5 Ways to Let Go of Food & Exercise Rules on Vacation
As I am writing this blog, I am literally flying over the ocean after spending a week in Ireland. Anytime I travel, I always get ‘all the feels’ on the plane ride home. I feel a mix of gratitude, curiosity, and a calm energy. I get the urge to take all that I have learned through my most recent experience to change the world, yet am equally thrilled if I can impact just one.
I find myself comparing this trip abroad to one similar back in 2013, and even more recently in 2018. This past week, I only exercised for a total of 60 minutes….an entire week! What’s even crazier, is I’m okay with it. A previous Katie would have been checking her FitBit like a lunatic, sacrifice sleep, and even brunch with the rest of the travel group in order to fit in a workout. I would be crunching the numbers of my intake (only in my head which made it okay) throughout the day wondering, ‘if I eat this beautiful scone and full fat latte, maybe I can just eat a salad for dinner.’
This fear is real, and I totally get it. Many of my clients have shared similar fears of over indulging and losing all control on vacation, only to come home to an overwhelming amount of guilt and shame. It doesn’t feel good. Clients have shared with me how they fear they might gain weight and/or back track on all the positive progress we have made towards achieving a healthier relationship with food, exercise, and their body.
Have you ever felt like you spend so much time and energy thinking about food and exercise while traveling that you miss out on the actual experience? What if you could break the cycle, change your approach, and learn to live in the moment? Good news is that you can! Check out my 5 tips to help on your next vacation…
Try new foods. Immerse yourself in the new town or country you are visiting. If you find yourself at a TGIF Friday’s or another national chain restaurant, I’m not sure we can be friends. Ask around what the local favorite is.
Create an experience with food. When in Ireland, we stumbled upon a random market and decided to split a potato cake thing as our first food of the trip. I will always remember standing at the table, watching people walk by, listening to the accents and music, and smelling the many aromas. I will always remember that special moment of sharing this new delicious food with my fiance (still weird to say this HA!) and future sister and brother-in-law. SO much more can come from the experience of eating beyond the food itself.
Learn about the culture behind the what, when, how, and why. If you see a certain dish or food item on every menu and street corner, it’s probably for a reason! For example, potatoes date all the way back to the Great Famine. It’s amazing to see how the culture uses this starchy veg in a variety ways to transform its deliciousness.
Put pleasure first. Forget about the calories, fat content, and your fullness level. This is contradictory to all you may have been told about nutrition. In order to truly let food rules go, it’s OKAY to make decisions solely on what feels good.
Trust your body. Trust that one meal won’t make you gain weight, and your body will get back to where it needs to be. Trust that your body will alert you to how you feel and it will not let you down. Treat your body with the kindness and respect it deserves.
Are you ready to find your fierce and let go of food rules for good? Click here to schedule a FREE Discovery Call and let’s chat!