Whether it’s a summer vacation by the beach or a Christmas getaway with friends and family, holidays do happen. Taking a break from your everyday routine, unwinding, and enjoying new places is a must if you want to stay healthy in the long run.
While getting the most out of the new temporary reality, you might step aside from your typical fasting and workout schedule. You may decide to skip it altogether and pick up where you left off as soon as you get home, or partially use some of your healthy habits but you are unsure how to do it. If that’s the case, then check out the tips below, try them for yourself and make your holiday unforgettable!
5 mistakes to avoid when trying to stay healthy on holiday
To stay on track during your vacation, all you need is a little knowledge and motivation. This will help you return home without extra pounds and get back to your fasting and workout routine easier than expected.
You train at the wrong time
When in a hot climate, you should avoid exercising outdoors in the middle of the day in order not to overheat and dehydrate. Also, if it’s winter and you are not properly equipped, it’s best to work out indoors and reduce the risk of catching a common cold or the flu.
In both cases, however, do bring a water bottle and a healthy post-workout snack with you.
You eat everything you see
Holiday should equal pleasure. And pleasure includes food! Certainly, when you are away, you want to indulge without thinking of healthy eating all the time. But if you want to come back home without any change in the waistline, then it might be wise not to try every single food on the menu. There are easy ways to relish some fresh local meals that you wouldn’t usually eat and not feel restricted. For instance, eat just one new dish at mealtime, order a lighter option, and avoid snacking in between meals. Those few simple ideas can make you feel a lot better and enjoy your holiday.
You disregard your first meal
Regardless of whether you fast or not during your holiday, make sure to set the right tone of the day ahead with your first meal. To enjoy good energy levels and long hours of satiety, strive to eat some protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, and fiber. If you focus on refined carbs in the form of croissants, cookies, or muffins instead, the upcoming blood sugar and insulin spikes may leave you starved shortly after, provoke cravings, and affect energy and mood.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you can never try local pastries. Just do so after you’ve had a meal rich in protein, healthy fats, and fiber first.
You sleep fewer hours
Well, why would you sleep when you can party all night long?! Because your body loves a routine! If you deprive yourself from sleep, you are much more likely to crave carbs and sugars which are the fastest sources of energy and overindulge with those. This could happen once your stress hormones (i.e. cortisol) take over and leave the hunger ones out of balance. Unfortunately, such an experience can easily result in bad food choices and confused metabolism.
You are too tough on yourself
You’ve decided to stay healthy during the holidays and that’s final. However, do it nicely without being too hard on yourself. If you give in and have one extra meal for the day which will affect your fasting schedule, don’t regret it, because it’s not a deal breaker. Just trust your body and know that once you hit the reset button, it will be there to support you on the way back to your normal daily routine.
The Fasting Diet is a structured eating pattern alternating between eating and fasting periods. This approach can promote various health benefits, including weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and cellular repair. By restricting calorie intake during specific time windows or days and excluding specific foods, fasting diets help the body tap into stored energy and promote fat loss.
Final thoughts
Holidays are true givers! While you take a well-deserved break from your hectic agenda, you get the chance to enjoy some quality me-time and create deeper bonds with friends and family. So, enjoy each moment as much as you can – try local food, go hiking, play games by the fireplace, eat that cake you can’t stop thinking about!
By all means, if you want to get back to your routine fast once you return home, make sure to put into practice any of the tips above. But no matter what happens in the end, remember to be kind to yourself, because in a few days only you can start from where you left off!
