The Busy Mama’s Guide to Spring Break: Eating healthy while still enjoying your vacation
Last week we talked about spring cleaning your nutrition so that you could look and feel your best before you head out on vacation, but now I want to talk to you about how to eat and think about your food while you’re on vacation so you don’t undo all of the hard work you’re doing now! It’s possible to eat healthy while on vacation and still enjoy your food
In the Macros Made Easy Program, we talk about how to stick to your health boundaries during vacations or special occasions because that’s part of life! You can’t - and shouldn’t - avoid participating in the happy and fun times life has to offer just because you’re trying to eat healthy.
You can be healthy and still eat out or enjoy a drink on vacation! The key is to be aware of your choices! Saying, “calories don’t count” doesn’t serve you! When we hold ourselves accountable for the choices we make with our food, we can find balance between making healthy decisions and still enjoying food without guilt, shame or regret.
Start learning what your hungry and full cues look like
The first step in learning how to eat healthy while on vacation is to learn what your hungry and full cues look like. Most of us have learned to ignore our hunger and full cues thinking that if we are proving that we can resist burgers or have incredible willpower; however, ignoring our body’s signals is damaging!
Instead, you want to learn what signals your body sends so that you can either start eating sooner or stop eating when you’re full.
I have my Macros Made Easy Mamas list out the different thoughts and feeling they have with each cue. Here are a few examples.
Hunger cue ideas
I have the thought: I’m hungry.
I’m irritable.
I’m starting to feel dizzy.
My stomach growled.
Full cue ideas
I feel satisfied.
I am getting pretty full.
My pants are starting to feel tight.
If I don’t change into sweats immediately I’m going to die.
Start paying attention to your thoughts, emotions and physical cues and make a list of them.
The key to eating the right amount of food when you’re on vacation is to not let yourself get too far on your hunger or full cues.
Eating before you’re ravenous will prevent you from giving into cravings that don’t serve you. Recognizing when you’re full and covering your plate with a napkin or getting up from the table will prevent you from overeating!
Have healthy breakfast & snack options available
Mama, I know you didn’t go on vacation to cook every meal for your family! Part of vacation is getting a break from our daily chores! So, I don’t think you need to prepare every meal while you’re on vacation, but if you cook yourself a healthy breakfast it will make a huge difference!
The food we eat for breakfast sets the tone for the whole day. If you start your day with sugary donuts, then you’re going to crave sugar all day long. If you start your day with protein and whole grains, you’re going to crave more foods that fill you up!
I always tell my clients to try and eat a breakfast similar to what they would eat at home. If you have eggs and turkey sausage for breakfast at home, then have that, or something equivalent, on vacation! Keeping your breakfast in alignment with your normal food goals will make a huge difference!
Another great thing to have on hand while you’re on vacation is healthy snacks. Where you’re probably eating out for most of your meals, so it doesn’t hurt to have healthy snacks on hand to keep you going between meals.
Normally, I would suggest eating snacks that are more balanced between protein, fats and carbs, but on vacation, if you’re eating out a lot, then you’re going to have a lot of carbs and fats. Try to keep your snacks higher in protein if you’re eating out a lot. Taking some protein shakes or protein bars will help you hit your protein throughout the day and are easy to stash in your pool bag.
You don’t have to eat everything on your plate, you are not a garbage can
Mama, I grew up with the belief that I could not waste food because there were hungry kids all across the world. Someone me finishing everything on my plate was supposed to save these starving kids. But it doesn’t. It just teaches you to ignore your full cues and leads to health problems for you.
I want to give you permission not to finish every single bite of food that is put in front of you on vacation. Even if you spent a ton of money on it! Wasting money and food is going to hurt now, but it’s not going to stick with you long-term like overeating will.
It’s OK to take just a bite of dessert and then be done. You don’t have to force it down. It’s OK if you take a bite of something, decide you don’t like it and don’t finish it. It’s ok to take a sip of wine and be done because you don’t want the headache that follows.
You are the one who has to live with the consequences of your choices. So you get to be the one who decides what goes into your body. Not your husband, not your mom, not your kids. YOU.
I found so much freedom in realizing that I didn’t have to treat myself like a human garbage can! I didn’t have to finish every single piece of lettuce in my salad. I didn’t have to eat my kids’ leftovers. I didn’t have to have dessert just because everyone else was! I am in control of my food choices. So are you, Mama.
Don’t wait until after you get home from vacation to get started on your healthy living journey! Schedule a free discovery call today and together we can set you up for success so that you can enjoy your spring break vacation without stressing about food!
