David and Victoria stay healthy on vacation, so can you.
Other than the holiday season, summer vacations take the cake for being the most detrimental to our diets. “I’m on vacation" becomes our way of excusing behavior that we normally wouldn’t let fly; copious amounts of alcohol, convenient “snacks” and naughty menu items add up to what could be a gain of 10 pounds by the time we get home to reality.
The beaches were wonderful, the kids had the time of their life, everything was great about your much deserved getaway...except the fact that your post vacation glow is overshadowed by the results of over consumption.
Sound familiar? If so, adopt the tips below to ensure that this August your getaway can be enjoyed and remembered the way that it should be!
- Be inspired by your bikini during the days and weeks that lead up to your departure. If you eat clean and exercise regularly before you leave it’s likely that you’ll have an easier time staying on the plan while you’re away.
- It’s a smart idea to have a discussion with whomever you are travelling with before you even solidify your plans. Ask them bluntly, “Are you planning to be healthy on this trip or are you going to eat pizza and ice cream everyday?” Put it this way to let them know that you are making an effort to keep the noshing under control. Hopefully they’ll follow suit or at least respect your decision and help keep you accountable.
- Pack your own snacks for the car or plane ride to avoid starchy carb loaded, fatty and high sodium options in vending machines and convenient stops. Great choices are apples, pears, homemade granola, trail mix, popcorn in sandwich baggies and chopped vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, celery, sweet peppers and bell
npeppers.
- Drink plenty of water and always have a bottle on you. When you stay hydrated you will feel fuller longer and lessen the chances of going for food when you’re not really hungry.
- Make it a priority to find the local farmers market or grocery store as soon as you get to your destination so that you can stock up on clean items like fruits, veggies, hummus and bottled water for your hotel room instead of constantly having to find food. More times than not the closest, most convenient stop is not going to be a healthy choice.
- Just because you get free
breakfast
where you’re staying doesn’t mean that you have to spend an hour trying everything that is offered. Stay away from bagels and bacon as those types of food will put a damper on your beautiful day. You want foods that will give you energy and leave you satisfied, not stuffed. Carpe Diem!
- Try not to think about food on vacation as “getting your money’s worth”. This gets us into trouble more than anything. Eat slowly and stop when you’re starting to feel full. Think of it like this instead, “I would probably pay $3 to lose ½ a pound. It’s pretty much the same as losing the $3 worth of food that’s still on my plate so that I don’t gain a ½ a pound.” Make sense?
- Have your own plan to stay on track because chances are that someone else on the trip won’t and it’s easy to give into temptation especially when the person sitting next to you uses excuses like “I’m on vacation”. Whether your travel buddy says that out loud or not, you can tell if that’s their mindset by the way they are choosing to eat. Let them suffer when they get home to reality while you glow!
- Do Not Eat Fast Food on vacation. You may be on a budget but the extra time and money will be worth it to sit down and enjoy a nice meal that doesn’t come slathered with extra preservatives after having sat under a warmer for god knows how long. This way you can talk to the waiter about how the items are prepared and make special requests like &
ldquo;hold the
butter and
salt”, dressings on the side, baked or broiled instead of fried, and substitute vegetables for fried side dishes. Make sure that you ask for the vegetables to be cooked with just a small amount of olive oil and no butter or salt.
- Do your homework to find out which restaurants pride themselves in using locally grown ingredients as these establishments will likely offer more of a variety of healthy options. The less the distance that food has traveled = more nutrients retained = less fatty, salty sauces to mask the loss of flavour. It’s a great way to soak in the local culture of wherever you are visiting too.
- When deciding on a dish opt for foods that the area is
best known for like
fish from
the sea and fruits from the tropics. Other than that, lean towards grilled meats, fresh salads, broth-based soups and wraps rather than entrees with heavy cream sauces and fried foods.
- Share! It’s more common than not to see restaurants serve portions that could easily feed both you and your partner. If there’s a group of you, order 3 items to share but be careful not to over order or be influenced by someone’s unhealthy pick. If it’s not what you want, speak up and say you’d rather not have that, “how about something a bit healthier?”
- Do your best to plan ahead by incorporating physical activities like walking, hiking, rent bikes, etc.
There’s plenty to
choose from
when it comes to sightseeing and burning calories at the same time. Let’s be honest, it’s great to make an effort and do the best you can to eat healthy while away but it is your vacation so you deserve to indulge a bit too! The bottles of wine won’t do as much damage to your waistline if you make it a point to exercise too.
- Speaking of your indulgences, just be smart about them! If you’re going to splurge make it worth it at least and not on something you could easily get at home like a roll with dinner. World famous desserts and signature cocktails are two examples of what you can afford to leave room for if you’re “good” most of the time.
Love,
JAM
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