Beach Please! Keeping the Bikini Body on Vacation

Summer is heating up and most of us are in vacay mode.  For the past few months, you planned the vacay, worked out diligently to get the abs flat and the booty tooched, and treated yourself to that sexy little two piece you’d been eyeing on fashionnova.com.  Now with that being said, are you going to let all that work go asunder and gain 10 lbs on the trip?! Beach please! Keeping the bikini body on vacation is your summertime goal re-loaded!

Just follow my simple steps to staying fine as wine while wining and dining on vacay mode, and you’re all set! Trust me, the selfies will be epic!

Pack Light

If traveling on a road trip, keep a small cooler of bottled waters in the vehicle or be sure to have a refillable water bottle on hand, and fill it often.  Nevermind the frequent stops for water breaks.  It will be worth it to keep that belly flat come selfie time.  Use flavor packs to change it up and add a little pizzaz.

Balance

Vacations are usually time to treat yourself or splurge.  And trust me, I’m ALL ABOUT THE SPLURGE!  But in terms of keeping the fitness routine going, be mindful and intentional of the splurge.  If indulging on a scrumptious dinner or dessert is your preference, plan to cut back during breakfast and snacks.  Choose healthy options at the hotel’s continental breakfast.  There’s always plain oatmeal seasoned with fresh fruit or raisins which is full of fiber and cuts your appetite.

When it comes to lunch and dinner-time, plan ahead.  During the day, make a conscious effort NOT to snack on worthless junk food, and save all those calories for dinner.  Go for the local delicacy at dinnertime.  Or, treat yourself to your splurge meal at lunch, when portions are usually smaller, so the calorie-count will be less.  Just be sure that you don’t deny yourself all of the good things during vacation.  Simply place a priority on the main victuals that you want to try and eat those instead of filling up on junk.

Early Rise Exercise

Get it in!  Get your butt UP and hit the gym early.  Not only will it get your day going, but exercising early in the day also helps with burning calories throughout the day.  Score!

Stick with your Schedule

It’s ok to take a break from the grind during vacation, but don’t take it to the extreme. Try to stick with your regular workout schedule while traveling so that you don’t get so off track once you return home.

Snack Attack

Pack healthy snacks for the trip so you’re not tempted to indulge in junk food when you make gasoline and bathroom stops.  There usually aren’t many healthy options in convenience stores and gas stations, so don’t rely on getting your snack fix from there.  Proper pre-planning prevents piss poor performance! Make that pre-trip grocery run to stock up on high fiber, fresh, snacks to help keep you full and energized throughout your travel.

Registered nurse turned fitness guru, Rebecca Barker of FitLife Studio in Gulfport, MS suggests almonds, Quest bars, apples (full of pectin, travel well, keep you full), trail mix, boiled eggs, protein packs.

Examples of healthy snacks that DON’T travel well are items that may get squished in the travel process. Think bananas. So make stops at local grocery stores and pick up some of the fresh, local produce and eat it up before it goes bad or gets lost in the travel shuffle!

Tools for Success

Most hotels and resorts come equipped with state-of-the-art gyms complete with treadmills, weights, benches, basically all the fitness tools that any fitness crazed tourist needs for a good old sweat session.  But what about the airbnb vacationer who’s renting a home or that person who loves to stay off-the-grid in a remote location without a “Westernized” fitness facility?  No problemo!  Just invest in a set of (lightweight, low profile, and easy to travel with) fitness resistance bands, google a jailhouse resistance band workout, and you’re all set!

Even if you didn’t bring resistance bands or if you don’t have access to the gym, hit up google or pinterest for a “no equipment needed” cardio workout such as this one:

Athleisure is (L)IT

Nowadays, there is a term for those workout outfits that are meant for Planet Fitness but are found donned on women (moms mostly) in the grocery store, school pick-up line, the PTO meeting, everywhere BUT the gym, and it’s fittingly titled “athleisure.” Wikipedia says:  Athleisure is a trend in fashion in which clothing designed for workouts and other athletic activities is worn in other settings, such as at the workplace, at school, or at other casual or social occasions.  Apparently, I was spot on!

But I digress… Pack your athleisure for the trip, throw a scoop or two of powdered laundry detergent in a zippered plastic bag, and viola!  You’ve got an amazing two-fer!  Wear those cute tights or joggers and racer back tank shopping in the local flea market and it doubles as your treadmill gear when you get back to the resort.  You also just saved a whole 1/2 of you luggage space by pulling double duty with your outfits.  That frees up your bag for either A) chachkis & souvenirs found at said flea market B) bringing home cute one of a kind fashion finds found only at said locale, or C) allowing you to pack and travel with the lighter carry-on luggage. Thank me later!

Exercise Excursions

A good vacation is made up of equal parts of two components:  relaxation and exhilaration!  Why not incorporate exercise into each of those parts.  If staying at a resort that offers yoga practice, sign up for a class.  There’s nothing that serves the dual purpose of exercise and relaxation quite like yoga.

There are many exhilarating activities to do while on vacation.  Hiking or horseback riding through local terrain, water activities, even walking tours are great for staying active while on vacation.  Anything to get the heart-rate going is a great activity to enjoy while being a tourist.  Look out for fun activities that aren’t offered at home.  If you’re in a snowy city and you’re from the south, go skiing!  Take a hike through the mountains if you live in a flat land.  Take advantage of seeing the sights and places of the world.

Po Up, Drank

Be mindful of the adult beverages and their calorie counts.  One of my very best friends swears by vodka and water, but it would be too bland for me.  I’d consider slightly flavoring my cocktail by pairing with a naturally essenced sparkling water like Le Croix for a jazzed up Vodka Tonic.  Low carb mixers are seltzer, sugar-free tonic water, diet soda or Chrystal Light drink mix.  If you aren’t looking for fruity flavor but crave the buzz, skip the beer, opt for straight shots of liquor instead.  Whiskey, vodka, brandy, gin, tequila and other pure alcohols have zero carbs which will help keep that waistline in check. 

According to healthline.com, some drinks high in carbs to avoid include:

Get Yo Freak On

Being on vacation is reason enough to spice up your sex life.  The reward of getting out of town and away from the daily grind is, well, a license to grind!  Take advantage of the time alone and work it out in the bedroom.  It’s a great opportunity to get some movement in.  Though it’s not as robust an exercise as, say, hitting the treadmill, but at least it bumps up the heart rate and works muscles that may or may get used in the everyday life situations.

Here’s to an amazing adventure, treating yourself to time away from home, and traveling the world, all while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and wellness! You owe it to yourself to get away every now and then, but you also owe it to your “temple” to maintain your body as if it were a religious monument. After all, it’s the only one we get. So treat it right and enjoy life, and your body will be good to you also!

Follow @kerri3kidslater and all her amazing adventures as a mompreneur and mother to three terrific toddlers on Instagram and Facebook.

-Mommi Kerri