How much weight do you usually gain while on vacation? There is no doubt about it, it’s hard to stick to a healthy diet and fitness plan while on vacation. However, it can be done. Here are a few tips that will help stay on task and prevent you from feeling guilty afterward.
Eat In
To start with, instead of eating three meals a day in a restaurant or at the buffet, skip just one meal out and eat in your room. One of the easier meals to eat in is breakfast. If you have a refrigerator in your room, it is easier yet.
Once you are at your destination, go to a nearby market and get some fresh fruit, cereal and milk. If you have a mini-kitchen, it will usually come stocked with bowls and tableware. If not, opt for single-serve tableware and disposable eating utensils.
Eat like you do at home
This is tough to do depending on the amount of will power you have. With so many different and delicious dishes available that you are not used to eating, eating like you do at home can be difficult, but not impossible. Opt mostly for fresh fruit, vegetables and lean grilled meats.
Watch your portion sizes
It is so easy to overeat while on vacation. Meals ordered off of a menu are usually about twice as big as what they should be. The solution is to only eat about half or share the meal with the person you are with. If eating at a buffet, it is easier to control portion size if you have the resolve to stick to your healthy living plan.
Exercise
Of course, the other half of healthy living is getting enough exercise. You already know that if you back off on the amount of exercise you get, but not your eating, gaining a few pounds is easy.
However, getting exercise is not that difficult while on vacation. With a whole new world waiting to be explored, put on your walking shoes and go to it. Walking is great exercise. If you take your pedometer with you, you would be surprised at just how many steps you’ll take on an average day. From walking along the beach in the morning to exploring a local market during the day, they all add up.
And not all steps are created equally. For example, walking in soft sand on the beach barefoot is harder than walking on a hard surface with shoes. But doesn’t walking in the sand sound like fun? Different muscles come into play and it works your heart harder.
With a little discipline in your eating and exercising, it is not that hard to stick to your healthy living plan while enjoying yourself on vacation. Enjoy the location and cuisine, but like everything else – do it in moderation!
