Vacation Diet Survival Guide: Party On & Weight Off

It is FINALLY that time! VACATION TIME! No work, no errands, no routine. Time to let your hair down and break out your comfiest flip flops, bathing suit and sunscreen (if you are fortunate enough to be vacationing somewhere sunny) or maybe it's your snow boots and earmuffs. 
Either way, you get

My festive WATER JAR 4th of July 2015-West Palm Beach, FL

my drift. Usually the first thing to be compromised on vacation is your diet. Am I right? Yes, I am. I know this because I just got back from vacation and...... GUILTY! While my recent trip to West Palm Beach, FL for the holiday weekend was a total cheat weekend and we ate at fancy restaurants and shared indulging 4 star dishes (only a half splurge since we literally shared one naughty dish when dining out instead of getting two and having leftovers) I was inspired to write this article about how NOT to do what I just did. The purpose of this blog post is to remind myself of how I stayed on track when I was competing in fitness and figure competitions and traveling/vacationing at the same time and to help you prepare in the future with reaching your fitness goals without having to cut yourself off from all the vacation fun. Read on and I hope my trusty tricks help.

HAVE A PLAN - Call ahead to plan out your workout options. If you are staying at a hotel call for information about the facility equipment and hours. Find a workout plan for what the facility has available. For instance, in my hotel this past weekend I had access to an elliptical, two treadmills, a recumbent bike and dumbbells up to 75lbs. I planned cardio, a routine for free weights and scheduled a workout time in the lull between festivities.  If you are visiting with family or friends scope out the nearest gym and ask what day pass fees are. Learn where outdoor trails or parks are so you can schedule in a 30-60 minute workout. Ask your family and friends in advance if they would join you so they can get it in their minds and try to commit. Suggest outdoor activities with loved

one. Staying healthy on vacation is simply about CHOOSING to and COMMITING to the PLAN.

GEAR UP -  Pack several days worth of workout clothes and sneakers, extra socks and underwear just to have a safety net and less opportunity for excuses. Let's be realistic. Speaking from experience (GUILTY!) we get LAZY on vacation. Enjoying the freedom and much needed relax mode. Understandable. Nobody is perfect and when we are on vacation, staying up later than usual, maybe drinking more than we should it is really hard to get up and workout in the morning but not nearly as hard as trying to workout in jeans and sandals should the beastmode bug bite you so GEAR UP and be prepared!  I always...literally always say,  "It is better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them."

BRING HEALTHY FOODS- Bring clean snacks like almonds, fresh and dried  fruit, protein bars, granola bars etc so you can avoid fat loaded, sodium ridden junkie munchies.  I really enjoy taking one evening before the trip to prepare well balanced meals to pack in the cooler as a healthy option. I take a couple pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast and a couple pounds of tilapia or steak and bake it all at the same time along with chopped vegetables and whole sweet potatoes. Cook them until they are done, let them cool down a bit and then weight and measure them

into tupperware bowls. Seal and label and put the majority of them in the freezer after they have met  room temperature. I label them and put the intended date and time on post it and place it on a corresponding meal. For instance, if I am going on vacation for the weekend I would pack 4 meals in the cooler (3 frozen and one cold. Take one out of the freezer whenever you consume one). I label them  Early Snack Saturday, Late Snack Saturday, Early Snack Sunday and Late Snack Sunday. If I end up not eating them all they are frozen so I can have them another time. Again, better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I'm not trying to Nutrition Nazi you. You can choose whatever healthy foods you like, obviously. I just prefer these and used it as a personal example.

DRINK RESPONSIBLY- Always eat healthy starchy foods before you begin drinking. Studies show that drinking on an empty stomach leads togetting drunk faster, says Anahad O'Connor from the New York Times. Most people make horrible choices when they are drunk due to lowered inhibitions. We tend to eat a lot more of what is a lot worse for us. It is proven that eating a meal before drinking allows our body more time to break down alcohols and absorb it more slowly. 

Bottom line, prime your stomach before you start drinking and you will consume a lot fewer bad choice calories. The drink choices could also save you calories and help keep your diet on track. Try a tonic water or soda water for a mixer versus sprite, cola or juices. Choose a light beer over a heavy lager, etc. Every good decision counts. 

DINE WISELY - It is absolutely impossible to avoid restaurants on vacation in my humble opinion and honestly, who wants to do that? I adore getting dressed up and hitting the town. I am absolute foodie so part of my joy of traveling is dining out but there is a way to dine out and not PIG OUT! I would never suggest not trying a delicious dish at a great restaurant or going to your friends favorite pub, not in a million years but I will say there is a way to manipulate the menu and split the caloric burden. For example, we went to a wonderful restaurant and decided that we would order one appetizer and one entree  between the two of us. We were worried that it might not be enough food but surprisingly we had to leave a few bites on the plate. We took our time, enjoyed the view, the conversation, the ambiance and the decadent food but we made the conscious choice to not  gorge ourselves. You can have the experience without the caloric expense (lightens the wallet burden too). Try it out! You might surprise yourself.

DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP- At the end of the day, you are ON VACATION! Enjoy yourself. The whole point is to unwind and relax your mind so you are refreshed for the grind when you get home. I am certainly not saying go stuff your face and lay around all trip long but if you don't get in any exercise or go out and eat things you know are bad for you....just enjoy it, chalk it up and get back to business when you return. It helps to front load (do a few extra sessions the previous week) on cardio and weight lifting to create a bigger caloric deficit before you

West Palm Beach July 4, 2015

go just in case you don't get to workout. I teach group classes throughout the week so the week before this past 4th Of July vacation I took my classes as I taught them. I workout side by side with my classes as well as rode my bike everywhere instead of driving. Bottom line- you are not going to gain 10lbs in a week so don't stress. I know people who have gained that in 10-14 days so don't go crazy, please. If you work hard, eat clean and live a healthy life it is ok to just ENJOY without regret. Life is about choices so make good ones. Life is about balance. Too much of anything is too much. I am always just a reply away if you have any questions or comments. I would love to hear them! I am on this journey with you everyday too. One day at a time. What good is life if we can't enjoy it's simple pleasures? HAPPY VACATION! Work hard to play hard. Until we meet again....