It's summer. That means vacations....being on vacation means that it's harder to eat well and exercise. The solution? PLAN AHEAD. I went away with a friend for the weekend and we had a plan that we would exercise each day and bring healthy snacks and water bottles to have with us at all times. It really helped to talk about it ahead of time and know exactly what we were doing.
It's easy to plan for a weekend away, but what about extended vacations? Same thing, but on a bigger scale. Here's a quick "Vacation Plan Ahead Checklist" that will help you stay on track:
1) Look at how long you will be gone and how many meals you will eat out versus how many you will cook
2) Figure out a rough menu for the meals you will cook (Include lean protein, veggies, healthy fats)
3) Check out the available restaurants in the area you'll be in and look at their menus online ahead of time.
4) Bring healthy snacks and bottles of water for each day. Drink a lot of water!
5) Eat every few hours to keep your hunger regulated.
6) Do some research on fun ways to be active in the area. Is it near the water? Try canoeing, kayaking, swimming, or the latest trend of stand up paddling! How about bike trails? If you don't want to bring your own bike, look at places that you can rent one.
7) Remember to get some decent sleep on vacation. Your body recovers and repairs itself when you sleep.
8) Plan in a few "cheat" meals. It IS vacation, you know. Not every day needs to have a cheat in it, just a few meals or snacks.
9) Have a body-weight-only workout handy to do in your hotel room. You could also scope out the fitness center in your hotel.
If you do even a few of these things on vacation, you will feel so good!
