Hi Collegiettes!
Hope you are having a good weekend! I couldn’t be happier with my current state, I am sitting in the sun with my coffee overlooking beautiful trees in Bend, Oregon. The next three weekends I will be travelling, which I loooove. Next weekend I am in Seattle with my best friend trying to find an apartment for her, and the next in Newport Beach, CA celebrating her birthday! These long weekend excursions are probably one of my favorite things ever – but it can be hard to eat right & exercise on the road! So, I wanted to share a few of my tips from experience and a little research!
1. Come prepared as possible:
Sometimes you have minimum packing space. But if possible, pack a cooler filled with cut up fresh vegetables, hardboiled eggs, Zico coconut water, waterfruit, nuts, greek yogurt, etc. You can even pack your meals and bring them with you. This is a little too much for me, I would rather enjoy a taste of the local food, but if you are an “all or nothing” type, this may work best. What I brought: Apples, banana, grapefruit, dried oatmeal, almond milk, eggs, peanut butter.
2. Pick a drink, bread, or dessert:
One of my favorite parts of travelling is trying the local cuisine, but eating out can really easily pack on calories. Having a drink (~ 100-200 calories), plus bread ( 2 slices ~ 150) and dessert ( ~ 600-1000 calories) can really add up! You could have easily walked out with an additional 1,500+ calories on your belt. No thanks… Instead, choose one strategically! If the reataurant is known for the amazing dessert, order a San Pelligrino with lime for a drink, a side salad instead of bread (watch the dressing), and split the dessert with someone. These are your “Happy Calories” from the SELF Drop 10 Plan. This way, you get what you really want, and you will feel more satisfied. Whenever I am in Bend, Oregon we go to this restaurant called Zydeco – it is one of my favorites! They have a wide menu, very allergy friendly, with a New Orleans twist. Because I LOVE there shrimp appetizer, I skipped the drink and bread, had a San Pelligrino with lime instead, and no dessert. My main entrée is below – and I will touch on that in the next point.
3. Entrees: Vegetables + Protein:
When eating out, go for an entrée that has vegetables and lean protein (no fried!). Skip the mashed potatoes, rice (unless brown rice or quinoa), and other starches. Normally, the portion sizes are huge to begin with, so those extras are really unnecessary. Also, don’t be afraid to ask to sub those mashed potatoes for vegetables! Restaurants (especially more upscale) are really willing to accommodate, just ask nicely for their help to choose something healthy. Last night I ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna, which came with cucumber salad and rice. I didn’t touch the rice, and I was still full and satisfied!
4. Get active!:
No matter what, stay in your workout routine! If you are on the go the entire day, fit in one of these 20 minute HIIT workouts before the day starts. If you have more time, try this 40- minute high calorie burner. Or my favorite, get active in the city! Try and ask the locals their favorite hiking spot, explore the city on foot, rent a bike and go for a long bike ride. Exercise can definitely fit into your normal vacation plans – so get creative! Bend, Oregon is definitely active capital, USA, so I am not short of things to do. I am going hiking at a local’s spot (asked our waiter last night) and then walking around the downtown.
4. The days before:
The week before you know you are leaving, fit in a few extra workouts and be clean about what you eat. I love to do my 4-Day Slimdown the week before, this way I am not bloated and feel refreshed before even leaving. This week I taught an extra cycling class and did my 20 min HIIT’s every morning. Here is a picture of a few of my awesome cycling students (they workout HARD) after class – don’t mind the sweat ;)
5. Enjoy your time!:
Vacationing is all about relaxing and coming back refreshed. So do take it easy on yourself, and enjoy the time to explore the city and be with loved ones. Life isn’t about stressing over calories or working out – so take these tips but keep in mind that it is OK, and necessary, to enjoy your favorite things sometimes or take a break from exercise. Life is all about moderation and finding balance. From my experience, I feel better when I continue to workout and eat healthy while vacationing, and definitely enjoy one meal or treat, like ice-cream at the beach.
Hope this helps! Would love to hear your tips for being healthy on the road! Oh yeah.. I saw The Great Gatsby last night – YOU MUST SEE IT. That is all.
Xo,
Hayley