Nutrition Trouble Spots - The Vacation

I LOVE vacations, but I need to be really careful that I don’t allow vacation eating to turn into a new routine. Many of us tend to go all or nothing with our dietary habits, so we either stick to chicken and broccoli on vacation or we fall off the wagon completely. Many people also tend to bring their vacation habits back into their day to day lifestyles. None of these mentalities lead to long term success. If we are too rigid and don’t allow ourselves to enjoy life, especially on vacation, we burn out and usually end up right back where we started. If we allow ourselves to go crazy while away, we usually can’t flip a switch and get back to the behaviors that will promote our goals when we get home. Rather, we carry those vacation behaviors when we return to everyday life. There are a few things that can help you bring balance to vacation eating. First, aim for two meals that look like what you would eat at home eat day, and allow yourself to enjoy one without regrets. Second, be active! Try to be as active or more active than you are at home. If you are more active, those relaxed meals won’t matter so much. Third, if you are going to drink, make a deliberate choice each time you have a drink. Finally, plan your reentry, and make sure you have a couple of days worth of meals prepared at home (frozen is fine!) so that you can get back into your routine when you return.