Vacation is a time to leave work behind, let your guard down and have a fun time with friends or family. It’s also easy to get off your healthy routine. And if you’re not careful, you might come home with a few extra pounds.
Here are simple ways to enjoy your vacation without packing on weight.
Eating out every day can mean extra calories and consuming more than the recommended daily amount of sodium. To maintain your weight while on vacation, pick hotels with a small kitchenette. You can stop by a local grocery store and pick up fruit or vegetables and prepare your own healthy meals. If you can eat some of your meals in the hotel room, you'll avoid excess sodium and calories.
If driving to your destination, rather than stop at a fast food restaurant every couple hours, pack healthy snacks and meals for the road. Instead of potato chips, soda and other unhealthy snacks, bring low-fat crackers, fruit and water.
Getting a rental car might be the only option depending on where you visit. But if you're staying in a city with a lot of public transportation or attractions within walking distance, skip the rental car and walk around town. The extra walking keeps you active and you're able to burn off extra calories.
Exercise might be the last thing on your mind while vacationing. However, if you're eating out two or three times a day, going to the workout room in your hotel for 20 or 30 minutes a day can give your metabolism a boost, helping you burn more calories and fat. If you don't have a workout room in your hotel, you can walk around the parking lot for 20 or 30 minutes.
Lounging by the pool all day is fun and relaxing, but this isn't going to burn calories. While looking for activities in your destination city, choose those that involve movement — maybe going for a bike ride, hiking or visiting an amusement park. Anything that involves walking around for the majority of the day. Remember, any activity counts toward maintaining your weight. So get up and move around.
Before going to a restaurant, head online and pull up the restaurant’s website and check the calorie count for different food items. This way, you have an idea of what to order before sitting down. You can check the calorie count, sodium and fat, and then choose low-calorie options to maintain your weight.
If you consume too many empty calories while on vacation, this can also have an impact on your weight. Sodas, juices and alcoholic beverages have a higher calorie intake. This doesn’t mean you can't enjoy a cold alcoholic selection, just make sure you’re also drinking water to reduce the number of empty calories you take in.
When you come home from vacation you want to feel relaxed and rejuvenated, not weighed down. With the above tips, you can enjoy yourself and experiment with different cuisines while maintaining your weight. What are other ways to prevent weight gain while on vacation?