The 10 Hardest Things to Balance on Vacation & How to Overcome Them!

Do you find it hard to stick to your health and wellness goals while on vacation? You are not alone, but there is hope! One of my clients told me yesterday by using the tools and plan we set up for her on vacation she was able to lose 1.2 pounds! Moral of the story, identify what obstacles could get in the way and make a plan to overcome them.

If you tend to “throw everything out the window” on vacation try following these tips!

1. Alcohol

You don't need to completely avoid alcohol to be healthy on vacation. Instead, practice moderation, hydrating, and listening to your body when you’ve had enough.

2. Sweets

Focus on avoiding daily afternoon/morning sugar routines on vacation that you’ll continue when you return home. Plan out a couple times during vacation when you'll have sweets and truly enjoy every bite

3. Lack of Movement

Starting the day off on vacation on the right note with a morning run or walk will boost your mood and inspire you to eat healthier throughout the day. Also, plan a fun activity for the group that involves movement (hiking, swimming, kayaking, outdoor yoga in the park, etc.).

4. Snacking

Often times I see people snacking through meals on vacation. Snacking too much can rack up calories quickly. Focus on getting three balanced meals in a day and bring healthy snacks along with you for when mid-day hunger strikes. Check out this post for some of my favorite portable snacks.

5. Restaurant Eating

Most restaurants don’t provide calorie counts, and it can be hard to know how many you’re consuming. I often tell my clients to use the website CalorieKing to do calorie estimations when eating out.

6. Vegetable Consumption

It can be hard to get at least two servings per day. Focus on taking advantage of opportunities when eating out to consume more veggies! Thankfully, the summer presents many opportunities to enjoy delicious, in-season veggies. Put some veggies in with an omelette, get a side salad at lunch, bring some carrots and hummus along for snacks, or try some veggies on your pizza. There are a lot of ways to sneak veggies in.

7. Mindset

Adopt a “Maintain don’t gain” mindset: It’s easy to tell yourself, "I’m on vacation, time to throw everything out the window.” This only leads to overeating and extreme dieting once you return. Focus on keeping balance in the diet while still enjoying your favorite foods in moderation.

8. Movement

Walk, walk, walk, and walk some more. Being on vacation is a great way of getting plenty of walking in. Whenever possible opt to walk instead of drive. Track your steps daily and see how much you can get in by the end of the trip.

9. Hydration

Keep a water bottle with you and take time to drink! Follow these tips for staying hydrated in the summer heat.

10. Overconsumption

Set a goal for yourself for portion control. This might be setting a limit of eating out 1x per day or getting ice cream 2x per week or choosing alcohol vs. a dessert.

Which of these do you struggle with the most on vacation?