It’s the time of year when people are starting to travel. The weather is getting mild and more and more trips are being planned. Camping, family vacations, be it to Mexico or right here in your town. Either way it takes those of us on a regular fitness and healthy eating routine down a dangerous path. Here are 7 simple tricks to stay on track while on vacation.

Keep in mind that this is for people who want to enjoy their vacation and not come home weighing 5 more lbs. If you want to use your time as a free for all and are not concerned about it then this post is obviously not for you.

Either way please make sure your food choices don’t take over your vacation. Have fun and relax and remember that food is not the enemy! Its fuel for your body.

1. Find your balance

It’s really easy to get caught up in the excitement of a vacation. And it’s even easier to get caught up in the excitement of all you can eat buffets. The trick here is to not get carried away. Obviously you don’t want to feel deprived on your vacation but you don’t want to fall completely off the wagon either. Try to keep in mind our basic guidelines.

Protein and veggies, minimize the starches. Find your meat first and then fill the rest of your plate with veggies, green salads etc. And leave the smallest portion to starches (pasta salads, potatoes etc) if you even plan on having them. If there is a dessert bar, keep that in mind when making your dinner choices.

2. Swap It

Don’t be afraid to ask your server for different options. Your chicken dish come with a heaping serving of buttered mashed potatoes? Ask if you can swap for a green salad, or steamed veggies. Might not seem like a huge difference but 1 cup of mashed potatoes can have over 300 calories.

3. Going for Drinks

For those of you going away to more tropical locations probably the first thing you imagine doing when you get there is lying on the beach with a frozen fruity drink in your hand. Well as we all know those margaritas start going down mighty easily and those 32 ounce glasses can be close to 600 calories! Having other options available like a Mojito only weigh in around 215 calories, also having one tall glass of water in between drinks will not only help you keep the calories down, it will also help you feel better the next day!

4. Get moving

Take time to be by yourself and get some activity in. Most resorts have a small (or large) gym available for guest use. Get up a little earlier and spend half an hour sweating out some cardio. Or plan some activities that will get you moving like a bike ride, hike or swimming. If where you are at doesn’t have a gym available check out our 15 minute fat blasting workout below. No gym or equipment needed!

5. Treat yourself

The worst thing you can do is deny yourself everything. Make sure you let yourself indulge in small treats so you don’t feel deprived. You will be less likely to binge or stray too far off your plan out of frustration or defiance. Just make sure it isn’t every meal of every day.

6. Choose your reward

As we always say “Failing to plan, is planning to fail”. You are better off sticking to your healthy choices for 80% of the day, then allowing yourself to have a reward meal at dinner. If you just keep snacking or over indulging whenever you like calories will add up. Keeping a food journal is a great way to see how your eating has been, giving you the opportunity to level out your days.

7. Pack a lunch

If you are unsure where your day will be taking you, try to bring along healthy portable snacks! Protein bars, nuts, protein powder and a shaker cup, even an apple or even an organic granola bar. Anything that would be better than your potential choices later in the day (fast food, chips, gas station fare)

Fat blasting mini vacation workout

This short 15 minute workout is guaranteed to bring your heart rate up and get you sweating. Challenge your friends or family members to join in! Do 45 seconds of the following exercises with a 15 sec rest in between*. Do 3 rounds back to back for a total of 15 minutes.

• Mountain Climbers
• Squats
• Burpees
• Pushups
• Jumping Jacks

* (You can find many interval training apps on your phone so you can set up a timer with a beep that will let you know when to stop and go so you don’t have to keep your eye on the clock)

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