I returned yesterday from a 7 day trip to Disneyworld. The last time I went to Disneyworld I only
went for 4 days but I gained 8 pounds! I
was determined not to gain as much weight this time.
Although it is a vacation and you might not be as active or
follow your fitness routine, you should not accept that you will gain weight. It might happen but you shouldn’t just accept
it as something that has to happen.
Don’t get me wrong, you want to enjoy yourself and eat delicious and
maybe even a little indulgent food, but know there are limits. Also, just
because it is vacation doesn’t mean you should stop exercising.
Here are my tips to help avoid/reduce weight gain while on
vacation:
Tip 1: Fit in fitness! There are
tons of activities to do for fun that burn calories. Go on walks, hikes, runs,
play golf, tennis or go swimming, kayaking or biking just to name some. Go have
fun!
Vacation tip #2: Bring healthy snack
foods. Airports and rest stops don't have very many healthy food options.
Although they might have some, they are few and far between and harder to choose
when there are more tempting options. Pack snacks like almonds, a piece of
fruit, cut up veggies, protein bars, and sandwiches to name a few. If you have
the room, if traveling by car, bring a cooler and you can bring things like
yogurts and cheese sticks too!
Vacation Tip #3: Eating Out. While eating out don't go overboard every
night. Indulge a few times but not every time. Stay away from fried foods most
of the time. Only have dessert once or twice. Or split your dessert with one or
more people.
Another idea is to go with the smaller version-- a
scoop of ice cream rather than a sundae.
One of the most important in my mind is to never, ever
go to out to eat when starving! Always have a small, healthy snack beforehand.
Vacation Tip #4: Rent a house, cottage
or hotel suite with a kitchen. You don't have to cook all the meals. After all,
you are on vacation. But eat some breakfasts in the room (but not all
breakfasts because I LOVE to go out for breakfast) and lunch is an easy meal to
either eat in the room or pack and put in the cooler for the beach or trail. Shakeology
is a great option for breakfast or lunch.
Aim to eat as healthy as you can for 2 meals of the
day so that you can splurge a little on the third meal.
Vacation Tip #5: Pack resistance
bands. They are light and travel easily. You can do a quick 10-15 minute
workout and hit all the major body parts. The tough part will be unpacking
them...sort of like when I bring work home at night and it never makes it out
of my bag. But seriously, if you want to avoid weight gain while on vacation
this is an easy one to do.
Vacation Tip #6: Need motivation to
fit in fitness on vacation? Get an audiobook. While we were in Maine last year
I wanted to finish an audiobook I was listening to so I got up most mornings
and went for a run/walk along the Marginal Way. It was so relaxing and
peaceful. I was able to enjoy it before it got crowded with people midday.
Vacation Tip #7: If you are going to
imbibe while on vacation don’t overdo it. And drink plenty of water in between
your Pina Coladas and Mai Tais!
So how did I do? I
did gain weight, but only 4 pounds and some of that may be normal fluctuations.
I did watch what I ate most of the time and I went to the
fitness center to run twice and I did yoga three mornings. While at the parks we did tons of walking and
I went to the pool a few afternoons. It
may not have been laps but I was playing with a preschooler, not lounging
sipping a pina colada (which does sound relaxing).
Eating health was not that difficult. I brought my own protein drink – Shakeology
and a blender cup. I had a shake for
breakfast once and then I had a shake for lunch a few times. We were on the Disney dining plan so while my
husband used points to get lunch I used snack points for a side salad or took
his lunch dessert to get a yogurt to go with my shake. It was enough to satisfy me but left room for
my dinners when I wanted to indulge a little. Many of the table service restaurants had
healthy selections and even when they had buffets I was able to fill half of my
plate with veggies and then pick lean proteins.
The carbs were my downfall but most of the time I only took small
services to sample. I do wish the kids’
meals were healthier but I did manage to get some fruit and veggies in
them!
We had a fun time at Disneyworld and we succeeded at staying
on our health and fitness course!