How to Avoid Gaining Weight on Vacation

Last Updated on January 27, 2019

Staying on track and preventing weight gain while on vacation is easy when you focus on healthy compromises and solutions instead of using your vacation as an excuse to tap out.

Vacations typically include indulgences, relaxation, and letting loose.

• I’ve worked with a lot of people who get anxiety about staying on track when they’re away from home.
• I’ve worked with people who assume vacations mean they get a hall pass from their healthy routines.
• I’ve worked with people who think indulging makes their vacations more fun. I used to be that way too…

Once upon a time, I’d use vacations as an excuse to indulge and it’d leave me feeling guilty, bloating, fatigued, unmotivated and regretting the choices that got me off track.

Who wants to feel icky and guilty on vacation?  Nobody!

What about stepping on the scale and seeing the number has gone up when you’re back home?  That’s not a fun feeling either.

I want you to enjoy yourself!  But I also want to show you some simple tips to protect yourself from wrecking yourself.

You absolutely can ‘have your cake and eat it too’ and stay on track while you’re on vacation.

Here’s how…

HOW TO AVOID GAINING WEIGHT ON VACATION

When you focus on healthy solutions – instead of using your vacation as an excuse – you can stay on track and prevent gaining weight when you’re on vacation.  The truth is exercising and clean eating is easy and actually helps enhance feeling good and staying stress-free while on vacation.

There is no rule that says you have to gain weight while on vacation. You can easily stay on track while on vacation with these 3 tips.

1)  USE THE 80/20 RULE

Balancing your vacay indulgences with clean proteins and vegetables will help to regulate your hunger and sugar level hormones, and prevents low energy, cravings, bloat, and weight gain so you can truly enjoy yourself and your trip while staying on track.

While on vacation, think 80/20. Eat fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins 80% of the time and indulge for 20%.  It’s helpful to pack healthy snacks that you can take with you so you’ll always have something healthy and clean to eat.  #FailToPlanPlanToFail

Carrot/celery sticks, cucumber slices with hummus, a piece of fresh fruit, nuts, and organic beef jerky are my go-to recommended snacks to smuggle on airplanes (and movie theaters).

You can also easily pack a cooler or lunch box with an ice pack and take these with you on road trips, too.

Choose clean lean proteins and colorful veggies and you’ll be good to go. I always hit a salad bar and take it to go, when I’m going to conferences and know they’ll be catered with not-so-healthy options.

No salad bar? No problem. Order anything with a lean protein and veggies. Most restaurants in the world have fish or chicken.

2)  Sip Smart

Drink lots of water. Water helps flush toxins, prevent dehydration and helps to keep you feeling full between meals. Throw a water bottle in your bag and hydrate consistently throughout the day.

Did you know that it would take a 45-minute cardio session to burn off the calories in most ‘skinny’ margaritas?

If you’re a cocktail drinker stick to vodka, clear tequila or clear rum and a sugar-free mixer (like water and club soda). Vodka and club soda, 100% agave tequila on the rocks or with club soda…or clear rum and diet coke (if you must…and only because Bacardi and water/club taste nasty!).

These options have no sugar and approximately 60 calories a serving. Check out these other tips to enjoy alcohol without ruining your diet.

3)  Move Your Body

Exercise helps boost your energy and endorphins and can actually make your vacation more enjoyable. Plus, it helps to earn the additional calories you’re eating and drinking with exercise.  #BurnItToEarnIt

• If your hotel has a gym…try your best to do sweaty cardio for at least 30 minutes every day you’re there. 30 minutes will help boost your endorphins and burn calories.
• No gym? No problem. If your hotel doesn’t have a gym you can easily get a guest pass at a local gym. Ask the concierge for recommendations and/or a guest pass. Just about every gym in the country offers guest a guest pass on a daily or weekly basis. Sometimes for free sometimes there’s a small charge. TIP: Act like you want to check it out before committing and 90% of the time it’ll be free.
• Walking is an easy way to exercise, while exploring new places, and will save you cab/Uber money.

(me Guest Passing for free on a trip to Dallas)

• Workout in your hotel room. Try some equipment-free body weight exercises, like planks, pushups, squats, lunges, triceps dips, incline push-ups, jumping jacks, crunches, etc. You can do these exercises in your hotel room…or anywhere really.

Here’s a collection of vacation friendly workouts you can do the next time you travel. They’re body weight only so you don’t have to worry about equipment or picking exercises. They work!

• Vacation Friendly Ab Workout
• Vacation Friendly Leg Workout
• Vacation Friendly Full Body Workout

It’s completely possible to avoid gaining weight and stay on track when you’re on vacation. If you’re traveling for the holidays it can be extra tough staying on track.

If you’ll be traveling to celebrate the holidays, check out this post. It’s packed full of the exact same tips I use to survive the holidays and avoid gaining weight when I celebrate. I really think you’ll find it helpful.

What happens if you do go off the deep end and overdo it on your vacation? I always recommend (and personally do) my Reset Cleanse.

I actually developed it to help reverse the metabolic damage done from indulging, accelerate the metabolism, and get the number on the scale to drop, fast. You will get noticeable results in days (not weeks). Guaranteed.

And even if you do go overboard and indulge…don’t beat yourself up! You’re human! Just get back on track when you get home.

As always, my tips only work, if you work it.

So work it! Your health and happiness are so worth it!

xxoo

Your Coach and Biggest Cheerleader –

Pin this post to Pinterest so you’ll have it forever. If you’re looking for more workouts you can try while you’re traveling, click here.