Honest share out…because I vow to run this website with transparency!
After a few days on vacation and some tasty high-calorie meals, I will be honest and say that I panicked a bit. In contest prep my food and discipline are very tight and I hit my macros to a t. Now in a building season AND on vacation at the same time, I had several days go above my set macros and the food content was very different, more of what I call “fun foods” like desserts and pizza, as a vacation should be!
At first I thought, “I don’t want to gain weight, get out of shape, lose my conditioning.” Then I realized this: a few over-indulgent meals or vacation days won’t change you just like one or two salads and veggies won’t get you in shape.
I know my lifting and food tracking patterns will be consistent, that is my lifestyle. So I said to myself, “Settle down girl. Enjoy now and get back on track at vacation’s end and then rock the plan. And a few water-weight pounds up on the scale does NOT define you!” If anything, I should not beat myself up over a few off-pattern choices, but rather keep a sharp focus on my daily habits. That’s where the progress lies!
On the flip side, when I coach others to their goals, the same concept goes. I tell them that a few days of working out, water drinking, diet tracking and balanced food choices is not going to change their physique overnight. In either direction, it’s in the patterns and habits over weeks, months and years that produces one’s results. Think endurance, not sprint, because we are what we repeatedly do!
So I put my mind at ease and chose to still track all my eats for my own accountability, but enjoy items I don’t normally eat. The best advice for vacations I can give is to:
1. Stay hydrated. Water is your friend to keep your digestion in check.
2. Be active. Walk, walk, and walk some more to your destinations. Bike rentals are commonly available, many places have on-site gyms and vacation spots have diverse ways to be on the move. I got 2 of my 3 planned workouts in while out of town and did so at my campsite and as a visitor at the local Y. If it doesn’t happen, let it go. You’ll kill it upon your return and time with your family is more important. Additionaly, rest days are good for you!
3. You may or may not track your food, but I did to make sure I got a good balance of fats, carbs, fiber and proteins in my choices. Truth: my choices were over my planned macros each day, but aiming for the balance of macros kept me from carb crashes, stalled digestion and low energy. In couple with my hydration, hitting my daily fiber goal was truly the trick to not feeling bloated and run down.
4. Got alchohol? I am not a drinker…I had one, but many people do drink. Beverage calories, especially sugary drinks, will add up. Keep them in check or back off dessert if you are drinking a lot.
5. Remember this is short term. Unless you choose to keep up this pattern, in a few days upon return, your body will balance back out and your memories will be fabulous! That is the point of a vacation…a break from the norm!
I share out to tell you that we all have off days, down moments, lack of discipline, and self doubt. It’s human nature.
•BUT strength comes in not letting a slip turn into a slide.•
Enjoy your break, but let the past be the past because yesterday really did end last night!
Embrace your time away from your routine. No matter where you are or what you did, it’s never too late to pick back up and have another Day One. We’re headed home now and I’m getting a dune sprint in before we go. I’m hitting my macros today because I’m back on track across the board, but I had a great time with my family taking a break from the daily grind!