while on vacation!
Aim for perfect, not better: You’re on vacation, meaning life isn’t going to be exactly how it is at home (that’s the point, isn’t it?!). You likely aren’t going to get everything as “perfect” as it would be back home. Your workouts aren’t going to be the exact same, your food choices aren’t going to be the same, your sleep schedule, morning routine, other self-care habits might all be a bit out of whack. And guess what? That’s OK. Just because things aren’t as “perfect” as they are back home doesn’t mean that you should just give up and throw in the towel. Instead of this “all or nothing” thinking aiming for perfection, (for example: “I can’t get in my normal hour long workout, so I’m just not even going to bother”), just aim to be better than you would be if you weren’t doing anything. Can you get in 15 pushups before breakfast? A walk on the beach? Just because things can’t be “perfect” doesn’t mean they can’t be better!
Plan Ahead: Planning ahead can be a great way to ensure that you control your controllables and make healthy choices! Can you look for a hotel that has a fitness center, a kitchenette or a mini fridge in the room? Check what restaurants are around, and what kinds of foods you will be able to enjoy there? What grocery stores are around to pick up some healthy snacks? Plan out what kinds of workouts you will be able to perform, and when during your vacation you’ll get to do them? Plan as much (or as little!) as you want to in order to make sure that you can stick to some of your healthy habits while still enjoying your time!
Be Active: If you’re on vacation, you’re likely not exercising as much as you’re used to in your normal routine..and that’s perfectly OK! Vacation is a time to give your mind AND body a rest. However, that doesn’t mean that you should completely cut out all activity. Staying active is important for not only those looking to manage their weight on vacation, but also just staying healthy! Our bodies require movement to function properly. This being said, you don’t need to go to the hotel gym for hours a day, or even get your normal 10k steps. But try to incorporate movement into your fun vacation activities! Can you go for a family bike ride around the city? Or go for a walk on the beach? What about activities such as kayaking, swimming, or hiking? Find a way to enjoy physical activities while on vacation that are both fun AND healthy!
Prioritize Protein: If you’re not as focused on your nutrition on vacation as you are at home, that is 100% OK. Just like one week of eating “healthy” won’t make you lose 30lbs, one week of being flexible won’t make you gain 30lbs. There’s no need to count calories, macros, or anything else while on vacation (or at all, in fact). However, in order to sustain the progress from all of your hard work back home it is important to prioritize protein. With every meal and snack try and get at least 1 serving of lean protein. Try to see if you can order some eggs or egg whites with breakfast, grilled chicken, salmon, turkey, or tofu with lunch and dinner, and find some protein bars, protein shakes, jerky, Greek yogurt, or edamame for snacks. Making sure you’re getting enough quality protein will preserve lean body mass while also keeping you satiated throughout your action packed day!
Fall back on the simple stuff: Luckily, the guiding principles that I use with all of my clients can be done anywhere, any time, with no special equipment! If you can’t carry out any other healthy habits while on vacation, remember the “simple stuff” (remember, “simple” doesn’t mean insignificant!). The following skills are those you can take with you anywhere and will make a huge difference!
Choose whole foods whenever possible. At the breakfast buffet, choose fresh oranges over orange juice, oats over cereal, etc.
Eat mindfully. Likely on vacation you’ll be enjoying some yummy new foods, so eating slow and mindfully will come in handy!
Eat until you feel 80% full.
Stay away from all-or-nothing thinking. If you go “overboard” one day, don’t scrap the whole vacation. Get right back on track with these simple steps the next day and every day thereafter on vacation!
Vacation is important for the soul, mind, and body. Enjoy yourself, but also take care of your health. Do you want more tips on how to stay healthy on vacation? Reach out!