All vacations come to an end. Sadly, my vacation ended Saturday evening. It's depressing, being back in the reality of work and school. However, all goods things must come to an end. After every vacation, I feel like a lazy bum, bloated and completely out of shape (due to the amount of sweets I stuffed my face with in that two week period). Yet, I weighed myself the next morning and surprisingly didn't gain any weight. Therefore eating ice cream almost every night and drinking tropical drinks did not seem to change my weight. Even taking a break from my regular exercise routine didn't have an affect on my weight. I know every person is different, yet here are some tips that, I think, helped me maintain the healthy weight that I am.
1. Stay active
Vacation is all about resting. Right? Of course, vacation is a break from the reality of life back home. However, that does not mean you have to break away from being active. Surprisingly, I believe, that many people are more active on vacation than they are back home. Especially, if you're vacationing by the ocean. Walking up the sand dunes or swimming in the rough ocean is a workout in itself. Therefore, get out and enjoy the beach.
Being on an island, a lot of places are in walking distance. Therefore, refraining from driving and walking to your destination is a get way to get your daily dose of exercise on in. If your destination is not so close, a fast way to get there is biking. Not only is it great for your body, but you also get to enjoy the great outdoors, maybe even get a tan!
2. Wake up
The first day of vacation, I pushed my dad to get up early and go running with me. I love running new trails, so I was excited to run. However, waking up at 7:45 am was a hard adjustment for me. I usually am an early afternoon workout person. Consuming my breakfast before, I go to the gym. However, being in North Carolina, temperatures sore into the high 90s as the day continues on. Therefore, to avoid dehydration, we had to run in the early morning, when temperatures were in the 70s. It was definitely hard. But, so worth it. After our morning run, we were wired and ready for the day to start. I always associated sleeping in with vacation. But think of this, you can sleep in anywhere, anytime. Wouldn't you rather enjoy the scenery of the ocean (or wherever you are vacationing at). If you are not a runner, walking is a great alternative or even biking.
Tip: If you plan on working out early in the morning, make sure to eat something before you head out. My food of choice was a banana. Believe me, it helps, giving you that dose of energy you need to keep going.
3. Do not Deprive Yourself
I love my sweets. Therefore, I was extremely happy to try out all the ice cream places on the island. Well maybe not all of them, but most. Overall, your on vacation! Having some ice cream will not kill you. Yet, do not force it. If you're full, you're full. Have ice cream the next day. Make an effort to not eat some much at dinner so that you can enjoy that ice cream without feeling like your stomach is about to explode.
4. Create some kind of balance
This might be a little biased, since I am not a heavy beer or alcohol drinker. But I created a plan. The nights I had a wine or alcohol, I refrained from having desserts. I guess this pertains to tip number 3. Drinking can be filling. Therefore, I did not force myself to have ice cream. Just because you have a cup full of ice cream, does not mean you have to eat the entire cup full of ice cream. When your full, stop eating. I know it sounds kind of like a "duh" moment, but I have been guilty of ignoring my stomach pains and indulging in the deliciousness. Yet, have regretted it in the long run. Learning to stop yourself is a huge step towards achieving weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.
Tip: Wine and ice cream do not go well together. I know this the hard way. Therefore, if you plan on having wine and ice cream, space it out so that you have to digest both at different times.
5. When eating out be aware of what you are eating
When on vacation, eating out is always a must. However, being aware of what you are eating is key. One tip I always try to hold on top when eating out, is to ask for sauce on the side. You be surprised at how many restaurants have no problem keeping the sauce off of their entrees. Another tip is to order veggies as a side rather than fries. I try to stay away from fries and order a baked potato instead. A baked potato is a lot more filling than fries (in my opinion at least)
6. Stay Hydrated
When you are out in the sun all day, it is easy to become dehydrated. In fact, you will be surprised at how drinking water consistently throughout the day can help ward off any hunger pains throughout the day. Therefore, make sure to bring water bottles to the beach.
Those are just some of the tips that I remembered I lived by throughout my trip. The key to every vacation though, is to have fun! Do not worry about anything. Not worrying is hard for me to do at times. However, once I did get in the grove of letting go of my worries, I began to really enjoy myself. If your family is like mine (in which I mean, we vacation once every year), enjoy that time. Be happy that all are healthy and able to be together as one. In the end, you will be glad you did. :D
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