Vacation Damage Control

With the weather cooling down and beginning to look more and more miserable, many people may be keen to get away for a few days or even weeks. However, these little getaways often mean access to a lot of food that would not normally be in our daily diets. Eating healthy at home is relatively easy, but it’s far more difficult when you’re on holiday and your regular routine is disrupted. It can often seem like you put in hard work for months on end and then a week or two away ruins all your efforts. Don’t worry – read on to learn my top tips on how to enjoy your holiday without regretting it when you come home.

BE INDEPENDENT
Rather than staying in a hotel, book into a small apartment or cottage that has its own kitchen. It’s very difficult to maintain your health when you’re dependent on eating out for every meal. With your own kitchen, you can shop intelligently, fill the pantry with fresh, healthy ingredients and prepare nutritional meals as necessary. Often a self-contained apartment or cottage ends up cheaper than a hotel stay anyway!

DON’T MAKE TREATS A STAPLE
When on holiday, people often order desert or snack on treats multiple times during the day just because they’re on holiday. While you do want to enjoy local specialities and treat yourself a little, do remember that these treats are laden with sugar and other ingredients that will simply move those health goals (which you’ve been working your ass off to achieve) further and further away. I’m not suggesting that you avoid sweet treats all together, but do try to limit them to just a few special indulgences while you’re away.

ORDER SMART WHEN EATING OUT
Restaurant meals can be quite unhealthy when compared to the meals we prepare at home. However, it is possible to make smart choices when eating out. Scour the menu for healthier options. Words associated with healthier meals include steamed, boiled or grilled. Avoid meals containing fried or deep-fried foods.

Ask for your meal to be tailored to your individual needs. For example, rather than getting chips with your meal, substitute them with salad or steamed vegetables. Additionally, ask for any sauces or marinades to come on the side. That way you can use just a little with your meal, or you can simply avoid the them entirely as they are often an unnecessary addition to the meal.

Avoid excessive alcohol or other high-calorie drinks. Holidays often seem to result in excessive alcohol consumption and this can vastly detriment your health goals. If you do want to treat yourself to a wine while eating out, ensure you limit yourself to no more than one to two glasses of red wine and only 2-3 times a week.

MOVE
Holidays are a time to take in the local sights and scenes. Rather than taking a bus, hire car or other public transport, walk to all the places you want to go. Constantly being on the move during the day will ensure you’re going some way to working off the extra calories you’re bound to consume and it will also help keep your fitness levels up while you’re away from your usual training regime.

While I do understand that holidays are a time to indulge a little and let yourself go for a short break, do remember that the key is moderation. You can have the odd treat and day off exercise every now and then but just make sure it’s the ODD treat and OCCASIONAL day off, not an all-out indulgence. After all, you’ll be devastated if you come back from a short break to find out that you’ve wasted all the hard work you’ve put in for months on end.

Be smart on holiday and you’ll come back feeling healthy, refreshed and ready to start back where you left off.