We got back from our AMAZING trip to Glacier National Park late Sunday night and jumped RIGHT back into reality Monday morning. (Because, adulating.) We did as much as we could squeeze in during the 3 quick days we were there, including lots of sightseeing, hikes, bike rides, and of course, more than our fair share of eating! 
I plan to tell ya all about the trip in a blog post soon. But since I am currently in the midst of it myself, and the summer/travel season is pretty much here, I thought that I would share some strategies I have found to work really well to help get back on the “health wagon” after taking a break from the routine.
Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we come home from a trip and just feeling bogged down. (Bloated, tired, swollen, etc.) While I stuck to my “clean eating on vacation guidelines” we ate REALLY well. And by that I mean, we ate a solid breakfast and dinner that left us absolutely stuffed every day we were there. The food was healthy and wholesome for the most part, but I did forget what it felt like to feel hungry at one point 😉 I also ate trail mix, jerky, and chocolate for dinner at the airport on our way back, and I indulged in more sugar (mostly in the form of hard cider and ice cream) than I typically do in a month.
While I always do my best to stay on track and be as conscious about what I am eating as I can on vacations, I also use these times as a chance to splurge and live in the moment. Most of my life when I am in my everyday routine, I am making very healthy choices and saying “no thank you” to a lot of things that don’t fit in my diet. (I use the term “diet” as a way of eating, not a weight loss plan 😉 )
But one of my favorite parts about traveling is researching and exploring the local eateries as a way of experiencing different parts of the country/world. If there is a special little ice cream shop in my path, there’s a REALLY good chance I’ll be indulging! I also view vacation as a time to go ahead and say “YES” to something in a more spontaneous sense than when I am at home. This helps me feel like it’s not that I can’t eat something, it’s that I choose not to…most of the time.
Saying “yes” when on vacation means that when I get home, I am ready to get back to my healthy ways. In fact, I feel more motivated to eat healthy than normal so it all evens out in the end. By now, I have a pretty solid plan in place as soon as we get home to help transition back to “normal”.
I wouldn’t say that any of these tips are particularly earth-shattering or novel…but these are things I try to always do as soon as I am home. Sometimes a quick reminder and a mental checklist is all it takes! Without further ado, here are 10 tips to help get you back on track after vacation!
- Let’s start with what not to do…whatever you do, don’t punish yourself. You made conscious decisions that fulfilled you at the time. It is always OK to live in the moment and enjoy yourself on a trip. Don’t let guilt or shame make you feel “bad” about indulging.
- Don’t deprive yourself. I used to think that I would need to do a juice cleanse or an “all vegetable diet” after a wild weekend. That lasted all of about 4 hours until I was starving and cranky and just needed real food. Instead, fulfill yourself with wholesome, healthy, and clean foods.
- Try a mini reset. You don’t need to come home and tell yourself “I’m going to eat a certain way for the next month”. Sure, that definitely works and if you are up for it, by all means, go for it. But if you are the type of person that does better with short term goals, try a mini reset and go from there. 5-7 days is a good goal and you will probably notice a difference in the way you feel pretty quickly. Then you can lighten up a bit and get in a groove.
- Plan your Weekly Menu on the plane/car ride home and then visit the grocery store before you even get home (or as quickly as you can upon returning). This way, you can start your reset right away to break the “bad” habits before they creep into your everyday life.
- Drink ALL the water. Drinking tons of water will help flush out the toxins and clean out your system.
- Eat ALL the veggies. Load up on lots of variety of veggies to help boost your immune system, give you lots of fiber, and just make you feel better overall!
- Keep your meals very simple and light. Stick with your go-to dinners that are easy to cook and you know you’ll like. This helps keep your meals clean, but also helps make things easier as you get back to the swing of things. No need to cook complex dinners when you have 1 million loads of laundry to do! Here are some ideas for simple dinners you could make:
- Make a frittata. Kinda silly, but really, really helpful. I like to make a big veggie packed frittata the first day I am back home so that I am sure to start each day of the next week off with a healthy, filling breakfast.
- Get back to the gym. That first workout is probably gonna suck, but you’ll feel so much better afterward and your body will remind you to refuel with healthy foods! When I get home earlier in the day, I even go that same evening just to get that first workout out of the way. You’ll wake up the next day ready to rock and roll!
- Get plenty of rest/sleep. It’s easy to get back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life (especially when you’ve been gone and need to play catch-up) but sleep is SO key when it comes to making healthy choices and helping your body recover.
Overall, go easy on yourself, make good choices right away, and enjoy the fact that you have the tools, knowledge, and will power to make healthy choices for your body! 🙂
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