I recently came back from a week in the Pocono Mountains with family and I was able to avoid gaining weight and completely letting my work out routine go. I made sure I scheduled time for myself so I could work on strength training and/or do some cardio. It wasn't exactly what I do here in the city and I definitely had less steps on the Fitbit but I was still able to keep up my momentum and not feel like vacation was a complete backslide. Here are my tips on how you can keep going while also relaxing.
1. Schedule cardio time. Pack workout clothes, your playlist and get out and move. Run, walk, bike, do something to get your heart rate up and try to do it daily.
2. Do some strength training. Don't lose what you've started at home. If you don't have weights, use your body weight and do moves that don't require dumbbells or exercise bands. I did bridges, leg lifts and pushups.
3. Plan out your meals and add as many veggies and fruits to your plate as you can. You can skip the ice cream and still have a great vacation. Or get a small ice cream or make banana ice cream. You can make healthy dips and giant salads instead of snacking on chips and eating processed foods. Buy veggie burgers so you have something to grill. Instead of a roll, I sometimes put my veggie burger between two romaine lettuce leaves and use that as the bun. It still tastes amazing and you can dress it up like a burger.
4. Weight yourself before vacation but then don't weight yourself until you get back home and back into the swing of your normal routine. Extra salt can make you weigh more so before you panic, get back to clean eating and normal workouts then weigh in. Give yourself 5-7 days of getting back to life before weighing yourself.
5. Leave room for forgiveness and understanding. If you do end up eating alot more than you planned, it's fine, move on. Try to figure out why you ate more than you wanted to, figure out why you wanted more on your plate and just let it go. Learn from the experience but don't beat yourself up by saying mean things to the mirror or binging.
I will be weighing myself this Thursday so that I can get a few workouts in and get my tummy back to eating clean food. I'm going to make sure I stay hydrated and amp up the protein. Once you get through a few holidays with a plan as to how to maintain your fitness routine, it will be easier as time goes on. By Christmas, you will be an expert!
