VACATIONS!  WOOHOO!  They’re great, right?  Thoughts of vacations are part of what helps us get through the really tough days at work.  They’re one of reasons we start looking at new exercise routines, or changing our eating habits.  Vacations are a necessary little break from reality where we can unwind and regroup.

Then we get into the “vacation mode” mindset and relaxing gets a little easier each day we’re into it.  Do any of these sound familiar:

“No alarm clocks!  I’m on vacation!”

“Let’s go out to eat, I need a break from cooking… I’m on vacation.”

“I haven’t exercised all week!  We went away for vacation and there just wasn’t any time.”

“Dessert?  Of course!  It’s vacation time!”

And my personal favorite: “Vacation calories don’t count.” 

I’ve said every one of those at some point… and you know what?  There’s really nothing wrong with any of that as long as it doesn’t turn into your mantra for the rest of the vacation!  It’s pretty easy to undo months of working toward healthier lifestyle changes in one week.

So how do we deal with vacation?  How can we relax and not fall into old habits at the same time?

My nutritionist secret weapon…. 

WHAT COULD IT BE?

…..

IT’S:

….

PLANNING!

 Ok, so it’s not really a secret, and there’s no weapon involved… but it does work.  It’s the same idea as not going shopping when you’re really hungry because you will buy everything in the store.  Don’t go on vacation without a game plan for your meals.  You plan everything else… you know what hotel you’re going to, the days you will be there, tourist events you want to see… why not plan what you want to eat?

Do a little research when you’re looking for things to do on your trip.  Find stores near where you are & know what restaurants are available.  You don’t have to go full grocery shopping, but having shelf stable items on hand is definitely a good idea!  You can have a few items like whole wheat bread & peanut butter, protein bars, fresh fruit or nuts.  These are great foods to snack on while you’re planning where or what to eat for your next meal.  Waiting until you’re over hungry to decide usually results in finding the closest place to eat, the quickest food to make, and eating too fast or too much.

When you do go to a restaurant, keep in mind that sides can usually be exchanged.  I don’t think there’s a restaurant I’ve been to that hasn’t allowed me to change the usual fries for a salad or their vegetable of the day.

Go ahead and plan for the splurge meals too!  If you know you will be out celebrating a birthday and there’s pizza and birthday cake, well that just sounds delicious… enjoy it!  Then plan your next meal to be back on track with healthier items.  It’s easy to fall into an all-or-nothing mindset when you go out.  If you’re not sure what that means, it’s where you have two different ways of thinking:

Either “nothing” – where you are very strict and rigid about what you want to eat and you will have NOTHING outside of your plan. 

Or the other side is “all” – where you have a meal that you normally would not have and then decide the rest of the day is ruined so you might as well go crazy! 

Neither of those leads to the best outcome.  Usually the end result on both sides is being unhappy about your choices, and that doesn’t feel good!  That’s why planning is so important.  There are no surprises and you can figure out ahead of time what you want and don’t want on your plate.  Planning gives you the opportunity to stay in control of your choices.  If you know you are going out for your favorite milkshake tomorrow night, it becomes a lot easier to pass on the desserts you come across today. 

Don’t forget to stay hydrated!  A lot of people struggle with drinking enough water during the day anyway, and being away from home and regular routines makes that even more difficult.  Sometimes, when we’re thirsty, signals get crossed and we mistake that for hunger instead.  Not drinking enough and being away from our regular meal times raises the possibility of making unhealthy choices.  Be aware of how much you’re drinking and plan to bring extra water with you if you’re going to be out for the day.

Staying busy to try and get everything in you want to see is pretty normal on vacation.  There are new sites to see, places to go, people to visit.  Depending on where you go, sometimes all that craziness adds up to a lot more activity than you normally have!  Sometimes though, the day is busy, but you still haven’t been too “active.”  Maybe you’ve been visiting family, or relaxing by a pool or beach, then sitting down to dinner, then watching a show… definitely a long day, but there hasn’t been much to get your heart rate up.  If you have an exercise routine normally, this can get lost during vacation week.  Even if you don’t have an exercise routine, you can use that time to try some new activities.  Check and see what your hotel may have available.  Many hotels have a gym, some may have a pool.  If you’re staying with friends or family, even better!  Recruit company to show you around their neighborhood and take a walk to a new place each day.

Ultimately, vacations were meant to take a break and HAVE FUN!  We want to get back from that vacation and feel rested and ready to take on the world again.  If your diet or exercise routine is part of the stress you want a break from when you’re on vacation, it’s time to revisit what you’re asking yourself to do.  Lifestyle changes are meant to enhance your life & be sustainable and manageable… even if you’re away from home.