10 Strategies To Stay On Track With Food & Exercise On Vacation After WLS

July 26, 2017

Ahh vacation season, a time to kick back, relax, have fun, and explore! The word "vacation" is like music to my ears. While traveling somewhere new is exciting, thinking about trying to eat and stay healthy with food & exercise on vacation after WLS can be challenging and even evoke feelings of angst. Perhaps you’re planning a trip and worried that a vacation may derail all of your healthy habits that you’ve worked so hard to apply! (Hello afternoon naps on the beach or lounging by the pool!)

But a vacation doesn’t mean your health has to take a back-seat! With a little planning before you leave, you can stay on track with your food & exercise on vacation after WLS, and all while enjoy the much-deserved break!

Stay on Track With Food & Exercise on Vacation After WLS

	Pack Snacks Our #1 tip! Life is often unpredictable so plan and control what you can! Whether your trip is just a few days or an entire week with access to a kitchen, having plenty of healthy options on hand will ward off temptation and minimizes the chances of reaching for the snacks at the airport mini-mart or gas station finds.
	Indulge Strategically Enjoying food and eating at restaurants while on vacation, with friends and family, or in a new city is a must, so scout out menus ahead of time and decide which foods are worth indulging in and work them into your plan for the day.
	Get Moving Why not combine sightseeing with activity? Many hotels even offer courtesy workout equipment, classes, or bicycles for guests and tourists. If you're not staying in a hotel, see if there are guided walking tours or activity based things you can do. At the very least, pack your gym shoes and commit to exercising at least once during your travels.
	Hydration Drinking sugary or alcohol laden beverages often go hand in hand with traveling. Skip the alcohol and sweet drinks or try to choose beverages not loaded with sugary sweet mixers. These calories add up fast! Instead, try flavored waters and be sure to drink plenty of fluids to avoid getting dehydrated.
	Make Each Meal Count If there’s protein on the menu, ORDER IT. Don’t skip meals and continue to focus on complementing each meal with vegetables or fruit. Traveling is not an excuse to let bad habits take over. Make your own breakfast or opt for an egg white vegetable omelet with a side of fruit. Keep in mind that your body still needs key nutrients…even when traveling.
	Keep Up With Food Logging If you eat it, log it! This is such a helpful accountability tool. Resources, such as Myfitnesspal, allow you to log your intake and keep your eating in perspective. We can trick ourselves into believing we didn’t eat something, or that we didn’t eat as much. When you keep a log of your intake, you will know exactly how you are eating and where your intake falls for the day.
	Grocery Shop And Cook If possible, try to stay somewhere with access to a kitchen or fridge and grocery shop for your essentials. This can help save a ton of calories as well as money. If you don’t have access to a kitchen or fridge, grab a few items such as low-carb wraps, protein packets, apples, bars, and nut butter packets that you can easily keep on hand in the room. Having healthy items available can also help to ward off temptation when staying with relatives with less than ideal eating habits.
	Portion Control It’s easy to want to experience it all! We get it! Pay attention to your portions. Perhaps there’s the famous donut shop, world renowned pizza, or best gelato where you are staying. With so many delicious options, how do you choose? For starters, begin with a smaller plate and don’t let your eyes become bigger than your stomach. If you ABSOLUTELY have to have it, then try a little bit and share with a family member or friend. A taste is still just as satisfying.
	It’s All About Balance Itching for that ice cream cone or a day on the beach? Compromise with yourself. Try doing yoga on the beach before you relax or go for a walk before reaching for that cone.
	Don’t Stress And Enjoy! While vacation shouldn’t be an excuse to throw all of your healthy eating habits out the window, if you slip-up, don’t shame yourself for it. Let it go and realize that you can always get back on track. Don’t let the slip-ups derail all of your hard work. Focus on moderation, choosing healthy options most of the time as well as some not so healthy options some of the time as well if you need to.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shelby Burns MS, RD, LDN graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics and completed her Dietetic Internship through Simmons College in Boston. She completed her M.S. in Human Nutrition and Metabolism Research from Boston University, where her work focused on nutritional outcomes after bariatric surgery. As a CPT and Licensed Dietitian, she believes in a lifestyles approach to help her patients. Read more articles from Shelby Burns!

---