Exercise, Diets, and Vacation
You’ve finally found a good groove and are doing well with your exercise and nutrition habits. But looming on the horizon is a vacation. Normally, a vacation countdown can be an exciting time. However, it can also cause some needless worry; how can you stay on track with your exercise and nutrition and enjoy the vacation at the same time?
At these times it’s important to remember that dieting on vacation only ruins diets…and vacations.
Here are some important tips and ideas to keep in mind as you prepare for your vacation and are not quite sure about how to incorporate your exercise and diet into those plans:
It’s important to remember that physical capabilities gained from exercise will typically dissipate at a slower rate than the rate they were gained. Additionally, any loss of physical capabilities will generally return with less effort than it took to achieve those gains the first time. This means, it’s perfectly acceptable to take a break from the gym and formal exercise for the duration of a short vacation. In fact, many well-planned exercise programs will regularly include several days to a week of little-to-no formal exercise (often referred to as a, ‘deload’). Strive to remain somewhat active through walks or other low-effort movement, but otherwise enjoy the vacation and break from the gym. You may even find your physical capabilities to be refreshed and better than before after your vacation when you return to the gym!
As mentioned above, dieting on vacation rarely leads to anything but extra mental frustration and a reduction in enjoyment of the vacation itself. Dieting is difficult enough on its own – there’s no need to add more mental burden for yourself from counting food or avoiding desirable food for the short duration of a vacation. However, there are some traveling diet tips you can take to minimize any downsides while also still enjoying yourself.
First, try to consume some lean protein source and vegetables at every meal. Both protein and vegetables will help fill you up and keep you feeling full longer, helping to reduce the total amount of other food you eat – no counting/tracking required!
Secondly, be sure to consume 8 (or more) 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Staying hydrated has numerous health benefits and will also help to keep you feeling fuller and reduce the chances of overindulging too much on other foods.
Last, but most important of all, enjoy yourself! Both dieting and exercise include a mental component that cannot be underestimated. The mental rejuvenation a low-stress vacation can provide could very well offset and make up for any exercise and/or diet deviations during the trip. Once you are back home, get back to your normal exercise and diet routines and you may just be surprised at how little ground you actually lost…but how many enjoyable memories you gained!