Staying on Track While Traveling
I. LOVE. TRAVELING. I love experiencing different cultures, gaining new perspectives, and trying new things. However, traveling can also come with stress and anxiety around your health and fitness goals. You’re gone for a week, you don’t really want to go to the gym while on vacation, you’re surrounded by foods that aren’t in your normal routine, you’re being social with friends and family all week, etc. It’s easy to eat healthy, workout + track your food when you have your routine, but its completely different when you’re in a new environment.
Think big picture though. Being a little flexible for one week (or even a few weeks) out of the year is not going to ruin all the progress you’ve made. However, this isn’t me giving anyone a free pass to throw the healthy habits they’ve learned out the window and go absolutely wild— you can still make good choices, control the controllables + be prepared as much as possible. You don’t need to have an all or nothing mindset.
This might be surprising, but I’m not the person that will go on a trip and make sure I find a gym in the area. I won’t bring a food scale to track my macros, and I won’t restrict myself from trying foods that I want to try. In the past, I would do all these things but throughout the years, I’ve built healthy habits that have become second nature so although I’m out of my regular routine, I can still stay on track for the most part. Disclaimer: I will go to the gym or bring a food scale while I travel if I’m prepping for a show (this is one of the only times its pretty important to stay on point), or if I’m going to be in a place for longer than a typical week vacation. Sometimes I’ll stay at resorts that have really nice gym set ups and I’ll go maybe once or twice throughout the week because I truly do enjoy lifting and (let’s be real) I’m a sucker for trying out a new gym but I won’t stress if I don’t have the opportunity.
I’ve also been that person that goes on vacation and forgets every single healthy habit I’ve learned. It’s taken me some time to figure out a way to travel without that all or nothing mindset so give yourself some grace, you’ll figure it out!
Here are some tips I always follow:
→ Be prepared with healthy snacks
· Prep individual serving size bags:
o mixed nuts, beef jerky, dried fruit, homemade protein energy balls etc.
o Protein powder is a HUGE game changer for me—prep two scoops of protein powder per day of your trip. This ensures that you get a good amount of protein even if you don’t have a lot of other options. You can make a habit of drinking a protein shake every morning on your trip before you start your activities.
→ Pack your normal supplements or electrolytes
→ Stay active
· Monitor your step count by taking 10-minute walks a few times a day (bonus points if you walk after meals to help with digestion)
· Rent a bike, run on the beach, stretch etc.
→ Make good food choices while eating out
· Choose a lean protein option + eat that first so you don’t fill up on other things
· Swap out the fries for another side
· Research the menu beforehand (If you know where you’re going) so you have an idea of what to order
· Ask for a to-go box right away to put half of your meal away so you don’t overeat just because you have it in front of you (I’m very guilty of this!)
· If you want to indulge in a dessert, drink or appetizer—GO FOR IT! Choose one of those things at a time rather than choosing all of them. One night, choose to get a dessert with your meal, the next night, try a fun cocktail!
→ Stay hydrated
· It’s easy to get caught up all day having a blast without drinking a sip a water (I know all too well!!) but bring a water bottle everywhere you go and drink like a fish!
→ BE FLEXIBLE + GIVE YOURSELF GRACE
· Try to be flexible while you’re traveling. It can be such a great experience and you don’t want to ruin it or miss out on things by stressing out about being 100% on point. Allow yourself to indulge in a treat here and there. Think about this time away as time to recharge and rest your body. If you’ve been going hard in the gym, think of this week as a deload for yourself. Once you’re back home, you can jump back into your routine—its not going anywhere 😊 Give yourself some grace, and go have some fun!
Happy Travels ❤︎