Dieting can be one of the toughest parts of starting a healthy lifestyle. What can make it even more difficult is maintaining it long term. Many people will struggle to keep to their diet after slipping up a couple of times. It may seem impossible to do while away from your home or while eating out at restaurant, so what is the likelihood that you’ll be able to do it when you go away on vacation?
Not to worry, in this blog we’ll explore several ways to make a diet work for you even while out on vacation!
Before we get started one thing we want to talk about is the use of the term ‘diet’. There are lots of ‘diets’ out there. Keto, Vortex, Paleo, etc. the list goes on forever. When we say diet we aren’t talking about about fad diets. We are referring to healthy changes in your everyday eating habits. If you need help with this, we will cover that in an upcoming blog.
Tip 1 – Research restaurants in the area
With a little bit of work ahead of time you can find restaurants in the area or other local food spots that may have food along the lines of your diet. You don’t need to plan out each and every meal but you should be able to figure out several options during your time there.
Tip 2 – Cook some meals instead of eating out each time
This may not be an option for everyone, but if you are traveling to a place where you have the ability to cook your own food like an AirBnB, cottage, etc., or your room has a stove it helps to buy some groceries and make some meals at the place you are staying at. It will help keep the cost of your vacation lower and if you are able to find a locally grown market the food quality could be better too!
Tip 3 – Allow for some ‘cheat meals’
One of the best parts of vacations is the spontaneity so go with the flow and enjoy it! (Yes, even the desserts!) When you switch up your meals and try something new you are introducing different vitamin and nutrient profiles that your body may not have been getting from your current diet. This can sometimes help with plateaus if your body has been stagnant in your results.
Tip 4 – Skip sugary cocktails and heavy beers
Now, before you hang us out to dry for this, we didn’t say no alcohol. We would suggest switching to a light beer for the lower calorie counts and staying away from overly sugary drinks. (Looking at you Rum Punch!) Liqueurs, certain wines, and drinks with regular Red Bull are usually the highest in sugar content. Instead opt for hard spirits, hard seltzers with low sugar content, and dry wines or red wines that are lower calorie.
Tip – 5 – Avoid doing multiple heavy meals a day
If you end up having a heavy meal earlier in the day try having a lighter meal(s) throughout the rest of the day and vice versa. The reason for this is that your fat cells and muscle tissue work as a storage tanks and they will fill with the incoming food that you consume. Muscle tissue will store carbs in the form of glycogen but once they are full of glycogen the body will convert the rest of the carbs into fat. By giving your body time to burn off the glycogen you will store less fat.
Lastly, if all else fails you can use the following guideline: Make the main portion of your meal a lean protein and for side dishes stick to non starchy vegetables. Fruits are fine for earlier in the day but try not to eat too much of them later in the day. This is not a cure all but it can help keep yourself from gaining too much.
If you have any tips or questions feel free to leave a comment below. Have fun on your next vacation!
