Heading out on vacation this month? We asked our Edge Personal Trainers for advice on how to stick with a plan while traveling. Click here to read their tips for success!
- Plan your meals ahead of time. If you have a certain meal plan/calorie limit, plan your meals ahead of time. If you're planning to go to a restaurant, research the menus ahead of time and pick out which meals fit into your plan. Restaurants often have nutrition facts on the menu which can make it easier for you!
- Stay active. Vacation is all about relaxing, but you can incorporate relaxing activities that actually burn calories. Playing football on the beach, walking, swimming, and hiking are all fun vacation activities that will help you stay active without going out of your way!
- Drink water and other 0 calorie beverages. The less calories you drink, the less likely you will feel the need to eat more. Drinking more water and curbing your appetite in a healthy way will also lessen your chances of overheating.
- Plan day trips involving activity. Incorporating exercise into your vacation activities is the perfect way to spend time with your family and friends, while also getting a workout in. Hiking a mountain, walking through the town, going to a cool outdoor gym, or long bike rides are all great ways to combine exercise with vacation time.
- Decide whether you want to stick to your normal diet or be more lenient. Before you leave for your trip, ask yourself what level of seriousness you will be with your diet. If you want to eat and drink more than you usually do, go right ahead! Set up reasonable limits for your vacation. This way you will not constantly feel guilty for breaking your diet or worrying about how many calories you have left.
- Come up with “minimums”. Minimums are perfect for when you just want to do enough to feel like you are not wasting your progress. One ten-minute run per day, one serving of vegetables per day, or three exercises per week are all realistic goals that you can make to hold yourself accountable during your trip. This is good for people who do not intend on staying true to their normal routine but don’t want to feel bad about breaking that routine.
- Indulge, but don’t overindulge. Have that drink. Have that cookie. Have those nachos. But don’t indulge to the point your stomach hurts. Don’t feel like you can’t eat or drink what you want to but have a good idea of how much of a leash to give yourself.
- Research healthy, but tasty, snack recipes. There are plenty of tasty snacks that are extremely healthy! Fresh watermelon, guacamole or veggies and dip are all great options!
- Plan exercises that can be done with the resources you will have. Look up what type of equipment you will have access to and make a workout plan according to that. Do you have access to a gym? Does the gym have the equipment you’re used to? Are we incorporating the outdoors instead? Make a plan that works best for you.
- Don’t stress and enjoy your vacation! Don’t forget that this is your vacation! Don’t feel as guilty for not following your routine as closely as you usually do. It is normal to not workout everyday on vacation. If you go over your calorie limit, just try to hit it the next day! You can workout and eat healthy everyday, but you may only visit your vacation destination once in your life. Seize the day!