How I stayed “Healthy” at Walt Disney World
I recently returned from a quick weekend trip to Disney World in Orlando and I learned a couple of things when I was there that I want to share with you.
No, this isn’t a post on how to keep up with kale salads at a theme park because let me assure you, even if I wanted one, it wasn’t possible.
And this isn’t a post about how I pre-packed all my healthy lunches so I could stay on track with my diet while we were out all day.
No, this is a post about how I kept “healthy.”
I put “healthy” in quotation marks because my family and friends who were with me on this vacation might be thinking…”Healthy? Is she crazy? I’m pretty sure I saw her down a fudge sundae, eat her weight in chocolate covered caramels and enjoy tons of baked mac and cheese at STK.” And they aren’y wrong. I did eat all those things. But while I wasn’t necessarily fueling my gut with nutritious choices, I was feeding my mind with positive, healthy thoughts. And what helped me stay positive was participating in things that make me feel really good – such as eating chocolate and working out.
After an entire weekend eating literally everything I wanted, I didn’t come home feeling gross and sluggish, I came home feeling relaxed and motivated to get right back on track.
So if you’re planning on taking vacation and the thought of hopping off the healthy bandwagon stresses you out, here are a few tips to remember:
- Don’t stop working out
Just because we ditch our day-to-day routine on vacation does not mean we need to ditch our workout routine. Take advantage of the new surroundings you are in. Maybe you’re on a beach or by the mountains? Use your new scenery as motivation to go for a run or hike. If you a find yourself at an all-inclusive resort or boutique hotel, chances are they will have a really nice gym. Something about facing a pool and greenery on a treadmill makes the whole experience a lot better. Just carving out 30 minutes for a quick sweat session always helps me feel good about those pool-side drinks and makes that first post-vacation trip back to the gym a little less daunting.
2. Choose your indulgences
Just as with working out, letting go of your clean-eating routine doesn’t mean you need to indulge in everything you eat. If you know you are going out for a rich dinner, try and eat lighter throughout the day. One of my favourite things about traveling is trying all of the local food. Yes, that includes soft-serve at Magic Kingdom. So enjoy it while you are there and you can go back to meal prepping as soon as you get home.
3. Reward yourself with a spa treatment
We are human and in turn respond well to rewards. Perhaps you need a little more motivation to get off your sun-bed and hit the gym? Don’t reward yourself with food. Make a little game with yourself such as, if I do 30 minutes in the gym every day, I will get a massage at the end of trip. Or, forget the gym and enjoy a spa treatment regardless. Vacations should be all about self-care.
4. Change your “all or nothing attitude”
Have you ever started your morning with a bagel and thought “well I just had something bad to eat so I might as well just skip the gym and keep eating crap all day. Tomorrow I’ll be better.” Ya, me too. This all or nothing attitude is something I am constantly working on. However, the past few vacations I have been on I’ve proven to myself that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I can have my ice cream and still go to the gym. I can eat waffles, bacon and eggs for breakfast and still order a salad at lunch. I know firsthand that it is a really difficult mindset to change. Try and set the intention before your trip that you will practice balance instead.
At the end of the day, vacations are the time to relax and take care of yourself. Letting go of your all-out healthy living routine does not mean you should come home emotionally drained about the choices you made. Whether you ran a 5K or drank 5 margaritas, staying positive about the choices you made will ultimately make for a healthy vacation.