I’m usually pretty good at this, but recently, I fell apart.
It was crazy at my house for a few weeks in a row as we scrambled to get our house ready to be put on the market. The stress in my home was palpable, and the to-do lists were endless between work, home, and kids. Our comforting routine was all out of sorts, which left me floundering.
Luckily, all the hard work paid off, and the house was under contract before we knew it! That meant when we were away on vacation in Florida, we didn’t even need to worry about dealing with an open house or incoming offers. What a relief!
Bring on the relaxation.
Warm weather, family time, and a blank to-do list had me feeling like….awhhhhhhh. I think I relaxed a little too much because, toward the end of the vacation, I wasn’t feeling too stellar. My diet was a bit off track, my sleep was lacking (my kids always have a hard time sleeping in new places), and my physical activity level was embarrassing.
I knew I didn’t have to make it up, just make it back on track. On the way home from Florida, I reflected on the things I did well and the things that I could have done differently. This builds on the ideas Lucy shared in part one about being picky and sticking to what works well for you.
Fun foods are fun, but only if they don’t stop the fun for YOU.
I reminded myself of what we remind the tribe all the time. Your diet doesn’t need to be perfect. Annnnd there is a little more room (in my book) for fun foods while on vacation, because, well, it’s vacation! However, having so many fun foods that you feel terrible or wreck your goals doesn’t serve you. Tapping into your intuitive eating skills can come in handy here.
I’ll give you an example. I went out to eat one night in Florida and wanted to enjoy a cocktail. So I had one. Unfortunately, cocktails can include a lot of juice or flavored syrups that make me feel sick. The one I ordered was delicious and fruity – but definitely loaded with sugar. That night, when we returned to the house, I was offered another sugary adult beverage. It sounded fun at the time, but I declined. I knew it might be enjoyable for a bit, but the next day, I’d likely have a headache and an upset stomach. That’s no good when you are headed to the beach!
Your body will usually tell you when you are overdoing it.
Sometimes we don’t end up saying no to that second drink or the dessert. That’s okay. Nothing to beat yourself up about. It happens. If your body responds in uncomfortable ways like feeling bloated, having indigestion, or not being able to sleep well, for example, don’t ignore those symptoms. Take those into consideration next time. In the meantime, you can do this yoga routine to try to feel better.
I know a few people who push through those things and completely zone out from their bodies’ cues. Continously ignoring these signals can lead to health problems, weight gain, and a loss of well-being. Go ahead, tune in, take note, and know where to draw the line next time.
5 Creative Ways To Get Your Veggies In on Vacation
You know we love veggies at Well Balanced Nutrition, so it will likely come as no surprise when I encourage you to find a way to eat them while on vacation. Veggies provide fiber, water, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Here are some things I did on this trip.
- BYOV. We had some greens in the refrigerator that we took with us in a cooler so they wouldn’t go to waste while we were gone. When we stopped at Chick-fil-A, I carried in a small container of my arugula and ordered nuggets to go with it. Sorry, not sorry! It was the light and yummy meal I needed to get me through the car trip.
- Once we were there, my husband picked up a veggie tray from the grocery store. It was a simple way to make sure we had veggies that were easy to incorporate. Raw veggies and dip can be a great snack or round-out lunch.
- Make an egg casserole for breakfast. I love egg dishes because you can make them ahead and sneak veggies in at breakfast. We made this breakfast casserole and even my dad who doesn’t dig most veggies, enjoyed it.
- Get an order of veggies on the side when you eat out. From my experience, even when the description on the menu lists an array of vegetables in a dish, the amount of vegetables present in the meal is very small. One night, I enjoyed a creamy pasta dish with broccoli at a table overlooking the water. I was right, it didn’t come with much broccoli at all. So I asked for a side of steamed broccoli that I tossed into my pasta to double up the portion.
- If veggies are just really hard to find or get, focus on fiber-rich fruits like pears, kiwi, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Beans can be another good source of fiber.
What didn’t go so well:
After a whirlwind of two weeks, I was ready to rest. Taking it easy is great, but movement is also good for you. I went into sloth mode a little too hard. Sometimes, it’s difficult to find the right balance. In hindsight, I wish I had found a few more opportunities to walk.
If you have young kids, you know – going on vacation is not restful at night. Getting a good night’s sleep can feel impossible.
Make it back!
Vacations are awesome! If you come back from a vacation feeling worse than when you left, maybe it’s time to revisit some of your habits while away. Being an intuitive eater, splurging smartly, and fitting in those veggies may help you come back refreshed and balanced. Or maybe you did the best you can, and giving yourself grace is what you need. In the end, it’s a week or two – it is not an end-all-be-all kind of situation. Don’t beat yourself up. Live, learn, and make it back to habits that make you feel your best at the first opportunity you can.
How about you?
How do you handle vacations?
