5 Great Tips for Staying Fit on Vacation

I know how easy to slip into bad habits when you’re away from home, eating out  for every meal daily, and being tempted by an endless supply of truly amazing food. Thats one of the joys of travel, to try and taste as much of the local fare as possible. This is one of my passions as well.

However, I’m not one of those people who can eat whatever they want (like a teenage boy) and never gain an ounce, so I’ve come up with a few tricks for curbing my urge to eat everything in sight without having to deprive myself of the foods I really love.

1. Carry mixed nuts or filling nutrition bars with protein and fat to tide you over when you’re really hungry but you have a few hours before your lunch/dinner plans. When you’re out and about and famished you’re likely to eat anything you can find (everything starts to look incredibly delicious) or stop in at the nearest pizza place or ice cream shop (done that), so it’s best to be prepared.
2. Pack instant soup. Its filling and when in-flight you can always ask the flight attendant for a cup of hot water. For years I have taken packets of instant soup to eat both in-flight or even in the hotel room if I want something quick. Most hotel rooms now have electric pots for heating water, especially in Europe. Soup is filling (not fattening), and if you have a cup while you’re dressing for dinner you’ll be less likely to overeat at the restaurant.
3. Drink plenty of water all day long (I have to tell myself this all the time because I don’t love to drink water- I add vitamins to make it taste better). Not only will you feel better but very often people think they’re hungry when, in fact, they’re really thirsty.
4. Choose your indulgences. When you’re having a really great meal, make the most it and eat what you love. Other times, if the food’s not so great, ask yourself if it’s really worth it? Save your appetite for the next meal. Sometimes I choose the bigger meal at lunch so I can “walk it off” and then I have something light for dinner.
5. If you don’t go to the hotel gym or pool for a workout then walk, walk, walk! And build it into everything you do while in vacation. I know there are some places where it’s impossible to walk, but particularly in cities without sidewalks, and if you’re “seeing the sights” there’s no better—and healthier—way to do it than on foot. Instead of letting a tour bus driver take you where he wants to go, why not map out a route that will take you to the places you most want to see.