How to Stay on Track During Summer Vacation
It's that time of year, the weather is getting warmer and the days are getting longer. Which means, summer and beach trips are near! This past weekend I took a trip to the beach with some friends (22 of them to be exact). When I got back, a friend reached out and asked me how I managed to stay on track over the weekend since she will be doing the same soon. So, I decided to share my tips with not only her but all of you guys too!
Rule #1: Pack your own food. If you're staying in a house or even a condo with a fridge and kitchen this should be pretty easy for you! Since we were staying in a house all weekend with so many people, we as a group decided it was easiest to bring a bunch of food and grill out rather than try to get all 20+ drunk people out to a restaurant. So instead of eating the hotdogs, hamburgers, mac salad and other foods that don't agree with me, I packed my own chicken and veggies to grill. I also came stocked with all of my favorite snacks like RxBars, Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips, Jackson's Honest Sweet Potato Chips, and fruit. Pro-tip: Hide all of your snacks in your room if you don't want all of your friends to eat them.
Rule #2: Fake it 'til you make it. This is basically my life motto when I'm going out or on vacation. I'm not a huge drinker and prefer to do without the hangovers but I do like to have a Tito's vodka and soda or a glass of wine here and there. If you don't want to drink as much as everyone else, you don't have to! I'll let you in on my secret (which is now no longer a secret) - club soda with a lime in a red solo cup. No one will even know there's no vodka in there...unless they take a sip.
Rule #3: Scope the restaurant menu before you get there. Whenever I'm on vacation, I ALWAYS look up places to eat and check out the menu before I get there. Not only does this help to make sure there's going to be something that I like on the menu, but it also helps to have your decision made on what you want to eat beforehand so you don't end up going with an unhealthy option. Thanks to trusty Yelp, I found an amazing coffee place that sold acai bowls, turmeric lattes and avocado toast!
Rule #4: Get in a little sweat before everyone wakes up. If you do decide you want to work out on vacation, do it before everyone else is awake. I honestly love to start my days with a work out because it makes me feel good. If you get your sweat in before your friends and family are awake, you don't have to deal with them giving you a hard time or missing out while they're all having fun on the beach.
Rule #5: Drink lots of water. Not only because it's good to stay hydrated in hot temperatures but drinking water also helps to keep you full so you are less tempted to reach for a treat. Water also helps to reduce bloating so if you're feeling a bit bloated, drink up!
Rule #6: Don't forget to have fun. Sure it's important to stay on track, but it's also important to enjoy the time with your friends and family. Always remember that moderation is key and not to get so worked up if you end up eating ice cream two days in a row. After all, vacation is suppose to be stress free!
xx,
Erin