How to Approach Vacation
"Strive to be great not just for yourself but to inspire others to be great."
— The Forged Father
This week, we're talking vacation.
Rule number 1 by far is to enjoy the friggin' trip. That has to be the main priority. Vacation days are too few and far between these days, can't afford to waste 'em.
Eat the food. Drink the drinks. You are going to overindulge on vacation whether you like it or not. So just accept that fact heading in and enjoy yourself.
Old Hal once gained 12 pounds in 6 days whilst on vacation in Antigua. New Hal approaches vacations differently.
My most recent trip was to Croatia. I gained zero pounds on this trip.
During the days leading up to Croatia, my weight was consistently landing in the ~175-177 range. On the day before I left I weighed in at 177 pounds. The day after I returned, I clocked in at 177 pounds.
If you think I'm about to go on about how I ate one meal a day and consumed zero carbs and cut out the pina coladas entirely, think again. We ate out 3 meals a day, and bread, pizza, pasta, gelato, and hotel chocolates were regularly consumed throughout the trip. I also had ~40 alcoholic drinks over the course of the 8 days.
But I had a helluva lot of calories going out as well. Within short term windows, you can in fact outwork a bad diet. And that truth is the most crucial concept that I keep in mind during vacations.
To offset the increased caloric intake, I am SUPER active during trips now:
Average daily step count: 18,920
Workouts: I went to the gym and did some sort of resistance training every day
Planned activities included: Walking tour of the walls of Old Town Dubrovnik, daily swims in the Adriatic Sea, Aqua Park Obstacle Course in Hvar, Hike to Fort of Hvar, Walking tour of Split and Trogir, E-bike tour of Marjan
We also worked in a ton of lounging and relaxing. We spent most mornings/early afternoons being active, but always worked in several hours of lounging by the hotel pool or beach in the afternoon to recharge, then hit the town again in the evening.
On the diet front, while I did consume those foods in moderation, the staples of every meal were high protein/high fiber foods:
Eggs, nonfat yogurt, and fruit at every breakfast
Some sort of fish, lean beef or chicken with a veggie at every lunch and dinner
Snacks: fruit and Quest bars throughout the day
I was eating intuitively - eating well, but making sure not to overdo it. Aiming for 80% fullness at every meal.
As for the alcoholic drinks, I had 1-2 fun ones most days (pina colada, Moscow Mule, or other fruity cocktail), but mostly stuck to lighter beers, glasses of dry wine, or whiskey. Never exceeded 4-5 drinks in one day. We were in bed by 10 PM every night as well.
Stay well this week,
Hal the Health Coach
