When you’re taking the vacation of your dreams, it is more than easy to forget all of the efforts that you’ve been making until that point to bring your weight down to a healthy level, or to keep it there if you’ve already achieved it. Everybody always talks about all of the weight that they gain while they are away and how their clothes fit more tightly upon their return, but that doesn’t necessarily need to be the case. Just use the right vacation diet tips to help you out.
Vacation Diet Tips to Pack with You
You can still indulge in your favorite foods and drinks while you’re on the trip of a lifetime without gaining weight as long as you use the proper vacation diet tips.
Don’t Plan to Lose Weight
You shouldn’t expect to lose weight on your vacation. You’re on a trip to relax and have fun, after all. Leave your struggles behind you and take advantage of this time to truly enjoy yourself. This should include the best of vacation diet tips – not to diet! Don’t make weight loss your goal on your trip.
The goal is not to gain any more weight and work against the progress that you’ve already made. If you try to continue to try to lose weight throughout your vacation, you’ll only cause harm to the amount of enjoyment you’ll be able to receive from your trip. Your typical eating restrictions will make it too difficult to experience your vacation dining thoroughly. Put your diet on hold and plan not to set yourself backward, instead. This gives you far more wiggle room to try new things and treat yourself!
Plan Your Fitness Ahead of Time
While you’re on a great vacation, you should be able to refresh, relax, and re-energize, but you can do all of that and still make sure that you exercise each day. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to find a hotel or resort with a gym (though if you enjoy the gym, go for it!).
Instead, try to make sure that you plan activities that have a physical element worked right into them. For example, take a walking or bicycling tour instead of a bus tour. Or try something new – that is the point to a vacation, after all!
That’s why our vacation diet tips include a regular fitness component. The following are available to you on just about any vacation, no matter where you’re headed or how much space you do – or don’t – have:
- Yoga (buy a non-slip yoga towel to replace your mat and download your favorite routine to your phone)
- Pilates (same supplies needed as yoga)
- Brisk walks every morning and/or evening
- Go for a jog or run a few times while you’re away
- Swim if you’re near a pool or are on a beach
- Climb stairs (a hotel stair well or a long set of stone steps outside will do the trick)
Bring Healthy Foods
Either bring healthy foods with you or know where to get them once you have arrived at your destination. This is most important at snack times so that you can grab some fruits and veggies, for example, instead of stopping off at a fast food place for fries when you get hungry.
Make it convenient to eat healthy and you’ll do it more often. Bring snacks with you at times when you could face delays or when you could be bored, such as during waits in airports and train stations. Homemade nutritious muffins or granola bars (be very choosy about your ingredients) are typically very easy to pack and grab as you head out the door. Nuts and seeds are also good. Avoid anything with too much sugar or unhealthy fats. Try to include as many whole foods as you can as processed foods can work against you.
Order the Right Foods as Your Vacation Diet Tips
You will likely eat at a lot of restaurants while you’re away. Look for words such as baked, broiled, or grilled when it comes to your fish and meats, and this will help to control the calories while still enjoying your favorite proteins.
Start with a salad. At every meal, a simple green salad – or other salads that avoid creamy dressings – should get things started. That way, you’ll already have lots of great nutrients and fiber in your belly by the time you dig into something more indulgent. In fact, you may find that at that point, you can split the more indulgent meal with someone else. You’ll still get to experience it and enjoy a good portion without overdoing it!
Use these vacation diet tips to enjoy every minute of your vacation without having to come home to substantial weight setbacks.
