Mar 19 2012
Vacation Nutrition
Going on vacation doesn’t have to mean that you lose all your hard work from proper nutrition and exercise.
On the flip side, committing to a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean you have stay at home and never have any fun!
I love to travel and go out! Here are my little tricks to stay on target with health, fitness and nutrition.
I sincerely urge you to learn more about nutrition by watching the videos and reading my previous blog post: BPM.tv Nutrition 101.
You can also see my own personal nutrition plan for fat loss: Cori Ann’s Prepping Fat Loss Diet.
But now we are talking about how to stay on track with your nutrition while you are on vacation, so lets get back to it!
Vacation Nutrition
Mind Set
The most important part of staying on target is your mind set. Your body does not take a vacation from you. Your body is an amazing gift that keeps on giving to you each and every day. The only thing it asks for in return is for you to feed it properly and move it. Every day.
Knowing that your body gives so much to you is an important realization. You will want to respect your body and love it, not neglect it as part of a ‘vacation.’ Taking a vacation doesn’t mean that you stop taking care of your body!
Indulgence
Human beings have 5 senses, plus intuition. Indulgence is an important part of finding balance in life, but taste is only one of the senses that we can indulge.
We are taught from a very young age that good tastes soothe and reward us. If we’re good, we get a lollipop. This learned behavior can translate over into adulthood without us even being aware of it.
Try indulging your other senses while you are on vacation and see how it feels. See if the experience feels even richer, fuller, more rewarding.
We have the sense of smell. Enjoy some aromatherapy. Spend some time outdoors and literally stop to smell the flowers. Take a long walk and just breath in fresh air.
We have the sense of sight. Take pictures from different perspectives. Play with the light, the colors. Go to an art exhibit. Spend time outdoors and surround yourself with scenery that is picturesque and beautiful.
We have the sense of touch. Indulge yourself with a massage, salt scrub, facial, or any other spa treatment. Just taking a bubble bath can indulge our sense of touch.
We have the sense of hearing. Go to a concert. Listen to live music. Spend time outdoors and listen to the birds sing. Sing a song.
So often we live our lives out of balance, not embracing the full richness of what life has to offer. We focus on food and drink. We have so many other ways to experience the world around us.
There are so many things in your life that can give you fulfillment and enjoyment that don’t revolve around food. Open your mind to satisfying your hunger for life by indulging all of your senses.
I love taking photographs, massages, listening to music, breathing in fresh air. These experiences enrich my life and nourish my body and soul in a different way than food and drink can.
Taking photographs shows me how important it is to see the world through a different perspective sometimes. I love the experience of discovering something I hadn’t noticed before. Going on walks and taking photographs opens that door for me. Here are some pictures I took while in Napa.
Food Preparation
Now that we have discussed mindset and indulging your other senses, it’s time to discuss food preparation. To stay on target you need a few key things:
- Kitchenette or at least a mini fridge brought into the room
- Groceries
- Food scale or pre-measured portions (optional)
- Ziplock baggies
- Forman grill (if you don’t have the kitchenette)
It makes things a lot easier if you can book a hotel room that has a kitchenette.
If you don’t have that option for some reason, simply ask the concierge to bring a mini fridge into your room. Almost all hotels have them as complimentary service.You simply have to ask.
You will need to bring your food or go grocery shopping while you are on vacation.
Typically, I bring my own food if I’m driving, but go grocery shopping at my destination if I’m flying. Simply because I don’t like the idea of checking my food on the airplane.
Now, I weigh my food because I need it to be extremely exact for my goals. You may or may not need to do that in order to get your goals. If you do, make sure to bring your food scale and buy ziplock baggies at the store.
I prefer ziplock baggies over tupperware. They fit into tight places better.
Have an idea of what you will eat and how much you will eat before hand. You have limited fridge space, so you need to have some forethought and plan out your meals with that in mind.
This is what I brought and put in my fridge for my one night stay.
Here’s what I typically bring when I travel for an extended period of time:
- Forman grill
- Ziplock bags
- Plastic silverware
- Paper plates
- Gallon water bottle
- Oats
- Hard boiled eggs
- Egg whites
- Lean red meat
- Chicken
- Fish (only if it’s already cooked and I plan on eating it cold. I don’t like cooking fish or even warming up fish in a hotel room.)
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Sweet potatoes
- Baby gold potatoes
- Protein powder
If I’m traveling with kids I also bring:
- Whole wheat sandwich bread
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Sandwich meats
- Lettuce
- Mustard or mayo
- Fruits that don’t need to be refrigerated
- Whole wheat bagels
- Cereal
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Coconut water
Eating like this is super healthy, which is great in and of itself, but it also saves a lot of money while you’re on vacation. You can save your money on food and spend it instead on shopping, spa days, or an extra vacation day.
This is how I travel while saving money and also staying on target with health and nutrition. I hope it helps give you some ideas on how to stick to your health and fitness goals while you are on your next vacation. Let me know if it helps you out! Have any other ideas to travel healthy? Comment below!
xoxo ~ Cori
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