Tips for eating well and staying in shape when on holiday
OK – you are off on your holidays, your body is probably in the best shape its been in all year, now how do you keep those calories down and the kilograms off the scales when you return?
Here are my quick tips for making some healthy adjustments on holiday, but still enjoying yourself along the way.
- Pick up lots of water and local snacks
Buy plenty of water, cans of diet coke and protein bars to keep you going. You could also try nuts, crackers, ryvitas and peanut butter.
I did this in America to avoid those buffets and large portion sizes.
- Choose a healthy breakfast
When arriving in LA, after a few days of being overindulgent, I craved a healthy breakfast, and more importantly needed some eggs in my life, I therefore looked on TripAdvisor.com for the closest restaurant and I stumbled across the best omelette restaurant in town. OK the omelettes were much larger than my usual serving and possibly included butter (maybe even cream) but they tasted SO GOOD and it was much better than having waffles or a fry up. It satisfied that craving and eating whole foods keep you fuller for longer too.
If you don’t like eggs, you could try cereal, yogurt and fruit!
- Try some local fruit
Well there are some wonderful fruits out there in the big wide world, so why not try them whilst you are travelling, I found some rather wonderful unusual fruits in Thailand and even the best tasting pineapples in Europe.
- Take a packed lunch to the beach
This is only possible in a self catering apartment where food can be stored and prepared, try filling your cool bag with sandwiches, crisps and even wine to take down to the beach. It’s great because you are saving money on eating out but you are also completely in control of your portion sizes and what you are putting into your body. Have the crisps, chocolate and wine, you are on holiday after all!
- All-inclusive buffet tips
Now we book an all-inclusive holiday to make life simpler in the booking process, you know exactly how much your holiday is going to cost in advance and if you wish to sit on a sun lounger and not move after a stressful few months, this is an ideal holiday. But at the buffet, try not to go back for seconds or thirds if you can help it, fill up with whole foods, such as protein, salads and carbohydrates, a good place to start is at the salad bar! Another good trick is to choose a smaller plate and to not over fill it.
- Avoid rich and oily food
When choosing from a menu – this counts in everyday life too – try and avoid creamy sauces and heavily dense food such as pastries. And anything that’s described as being pan fried, deep fried, sauteed, flambeed or roasted because they will all be cooked using oil.
- Sharing food, yes share!
I know some people aren’t good at this, but take a look at your waistline if you are unwilling to share, it might explain a few things to you. I am the worst for this. My poor partner always ends up sharing his food with me, we usually tend to go for the same types of food on the menu and usually we can’t decide so we order both and share. This can be the same for a starter and dessert. Share your starter and share your dessert to decrease your calorie intake over a meal. And get the privilege of having two mains (well half).
- Choose your drinks/alcohol wisely
Don’t forget alcohol is full of empty calories, if you are tracking your daily intake of food, alcohol should definitely be included and believe me you will be shocked of how many empty calories are involved here. And this could be expanding your waistline even if you eat really well the rest of the time.
It’s best to drink spirits with low calorie mixers, such as soda, slimline tonic and diet cokes for example. These will fill you up for longer and means you won’t be heading to the bar every five minutes meaning you drink less.
Also, try and alternate your alcoholic drink with a glass of water to hydrate whilst you dehydrate.
- Keep moving, try cycling tours instead of a bus tours
You’ll get a better feel for your destination than by gazing out of a car or coach window. I did a bike ride over the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco and I can tell you I appreciated the iconic landmark so much more making my way up to it by bike and I also burned off my breakfast and lunch too.
- Try taking an after dinner stroll on the beach after dinner
Sounds romantic and it can be if you decide to do this around sunset, take a stroll along the beach and watch the sun go down, take photos but most importantly burn those calories you might be missing from your usual gym sessions.
- Bring your trainers (and sports bra, ladies)
Most people won’t want to train but if you have a spare hour before dinner, why not head to the hotel gym or do a HITT workout on your balcony! 100 squats, 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, repeat three times!
- Finally enjoy your holiday
These are only hints and tips from my experiences when holidaying abroad. By all means enjoy your time away from work and real life stresses, don’t put yourself under too much stress trying to stick to these rules or it will result in you binge eating. Just make allowances for ice creams and naughty foods, just follow them up with a healthy breakfast or a late night walk.
Happy holidaying everyone, enjoy every moment and take photos… here are some photos from my trips abroad!
When you’re not feeling the menu in Cuba and you ask the waiter for some chips and you’re given an entire bag of McCain chips! Look how happy I am. #Geek
You thought I was happy seeing chips, look at my cheesy grin when delivered cheese on a Virgin flight – quick Matthew, take a photo of my cheese – chuffed to bits!
A sunset walk in Cuba, sponsored by Tequila!
As always, I am the one facing in the wrong direction – which way are we going, haha!
When its 41 degrees in Vegas, walk the entire strip for a free frozen cocktail, and steal your partners so you have two! #SugarRush
Walking tour in Rome around the Colosseum, look at my rucksack, I don’t care, I love being hands free.
Golden Gate Bridge cycle ride to Sausalito and taking the ferry back past Alcatraz! In the Pouring rain we completed it.
(In this photo we have a virgin cabin crew member, Lois Smits, Rebecca Lockwood, myself and Holly Biggs).
Wine tasting in San Francisco after completing around 35,000 steps seeing Lombard Street, Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39 (where the seals were nowhere to be seen).
Walking tour around Alcatraz – planning my escape, obviously!
This photo had to be added because Matthew looks like he is dry humping me in front of all the tourists! (Let’s see if he actually reads my posts)!
Thank you for reading – please like and share – happy holidaying everyone!!
xx