Going Away Without the Guilt

I just came back from a wonderful family cruise vacation which took us from fabulous Florida to marvelous Mexico! Like most people, besides the destinations, I was also excited for the “floating refrigerator” including all you can eat buffets, gourmet dinners, 24-hour pizza and ice cream! Going away on vacation used to mean eating tons of food, forgetting to count calories and not exercising, but for the past 10 days I was surprisingly able to maintain my weight. As tempting as it was to gorge all week long, I still had to keep in mind the bigger picture, train for my upcoming race and not let all the months of hard work in the gym fall by the wayside. If you're looking for some pointers, ideas and motivation to survive your vacation, here’s how I was able to enjoy myself, but at the same time not sabotage my diet:

1. Even though meals are served buffet or “all you can eat” style, remember that the goal isn’t to consume all your calories in one meal. Instead, see if you can take some food back with you that can be eaten later, such as muffins, yogurt, dry cereal, etc. This will allow you to eat several small snacks throughout the day rather than eating huge meals, or starving between meals.
2. Find the gym on your first day. Believe it or not, I did and it was totally worth it. Since the day was scheduled to the hilt with activities I had guest relations set up a wakeup call at 6 o’clock every morning. This forced me to get at least 30 minutes of cardio or strength-training in every day before it got too hectic and mentally allowed me to enjoy my meals with less guilt.
3. Limit alcohol to just a few drinks per day. I know, it doesn’t sound like much fun especially with all the drink specials offered, but remember those empty calories in alcoholic beverages adds up.
4. For sit-down meals consider vegetarian or healthier options typically indicated on the menu. Should you opt for something more savory, be sure to leave a few portions on your plate. You can still have your cake and eat it too…but you don’t need to eat all of it to feel satisfied. If traveling with others, consider sharing desserts instead of finishing an entire plate by yourself.
5. Find every excuse to get active such as moderate level excursions, taking walks on the deck, dancing, swimming laps in the pool – be creative but most of all have fun, after all you’re on vacation!