How To Maintain Your Diet On Vacation
Don’t.
No, really.
Losing weight is work, and just like we take breaks from our day jobs, you should also be taking breaks from dieting!
Weight loss never ends when you reach your goal. It is a lifelong commitment to a lifestyle change, and your diet is part of that. What sabotages your long-term goals is the fact that crash diets are not sustainable for longer than short stints. A healthy lifestyle this method does not make.
Finding Balance
If you keep up with the blog or any of my content you’ll recognize this next word: balance. Instead of restriction, aim for a balance of healthy choices and indulgence that supports both your health and your happiness.
Contrary to popular belief, even a full week of indulgence won’t significantly throw off your progress. Your weight will always fluctuate based on what is going on in your life, and that’s normal. Sometimes this means big salads for lunch and sometimes it means means forgoing your good habits when they don’t fit.
For example, when you go on vacation, to a Labor Day barbecue, or your best friend’s birthday dinner, indulging in an ice cream cone on the beach, a grilled burger, or a big slice of chocolate cake might be more fitting of your lifestyle in this moment than say, a mixed green salad. And that’s okay!
When you have true balance in your life, you can enjoy these moments in time as a part of the lifestyle, not a break from it.
Finding Freedom
In fact, focusing too much on a strict and rigid diet can lead to over-restriction, disordered eating patterns, or a poor relationship with food. Because we will all eat for the rest of our lives, it is best to build a relationship with food that allows you freedom as much as it contributes to a healthy body and mind.
Try to unassign the labels we give to food like good or bad, as well as the conditions we give ourselves to let ourselves indulge. If you are struggling to find this healthy relationship, reach out to someone you trust for support or speak to a health professional for resources.
And next time you are getting ready for a much deserved break, truly lean into that break! Enjoy dessert, eat the cheeseburger, and don’t think twice about it.
