I recently came back from a work and rest vacation in Florida and had a great time.  It was both a work and rest vacation!  I wanted to share with you something that I think is super important when it comes to taking vacations!  In the past, I would use an event such as a vacation to eat whatever I want, whenever I want and end up coming home feeling fatigued, sluggish and bloated.  Before leaving, I would use “getting ready” for a vacation as a motivator to not miss workouts and eat really clean, I would lose weight and then come back from vacation having gained all or most of the inches or weight back that I had lost. 

I had a conversation with my travel partner a few weeks before our trip letting them know that I didn’t want this vacation to turn into a food-fest like some of other trips I’d been on.  They agreed and I was so happy to know that we were on the same page!

I set an intention for myself that I would focus on relaxing, disconnecting, and refocusing.  I also set the intention to continue to drink at LEAST 2 litres of water daily and order salad (OMG they were soooo good!) when we went to eat out.

My mindset going into the trip was all about relaxing, disconnecting from email, Facebook and other social media and simply soaking up the warm sunshine.  On the flip side, I wasn’t focused on…”I can’t wait to eat X.”  My mindset about the vacation influenced my decisions about what to eat while we were away.  I focused on being in the moment and present listening to my body and what it wanted and needed at any given time.  If I was tired, I took a nap.  If I felt like I needed movement, I went for a walk.  If I was hungry, I ate.

Did I Indulge?

You bet I did…not as much as I had in the past though!  If I wanted something that I wouldn’t normally eat, I ate it.  BUT…if after a couple bites or sips it didn’t taste AMAZING to me, I stopped eating it!  You know what though, there weren’t too many things that I wanted that I don’t normally eat.  This is a BIG shift from where I was about a year ago.  It was easier to steer away from cookies, sandwiches, and other desserts without wanting to eat them as I know and understand how those foods negatively affect my body.  I wanted more proteins, healthy fats, and vegetables.

Take Away

Below are a few take away points from my time away.  Keep in mind that some of these principles can apply to our everyday life to enhance our health and well-being.

1. You need to disconnect and unplug from technology. Constantly being accessible via email and social media does not allow you time to turn inward and listen to your thoughts, feelings, and emotions.  Find a time each week; maybe it is Sunday afternoons when you don’t check your phone, email, or Facebook.  This point alone has changed my life!

2. Having a plan is ESSENTIAL. Setting intentions about how I wanted my experience on vacation to be was key in helping make my decisions.  Of course, things don’t always go as planned or you may decide to change your plan and that is totally ok, at least you’re being present and are aware of your actions.

3. You don’t always have to be DOING, spend time just BEING. There was one day that I didn’t even leave the hotel room as I just wanted to do nothing…and that, my friends, is OK.

4. You can indulge in great tasting food without going overboard and feeling fatigued, bloated, and sluggish. Indulging in dessert, alcohol, or other favourite food doesn’t mean that you need to go overboard and have it every night or multiple times per day.  You can have a few bites, one glass of wine, and be completely satisfied and content.

5. Listen to your body. It’s constantly giving you signals as to what it needs: rest, water, food, touch, movement, etc.  Whenever possible, listen to it and give it what it needs.  Often times we reach for food or beverages because we know we need something but we just don’t know what or can’t stop what we are doing at that moment so we use food/beverages to increase our mood/emotions.

I came home with a different perspective and expectation for future vacations.  I also came home the same weight that I left and felt amazing in my tightest pair of jeans…even after a few indulgences! SCORE!!

Forever yours in health and butt kickings,

Sara