Vacation Balance: How to travel, eat the foods you love & stick to your goals

Soaking in that Summer Sun! (While wearing SPF 100 & a hat...)

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Summer time is a social butterfly's dream. Vacations, Reunions, BBQs, Parties...If you find yourself going out multiple times a week and eating and drinking more than ever you're not alone. 

The key is to enjoy yourself while still taking care of your health and wellness. You don't have to choose between them! Balance often goes out the window when your schedule changes, but, that doesn't mean you can't stick to your goals. Instead of relying on rigidity it's all about being flexible, having a growth mindset, and staying in sync with your needs. 

I recently went on a 16 day trip and managed to drink champagne and margaritas while I enjoyed lobster rolls, sushi, french fries, tacos (multiple times, I might add) all without gaining a single pound. How? Magic? Silver Bullet Supplements?

Nope...(Read on for My Top Tips for Easy Travel!)

Can you resist a NY bagel? I can't!

My husband is an expert chef- here we are with a few of his yummy lobster creations!

A Healthy Mindset
Before I headed out the door for this particular trip I made a promise to myself. My promise was to enjoy time with my loved ones first and to stay flexible when it came to my workouts and eating routines. I've done the whole "meal prep for your vacation" bit before and I wanted to rebel a bit- I wanted to eat normal, indulgent meals and take a more laid back approach instead of counting grams, macros or calories. 

I also made a deliberate decision to not binge on anything while I was away. To me this meant no mindless eating, eating when I was hungry only, and being a bit picky about what I wanted to enjoy. If the fries looked soggy or the ice cream seemed lackluster I didn't eat it "just because" I was on vacation. My old way of doing things would've been the complete opposite! I used to try and jam everything in while on a trip because I restricted so much when I was home. I was allowed to eat anything and everything I wanted, and once that mental restriction was dropped I felt so much more relaxed. I chose the most delicious treat, enjoyed one serving and stopped. It felt easy, organic and freeing. I wasn't stuffed, I was satiated and fulfilled as I had a lovely time with family and friends and got to eat exciting meals too.

Takeaway Tips:

• Stay kind and positive with yourself, don't judge your choices
• Release the desire to mentally restrict- this will only lead to negative feelings and binging 
• Choose what you enjoy and don't eat things that are subpar
• Ditch the "vacation mode" eating mentality- tune into your intuition and be picky 

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Tools Of The Trade
One part of the trip brought me to coastal Maine. Land of the beautiful lighthouses and plentiful lobster rolls- yes, please! Despite the abundance of sandy shores, seagulls and sunny days gyms were in short supply. Instead of driving 30+ minutes everyday to the gym I decided to go for walks with my mom and to perform bodyweight and resistance band workouts. I brought my bands from home and they were the perfect way to integrate strength training into my daily routine. Some will debate the benefits of resistance bands vs. free weights and they're not wrong to compare the two. Free weights you are more likely to use multiple muscle groups to stabilize your form as you work against gravity to lift the weight. Resistance bands isolate muscle groups more efficiently and your body works against the bands tension, not gravity. Regardless of which side you prefer I know that a few bands fit into my suitcase a lot easier than my dumbbells! I designed a variety of full-body band workouts that included circuits and interval training coupled with low rest periods. Why? Interval training gives you the best bang for your buck when it comes to time and I wanted to complete my outdoor routines in 25 minutes or less. My cardio was a brisk 60 minute beach walk with my mom each day as the fog burned off- a beautiful way to spend time together and get our heart rates up as well! 

Takeaway Tips:

• Bring your own materials- these are great bands that fit easily into the smallest of luggage pieces 
• Plan ahead- create or find a short routine that's easy to fit into your day
• Mix it up and try new ways to move- go for a hike, try a bike instead of going to the gym, walk with a loved one

Suitcase Essentials 

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Prioritize Protein
In my years as a health coach and trainer I've found that most people don't eat enough protein. This is for a variety of reasons- miseducation about its importance, not knowing what foods to eat and having unbalanced eating patterns. To build muscle and maintain your vitality you need protein! It won't make you bulky or hurt you- I promise. It's essential to your body's functions and you need it to create new muscle tissue and to produce hormones and enzymes.

On my trip I did sip cocktails, nosh on crunchy lobster rolls and gobble up many tacos (not just on Tuesday!) I also prioritized protein on a daily basis. I made sure that the meals that I ate at home were protein focused and integrated the following on rotation: egg whites, lean chicken, black beans, edamame, white fish, and vegan protein powder. I went grocery shopping while I was on the road because eating out three times a day for almost three weeks would have me feeling bloated and lethargic. If I had an indulgent dinner I got right back to my normal breakfast and lunch the next day- I used that mindset shift to know that this wasn't an "all or nothing" affair. I reminded myself daily that I could still maintain and even make progress if I balanced treats with my normal, healthier options and I enjoyed vacillating between the two. Eating a filling sushi platter was a delight- and so was going for a run the next day and getting rehydrated after all that soy sauce. I ate slowly, chewed my food and paid attention to my meal companions much more than my macros. I also brought my own non-perishable protein snacks (list below) so that if I needed a boost nourishment wasn't far away. 

Takeaway Tips:

• Make sure you eat protein at every meal and choose dishes that have the most protein (watch out for items dripping in fat or oil or that have been deep fried or breaded)
• Bring or buy your own snacks to stave off those  "hangry" feels- here's my list of favorites 
• Don't fall into the "all or nothing" mentality- you can still make progress without being perfect

Above all remember- life is short!
Obsessing over anything isn't healthy.
​Enjoy your time away and take these opportunities to explore and try something new- I promise you won't regret it. 

Lily Fontas, Ed.M is Bay Area based certified personal trainer and holistic wellness professional who serves women worldwide with her virtual coaching practice.
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Before beginning her career in fitness and wellness she worked in corporate sales and served as a kindergarten teacher in Boston. 

After suffering from stress related burnout she found balance through strength training and healed her decade long binge eating disorder- all while becoming a nationally qualified bodybuilder.

Today her goal is to educate and support others who would like to get healthier and happier without dieting, deprivation or potions and pills.

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