Vacation. It is a time for many to relax and have fun after countless hours of sitting at a desk and dealing with the day-to-day stresses of work. While on vacation, it is almost inevitable for many to see an increase in weight in the ranges of 3 to even 10+ pounds during this short period. What many do not recognize is that this new weight is not the addition of adipose tissue (fat) but instead due to an increase in water retention. Instead of raising that white flag in defeat after all of your hard work, my recommendation is to get right back on track, and within a week or two, you’ll be back to normal. Whatever it is that you do, don’t go regretting your vacation because you feel like you lost all of your progress. You won’t! With that being said, here are 4 tips to stay fit & healthy while on vacation.

4 Tips to Help You Stay Fit & Healthy on Vacation

1.) Coffee:

Always have your coffee in the morning. This is important. Without coffee, you are probably going to lose all of your strength gains, muscle, and even put on a ton of fat anyways. I’m only kidding but seriously, you should probably set yourself up for success by having your coffee in the morning. :)

2.) Workout in the morning:

If you are going to work out, take note of your schedule while traveling. Otherwise, that workout will never take place — especially, if traveling with friends and family. Many are most successful in accomplishing their workout earlier in the day versus later as many will want to enjoy the day sightseeing and shenanigans versus thinking about having to go do a bodyweight workout or finding a gym. On this note, if you plan on working out, make sure you have a plan in place so that you’re not wasting time searching for a workout. If time is key, then do some circuit training or superset training versus straight sets.

3.) Intermittent Fasting:

You have most likely heard of Intermittent Fasting (IF). IF can most simplistically be defined as a fasting window where you don’t eat (12-20 hours) followed by a feeding window where you do eat. During the fasting window, the idea is to consume zero calories although you can consume things like coffee, water, tea, and seltzers. The most common fasting window is between 12 and 16 hours but you should ultimately experiment and figure out what is best for you. The idea of doing this while traveling is that by skipping breakfast and thus reducing your caloric intake at the beginning of the day you can save a few hundred calories for splurging in the evening. Keep in mind that at the end of the day, it’s all about calories whether you consume 1 big meal, 3-4 meals, drink alcohol, or consume nothing but dessert all day. Calories matter. Just because it is vacation, it doesn’t mean you should go and eat like an a$$hole.

4.) Movement:

If you are on vacation, your objective is to explore. And to explore, you’ll want to walk to explore more of what an area and culture has to offer. The more you move throughout the day, the more energy you expend and thus burn calories.