Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya…
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama!
Vacation time is here! It’s the perfect time to relax, recharge, and enjoy some much-needed downtime. However, with downtime comes changes in schedules, and where there is change, anxiety often follows.
You might be wondering:
- “What if I lose all my progress?”
- “What if I gain back all the weight I lost?”
- “What if my muscle goes away?”
These are all normal thoughts, especially after making a huge lifestyle change and seeing incredible progress. But I’m here to tell you that one week is not going to set you back to square one! One week is not going to ruin all of your progress.
In reality, rest and relaxation can help you come back even stronger and ready to jump back into your fitness journey with renewed energy. However, if you’re a type-A person like me and want to control as many variables as possible, here are my three tips to help you stay on track over spring break!
1. Move!
Movement is key. Walk to the beach, run around with your kids, or instead of taking a golf cart around Disney, walk. Maybe you take a quick 20-minute jog in the morning before the kids are up or knock out a quick 20-minute burner workout on the beach! Movement helps keep your activity level up and burns off those extra calories you might be consuming (or drinking!) during your time off. You don’t need to sign up for a gym membership, but that extra movement will add up and could even lead to losing weight on vacation with all those extra steps!
2. Stick to Protein, Veggies, and Whole Foods
During the day, focus on protein-rich foods and veggies so you can enjoy yourself at night. When I’m on vacation, I love to go out for a big dinner. To minimize post-dinner guilt, I focus on whole, protein-rich food during the day. For me, that looks like eggs or a protein shake in the morning, a sandwich or salad for lunch, and whatever I want to eat for dinner. This keeps me from overeating every meal but allows me to enjoy my vacation and the people I’m around!
3. Be Smart About Alcohol
I love a frozen margarita as much as the next person, but I don’t make that my main drink on vacation. I try to stick to clear liquors with zero-calorie mixers as much as possible. For me, this means tequila sodas (or any type of liquor with a zero-calorie mixer). This allows me to enjoy the vacation and unwind without having 3,000 calories of slushy, sugary, tequila sitting in my stomach all day.
Enjoy!
Stressing about your meals on vacation will do more harm than the actual meal. It’s vacation. If you throw everything you’ve been practicing to the side for a week, I promise you won’t be a lost cause when you come back home. Have dessert, have a pina colada, be a bum on the beach for a day. Try to use the small wins you’ve been stacking, but when it comes down to it, enjoy yourself, your family, and your vacation!
Vacation is a time to make memories and have fun. Don’t let the fear of losing progress overshadow your well-deserved break. Follow these tips, and you’ll come back refreshed, recharged, and ready to continue your fitness journey stronger than ever!
BY CONNOR FLAHIVE