My plan for this trip is much like it is for most of our trips. We are staying in a condo so that we have access to cooking and refrigeration. We planned to grocery shop for supplies for breakfast, lunch and a dinner or two, then we'll find somewhere fun for the other dinners. I've written about this before in my series "How to stay healthy while having fun". 

The other trap that we plan to avoid is the snack trap. We're visiting several amusement parks and will be walking, riding and watching shows for the better part of 14 hours....why do we do this to ourselves?😱 My kids, like most, snack all day. We plan to pack as much as we can into our cooler and backpacks. This is the one and only time that I'm actually bummed to not need a stroller. They make fantastic luggage racks! Luckily since they're old enough to walk, they can also carry their own pack. If we don't pack enough, we're sure to have to spend way too much money on something made of pure sugar and likely deep fried. 

While it's tempting to buy the easy stuff like chips and fruit snacks, I also intend to bring nuts, seeds, fruit and other items that have fiber and fat to keep us more satisfied and fueled for fun. Empty calories like soda and chips don't do anyone any favors. Not only are they awful for your body, they don't actually give you any sustenance and you end up hungry soon after eating them. Grown-ups will have snacks like protein balls, fruit, nuts and lots of water.

Did you know that certain parks actually pump in the smell of fresh baked cookies?! Guess why? Yes, to trigger your brain to tell you that you really need a nice warm cookie right about now. We will for sure have a treat while on our trip but we'll find something special, sit down together and enjoy it. We will not feel guilty or feel as though we need to "make up for it" later. We'll be happy with the memory we made while eating it.

The smells so good trap can also lead you to flat out eat more often than you would normally. We plan to eat at normal meal times, normal snack times and spend as much time having fun as possible. 

What about exercise? Will we walk a million miles? Yes. Will that compensate for our missed gym time? No. Here's why: When you're walking and standing in line, you're burning more calories than sitting, but truly not that many more. When you exercise in the gym, you get your heart rate up, you are challenging your muscles and in doing both, burning lots of calories durning and after, your workout. This obviously depends on your workout, but the point is that you're not moving strenuously at the amusement park, and you are at the gym. Moving at all is always better than sitting, but another trap that many fall into while traveling is the "we did so much today" trap. Be honest with yourself while assessing your activity level and don't overestimate it, especially to justify consuming more calories.

The bottom line - Have fun! Enjoy your company and the adventure. Go easy on the treats. Keep your eating schedule, and menu, as close as possible to what you would at home, with a special meal here and there. Be conscious of how awesome you felt while at home and on track. Then think about how crappy you'll feel when you get home, if you let the wheels come off now.

Pray that our feet hold up to all the walking, our patience is endless and that our kids never whine....one can pray!