You often hear people complain about getting thrown off their health track by going on vacation. I can totally understand how that happens because you are out of your normal routine, often eating out at restaurants, or in our case, an amusement park full of goodies! Being so committed to the change I wanted, made it very easy to block out the temptations all around me. It was also extremely helpful that we set ourselves up for success by being in a place that we could cook the majority of our own meals, grocery shop, and bring our own healthy snacks.

I did however have good intentions of exercising at least twice while on my trip and that didn't happen. We were so exhausted from our daily excursions that the last thing I wanted to do was put on a pair of gym shoes and work out. Luckily, nutrition is 80% of the battle. I knew if I kept my eating under control on the trip, when I got back to the gym, I could get back to work and I would not lose any of the progress I'd made. I think some vacations are easier to find time to exercise than others. This trip we were non-stop in different parks and at the beach. On other trips, we have had some more down time or we have been in a hotel with a gym. That always makes it a little bit more convenient to exercise while on the road.

This is probably the first vacation from which I have returned feeling like I never left, at least as far as my physical body goes. I definitely felt recharged after having so much fun with my family! I often hesitate to take a week off to do something fun because I know that I will be frustrated when I get back. It always feels like it takes two or three months to get back to where I was prior to leaving town. I see a lot of people who are on a fantastic track, take a vacation and then don't make it back to the gym or to eating well until several months afterward. It can definitely start a negative spiral even though the vacation was meant to make you feel good, relaxed and refreshed. So my suggestion is to set some goals and intentions ahead of time. When planning where you will stay, keep in mind how you want to eat. When planning your activities consider when you might exercise outside of those activities. If you don't think that you will have the desire to put in another work out after all the fun, choose some activities that require physical exertion. We spent a day at the beach. Rather than spending the whole day sipping fruity drinks and working on our tans, we decided to tackle boogie boarding. Believe me when I say, that is a serious workout! Battling the ocean is a whole new level of difficult and it definitely had me huffing and puffing.

Vacations, or simply time off of the gym do not have to derail your progress. Just like your progress at home take planning and forethought, so too do vacation meals and activities. Don't be afraid to save yourself some calories and money by grocery shopping over dining out. Instead of "relaxing" the whole time, try a new sport. You might just like it!