Living Fit on Vacation

I'm back from our mini-vacation, and I feel so relaxed and ready to get back to life now. Sometimes we just need that mental break, even if it's just for a couple of days. My family and I stayed in a small cabin on the beach and we had a ton of fun! It was just what we needed after a long 6 months of constant schools, stress, and my husband being gone quite a bit. The Marine Corps can sure be a stressor sometimes!

So, how does one stay on track, or lose weight, while on vacation? It can be done, rest assured. This time last year I was at my parents house for a week or so before we moved to Japan, and I lost 3lbs that week! So yes, it can be done. Even with the pressures of family get-together (pot lucks, BBQ's, etc.), eating out at restaurants, or eating on the go. Then there is the pressure of less time for workouts.

Vacation can be a dieter's worst nightmare! Plain and simple. It can stress you out to get off track, or you spend your vacation wondering if you're going to put back on a pound or two. I have some tips that will help you through this time. With summer quickly coming up, I think this is the perfect time for this post.

I'll merge my last 2 vacations and give you the tips that I stuck by while on vacation.

1. Take your own food. This was essential for me on both vacations. I didn't feel as pressured when we were eating on the go knowing that I had something healthy in my bag I could eat while my boys ate on the go. While we were at the cabin this week, my husband and I went out to the commissary (military grocery store) and stocked up on egg whites, fruit, good lunch meat, pitas, etc. so we could make as many meals at our cabin as we could to make sure we were eating healthy and spending less money on food. You may have to get creative! We sure did...we ended up cooking egg whites on a grill!

There's my hubby, cooking egg whites and pancakes (for our kids) on the grill. Get creative. It pays off.

2. If you're at a restaurant that doesn't have anything healthy, don't stress! So there was a restaurant that my husband wanted to go to right on the beach, but alas...their menu sucked. It was nothing but burgers, fries, and hot dogs. Great for my boys, but me...not so much. I had nothing in my bag to eat, as this was a spur-of-the-moment decision, so I was stuck eating crap food. So I got what I wanted, a cheeseburger, but I cut it in half. Since I'm trying to maintain my weight, I didn't stress too much. If I was trying to lose however, I would have also taken the bun off and not touched the fries. Since I am maintaining my weight, I just cut my portion in half. Later that day, it started storming and we couldn't grill up our dinner, so we ended up having to go to Chilis down the road. I made up for my calories and grease earlier in the day and got a grilled chicken caesar salad (dressing on the side only...which I really didn't touch). There are things you can do when you are stuck, so don't fret! And remember, you ARE on vacation, and you can relax a little bit. You can get right back on track when you get home, just don't go overboard.

3. Don't feel pressured from family and friends when you visit family. This was so hard for me. My family had never seen me "thin" before, and when they saw how much my eating habits had changed they were not excited about it. I didn't eat like I did before, obviously, and I felt like I probably hurt some people's feelings because I didn't stuff myself with food offered to me. I love my family, but I was doing this for myself and didn't want to get off track, even while vacationing. Explain this to your family. Even if they don't listen, they will eventually get the point. I felt bad for passing up all the desserts that they had put so much love into, but I tried to show my love for them in other ways instead.


4. Fitness isn't as hard as you think. You can do jumping jacks, push-ups, lunges, and squats just about anywhere! You don't need a gym to get healthy. I never step foot in a gym the entire time I was getting fit. I'm dead serious. Gyms are just not my thing! When I was visiting family in Florida I tried out new running spots and had a blast with my husband, brother, and cousin running around the Tradition neighborhood! I also took my hand weights and Bob Harper DVDs and my husband and I did them while we were at my parents house. I didn't do as much as I normally would at home, but I kept up my routine as best as I could. My husband went to the local Crossfit class with my brother while I went running. We got to try out new things and found different things that we loved. If you are vacationing in a secluded area like we did this year, try doing a set of 30 of jumping jacks, push ups, and squats. Those can be done anywhere! Again, get creative.

5. Finally, keep hydrated. I know you're busy on vacation, but keeping hydrated is important and it'll keep things moving in your system. Small thing, but important one, too!


Have a great week, everybody!
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HarperGirl