People love to get fit and look great when going on vacation or traveling but then the question comes…how do we stay in shape or fit while on the actual vacation?
Do we pack our bags with resistance bands, jump ropes, and tons of protein powder???
More importantly, what if you are a parent and have the kids with you? How do you make it work and stay in shape… stay fit while on vacation or traveling?
The truth is that if you work hard on your body – training and diet wise, during your normal day to day life, then a vacation is not a time to OBSESS over your fitness.
Now keep in mind we said it is not a time to OBSESS, we didn’t say its a time to totally disregard all your hard work either. While most will tell you to plan every meal, every workout, every snack, we are here to tell you to RELAX AND FIND BALANCE.
Depending on the type and length of your vacation, most of the weight you put on will be purely water weight. Here are some easy ways to mitigate the fat weight gain and make sure you return to looking your best quickly after your vacation!
1. Stay on track way before the actual vacation
If you are concerned about staying fit on vacation, then you must already live a fit lifestyle or are trying to. KUDOS!
The best way to go into a vacation is to go in already following a good diet and training regimen, because the overindulgence will only be for your short stay.
If you’ve been enjoying calorically dense foods weeks leading up to your vacation, then you have already been priming your body to store more bodyfat.
Go into your vacation having followed a clean diet and hard training so your body can actually benefit from the extra food as fuel before it converts to fat!
2. Save your indulgences for dinners
Ask yourself, when it comes to vacation and foods…what do you look forward to the most?
Is it lunch? Is it breakfast? Is it going out to dinner?
Is it enjoying a mojito or a glass of wine…or two…or four…or 14??
Easy there tiger and tigress!
For us…we LOVE going out to dinner so we try and be mindful of what we eat for breakfast and lunch.
Say for example you have booked a couple of restaurants for dinner and can’t wait to dig into their delicious entrees you have been reading off their menus the last 3 months…or is that just us?
In any case! On the day of that dinner, eat a light breakfast and have some snacks for a light lunch. If there is a day you still want a nice breakfast and a dinner, don’t stress it and enjoy it!
Again, depending on the length of your vacation and how active you stay, most of the weight gain will be temporary.
Ask yourself, is really depriving yourself of enjoyment and new exciting foods on your vacation worth not gaining (MAYBE) 1lb of actual fat you can easily take off in a week when returning?
3. Eat breakfast and pack/buy snacks so you don’t overeat!
Some people try fasting the whole day on vacation so they can “save” all their calories for dinner.
Listen, if this works for you, then fine…but what we have found is that on vacation you will get hungry, you have more temptation around you and many times you are actually more active which can lead you to want to eat more.
If you try and do some type of intermittent fasting, this can lead to a spell of binging when midday hits and then letting it continue in the evening for dinner.
This can pack on the calories!!
Stay satiated, hydrated (with water), and snack throughout the day so you don’t get hungry and can enjoy yourself in moderation with delicious foods.
Go to a local supermarket and buy quick, healthy foods you can prepare in your hotel room for a quick lunch or snack.
4. WORKOUT: with or without a gym!
Although it wasn’t number 1, this one is definitely the most important!
Try to get in some exercise EVERYDAY you are there. This does not mean you have to be doing crazy, hours long intense exercise, but you have to make sure you are active and moving.
For us, getting up early and getting an hour of light lifting and cardio does the trick.
If you are vacationing somewhere where you are constantly walking and moving, that counts too!
You don’t need a gym….
Point is, make sure you move…ALOT.
5. Take turns watching the kids to get your workout in
Take turns! If you can’t convince your mom or dad to come with you guys and help you out, have one parent go early in the morning and maybe another go before washing up for dinner! This works well for us.
This might involve some careful planning but working out, eating healthy and staying fit even on vacation is a lifestyle. If you want the body, you have to adapt the work mindset and lifestyle that comes with it!
6. Always choose to move, even with the kids!
A simple way to burn more calories on vacation is to stay active even when not actually working out.
In the pool? Try to move around, throw around a ball, splash around, play with the kids, swim a bit…just move!
For example, in our last vacation the beach was about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. We had the choice of either taking a golf cart provided by the hotel, or walk. We walked! That is a 30 minute round trip walk and a good amount of calories burned.
7. Don’t feel bad if you miss a day, especially if traveling with kids
A fit lifestyle is just as much mental as it is physical. Do not drag yourself down mentally because you didn’t follow your diet on vacation, or because you did not workout one day on vacation. Enjoy your life and find balance.
One day or one week of overeating a bit is not going to ruin your fitness goals.
Just balance it out with the tips provided here.
8. Avoid sugary alcoholic drinks/fruit juice/sodas
Believe it or not, you can socially enjoy alcoholic drinks and stay on track, you just have to choose wisely! Avoid the following:
- Mixed alcoholic drinks containing lots of sugar in the form of juice, sodas and/or mixers
- Beers
- Fruit Juices
- Sodas
These types of drinks pack on the calories quickly. Save your calories for actual food. Don’t drink your calories!
If your are going to drink alcohol, opt for liquor, sipped neat or on ice. If you want to mix it, mix it with a form of seltzer or diet soda.
And obviously, if with the kids, drink responsibly!
We hope these tips on how to stay fit while on vacation or traveling helped! Remember to check out our Best Fat Loss Diet for Parents and 6 Ways to Stay Fit as a Parent for more tips on how to look your best BEFORE the actual vacation. 😉