This time last week Willie and I were preparing for our first plane right in our new bodies. Before flying was also a hassle and little embarrassing. Do you know how good it felt to walk up to the counter and not worry about someone telling me that I would have to purchase another ticket to fly? And I didn’t even have to ask for a seat belt extender. It was a very exciting moment for both us, especially Willie because he hadn’t been on a flight in 15 years…and probably never thought he would be able to fly ever again. We had that stupid picture taking moment and really enjoyed the moment until Willie got motion sickness.

It’s hard to keep up with healthy eating and working out when you’re on vacation and some people just let it slide. Some people can do that but I’m not one of those people. I don’t want to get out of the habit because it can be back to jump back into things. Even when I’m on vacation or visiting friends and family I still take the time to work out and I do watch what I eat, but I know that it can be hard.

Being away from your daily routine doesn’t mean you have to let it all go. Here are some helpful tips to keep you on track while you’re on the go:

1. Workout in the morning. When I’m on vacation or visiting friends, I wake up earlier so I can get my work out in and not bother anyone else. This way if you have plans for the day it won’t interfere with the day’s plans and everyone isn’t waiting on you to work out. Besides, if you do it in the morning it’s out of the way and you can really enjoy your vacation experience.
2. Staying at a hotel? Try to get a room with a mini-fridge and microwave. I get that it’s not glamorous and if you’re really splurging on the vacation have these things in your room aren’t exactly what you want to see. Having these things help because when you arrive at your destination you get water, fruits, breakfast foods and snacks. This way you already have the good foods around you and you’re not tempted to eat badly. All of my friends know that when I go somewhere a cooler is part of my travel. I bring stuff with me so it’s available which keeps me on track.
3. Don’t be afraid to splurge, but don’t do it at every meal. It’s not always serious. Why not get out to try some local cuisine and learn something about the local culture in the process. Read the menu and find out what will still work for you and stick to your healthy eating habits. I’m not comfortable completely blowing my diet because it makes me sick after eating foods like that and it’s just not something I want anymore. (And if you decide to really splurge and eat super rich foods, drink plenty of water!) But that doesn’t mean I don’t crave a big plate of BBQ every once in a while. (Why BBQ? Because we went to Memphis and after all the talk of eating BBQ we didn’t even eat it. But we had some of the BEST Middle Eastern food that I enjoyed after my 8 mile run.)
4. You’re going a trip so do some research before you get there. It’s no different than researching places to go and see while you’re on your trip. Find places to work out and places to eat. The internet is great thing that allows us to explore before even arriving. Plus, when you plan ahead you’re prepared for most anything. When going somewhere, I know what kind of workouts I’ll be doing, how long and the places to get this done. And it’s fun looking for local restaurants because most of the time you’ll find great hidden gems that are far from the tourist path. Anthony Bourdain always tells people not to go where the tourists go, so take the time to find things to see, do and eat that aren’t on the tourist path.
5. Get out and get walking. Go on the hike or take the walking /biking tour around the city. This way you get to see the sites and get some physical activity in too.
6. Have fun. Find a way to make your habits fit into your vacation time BUT not take over your vacation time!