After months of consistent hard work and dedication, whether that be at the office or in the gym, it’s finally time for a vacation. Time to wind down, relax, and recover from the stresses of everyday life. Maybe you’ve been really consistent with your fitness and nutrition these past months and have a little bit of anxiety about “destroying” your progress while you’re on vacation. Fortunately, there’s no reason to stress. You can definitely enjoy your vacation, recover mentally and physically, and still feel like you’re staying on track with your fitness and nutrition. Try these three tips on your next vacation and see how they make you feel. Most importantly, remember that you’re on vacation. Recovery is just as important, if not more so, than the work you’ve been putting in. So take your vacation seriously!
Tip 1: Focus on protein
Normally, being on vacation means that you are eating out at restaurants or buffets more than usual. That’s great! One thing you can do is to focus on protein. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning that it keeps you feeling fuller for longer. In addition to that, regularly reaching your protein goal means that your muscles will continue to stay strong and healthy while on vacation. So when you get back home and into the gym, you haven’t lost any progress in your lifts. You might even feel stronger and be able to lift heavier weights because your body has fully recovered from the cumulative fatigue.
Tip 2: Water is king
A big percentage of the calories we intake during vacation come in liquid form. That could be from sodas, milkshakes, alcoholic beverages, or many others. Since liquids don’t take up a lot of space in our stomachs, we might not even realize how many calories we’re actually ingesting. A great tip is to swap one of these drinks for water every once in a while. Water, famously, has no calories and has the added benefit of keeping you hydrated. This does not mean that you should only drink water on vacation. After all, you’re on vacation! The whole point is to enjoy it. Maybe you could add a cup or bottle of water in between your normal drinks, or even just add one bottle of water each day. Even a little change can go a long way.
Tip 3: Cut sweets in half
Personally, my favorite part of going on vacation is the variety of sweets and desserts that are available. My sweet tooth gets really strong while traveling, especially when exploring a place I haven’t been before. The tip that has probably helped me the most is to simply cut my sweets in half. Ordering a small milkshake instead of a medium, having one chocolate croissant instead of two, and even sharing a dessert with a friend or a family member. Cutting my sweets portions in half allows me to satisfy my sweet tooth (which makes me happy) while also staying in a healthy range that I can continue to build on when I get back home and in the gym.
Vacation is a time we all look forward to so we can relax and recharge from the stresses of everyday life. It’s supposed to be enjoyable, and recovery is just as important as the work we put into the office or in the gym. You can enjoy vacation and still live in a healthy and balanced way. It shouldn’t be one extreme or the other. While these tips can definitely help you on your next vacation, even just being aware and conscious of what you’re eating is half the battle.