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How To Lose Weight On Vacation

A few missed workouts won’t do too much damage, neither will a handful of  indulgent meals. BUT go away on vacation and combine the two, PLUS drinking, PLUS long travel demands… you have yourself a recipe for vacation induced body sabotage!

Realize that 1 of your “MIRANDA RIGHTS” is that you CAN come back from vacation leaner than you left. Simply begin by DECLARING this as your plan of action BEFORE you set sail and you are already half way to victory.

Call me biased, but I have NEVER been the type of person who enjoys sitting around a resort feasting on all-you-can-eat buffets for days on end; that’s not my idea of “relaxing.” I enjoy actively exploring a foreign city and soaking up all of the non-tourist, off-the-beaten-path stuff I can handle!

I took a trip to Miami last month and documented the whole thing for you. This is not just a how-to list; this is how I personally go away and maintain all of the hard work I put in at home on a daily basis!   Here we go…

1) Strike a balance and maintain who you are
Yo-Yo dieting, binge exercising and shot-term goal commitment leads to a life long struggle with your body weight and self image. Sure, vacation is a time to relax and let your hair down, but in order to come home leaner than you left, you must maintain a consistent balance between who you are on your trip and who are are at home.   You are someone who trains hard and eats clean in order to feel good and see results. You CAN do this on vacation too; say/think this often enough and it will become your reality. (Be careful what you ask for, becuase you WILL get it. Get it?)
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1) Book an apartment or hotel with a kitchen
Incredible sites like AirBnB.com help you find apartments in your destination of choice, often at a 1/3 of the price of nearby hotels. But really, the main benefit is having a KITCHEN so you can maintain a consistent healthy eating plan.

2) Lock down a gym in advance
When booking a place, ideally choose one with a gym. If this isn’t possible, call around to local gyms or boutique workout studios to book yourself a week or even a 3 day pass.  I specifically booked this apartment on the right because it was 3 blocks from my gym.

3) Bring Tupperware with healthy meals/snacks for the flight 
We often forget that travel time from the point when you leave your house to the moment you are settled in your new digs could be as much as 6 hours, even for just a 3 hour flight! The airport is quite possibly the most difficult place on earth (besides the movies) to find a healthy meal that you actually want to eat. So start your trip off successfully by packing a few plastic containers filled with medium sized healthy meals and a few snacks. Repeat this for the return flight as well!

4) Stock the fridge with food from the local grocery store or farmers market
Eating out 3-4 times a day not only is extremely pricey, but it’s a sure fire way to consume foods that will wreck your healthy eating plan! (Are you sensing a theme yet?) This pic on the left was taken on my 1st day after a quick walk around a local market and health food store. Fresh, organic, locally grown fuel!  *Pack that Tupperware you brought with this good stuff when you’re off to the beach or heading out for a of day of fun!

  5) Take advantage of location-specific workouts
When in Rome! Do a search for the most popular workouts in the area you will be visiting. On my recent trip to Miami I discovered sunset beach yoga and a morning kayaking group!  Rent bicycles, stand up paddle board or go on a running tour of the town! There are so many opportunities (beyond a local gym) to move AND have fun while you are away…you just have to find them!

6) Work out 1st thing each morning
Look, I’m not a total drill sergeant,  you still have to enjoy yourself here! But on most days, plan to do your work out for 1st thing in the morning BEFORE your travel partners want to go out and do bad things like drrrrinking the local nectar of the gods!

Lose weight on vacation

 7) Pack Vitamins, Supplements, and easy breakfast grains

Pack all of your “good for you” products that you use daily at home. Keeping your nutrition routine as close as you can to your home routine will ensure minimal negative effects of those few “cheat meals” you might enjoy while away on your trip!

 

 

 

Vacations are the best time to get a way from the daily grind a recharge your batteries. By proactively planning in your healthy meals and fun activities you can effortlessly come back from your trip looking HOTTER than the way you left! Post your comments below with your fav ways to stick to the plan when on va-k!

Your Fitness Freak ‘O Nature,

Laura Miranda MSPT, CSCS
Miranda Fitness Concepts, INC

Laura Miranda celebrity trainer NYC

 

 

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