Get Back on Track After Vacation

Did you have a nice summer? Did you go away? Did you also move away from healthy habits? Chances are you ate, drank, relaxed and perhaps ate some more. It was fun. It tasted good. But now it's time to get back on track. 

Many individuals adopt less-than-healthy habits while on vacation leading them feeling puffy and bloated, having achy joints and their clothing feeling tight. Is this you? If so, here are 5 steps to get you back on the health and wellness track after your vacation: 

Step One: Focus & Commit
You had a great vacation. You enjoyed eating foods that you knew weren't good for you, you drank a little too much and you didn't move your body enough. Vacation is over. Decide for yourself that these unhealthy habits stop NOW. If you're truly serious about your personal health and wellness goals, then it is important that you see your vacation as the exception, not your every day. On the other hand, don't beat yourself up for things in the past. You had fun. It's simply time to get back on track and refocus. Commit to and write down your goals and get back to it! 

Step Two: Hydrate
Traveling is often a sure bet for dehydration and water retention. To restore balance to your system, hydration is a necessity. The first step in this process is to begin drinking plenty of water in the first few days of returning home. This should begin with a tall glass of water in the morning, and then continuing to sip from a water bottle throughout the remainder of the day. 

Avoid any beverages with artificial sweeteners (including seltzer waters and diet sodas). It is also best to avoid any with stimulants such as caffeine, as these will greatly sabotage your ability to hydrate. If you'd like to add flavor to your water, try adding sliced fresh fruit, herbs or even vegetables such as cucumber to your water.

Step Four: Rest up when you can
Even if your vacation seemed relaxing, you may find yourself feeling more exhausted than when it started. Allowing your body some well-needed rest, such as quality sleep, is imperative to getting your system back into the swing of things.

Focus on aiming for a full 8 hours of sleep per night. When your body is low on sleep, it becomes easier to make poor eating choices and also leads to higher levels of stress. You may also find it harder to get back into your workout routine if you don't give your body a chance to rest. 

Step Four: Eat whole foods
In order to get back into healthy eating habits, strive to be picky about the foods you eat for the first week or so that you are home. Stick with only whole, real foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats and healthy fats. Whole, real foods will help to restore balance and block out cravings. 

Also avoid eating any packaged foods for the next few days. This means no snack foods, processed meat slices, dairy, baked goods or alcohol. Anything in a box or bag is considered a processed food. We know it's challenging, but it's worth it! 

Step Five: Move your body
Exercise is one of the best ways to nip bad habits in the bud. Lace up your shoes, put on your favorite workout clothes and plan when you're going to exercise into your daily calendar. On your first day back, take it easy and commit to just 10-15 minutes of some form of physical activity. Each day going forward, commit to adding just a bit more time or to increasing the intensity of your workouts. Remember, slow and steady wins the race :)