So as
many of you know – Kirk and I have taken one month off and are on
vacation. We have now been officially
been gone a week and I wanted to share some of what I have been struggling
with, found success with and basically how it has been going.
I
decided to plan food for this trip, which I think has made a huge difference
overall. We brought a big cooler and
filled it with water, other drinks, and food.
The food I packed for the trip was mostly healthy clean food so I wouldn’t
be tempted by hunger at our fuel stops.
In the cooler, there was beef jerky, think thin protein bars, almonds,
grapefruit, cherries, unsalted peanuts, organic trail mix, lunch meat, cheese,
lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps, and so much more healthy food. I have to admit it was a success!!! Not only did it help me stay on track, it
helped my man. Instead of buying junk
food we were able to have a roadside lunch that healthy and inexpensive. I was never tempted to get anything from the
local fuel store and in fact we never really went inside of them except when we wanted coffee.
My food
planning also has worked out for snacks and lunches since we have been in one
of my favorite places, Coos Bay, OR. To
my surprise Kirk has really enjoyed the lettuce wraps. However, we have been eating out as well and
eating with family friends. This has
offered me some challenge. When planning
with my coach we agreed that I would do protein, veggies, fruits, and healthy
fats; and that I would stay away from starchy carbs like bread, pasta,
potatoes, etc. I have to admit for the
most part I have been able to do this.
It has offered me challenges where there aren’t substitutions, so what I
have done is just ordered my food without potatoes or allowed Kirk to eat them
if he wanted them. Although I admit I
have had a bite here and there of some of my favorites from his plate, biscuits
and gravy, blueberry pancakes, etc. and I also have made choices on when to indulge
a little more on my own plate. This
though is something I have to watch and make sure I really want it and that is
it for the week, which has been hard. So
this is something I am still working on perfecting.
For
workouts, I decided that there are many things I can do that don’t require
weights (although I love my weights and wish I could have them at the
beach). I brought my workout log book, a
couple bands, my plyo workouts (which take up no space other than what is needed in my head), and the idea of walking/running on the beach with my dog. So far I have done lots more walking than
anything else, which is fine because part of my plan is recovery time and
walking on the beach with Kirk and our dogs is definitely recovery time. I did get two “real” workouts in this past week – 500 walking lunges
and a 20 minute plyo workout. I will try
to pick up the workouts this next week - increase to 4-5 days.
I
mentioned the recovery time/activities.
This is an important piece of fat loss without it losing fat becomes
more difficult and all the workouts and healthy nutrition can be undermined by
unmanaged stress. And recently I have
had a lot of major stress with work. I
had been trying to manage it but truth be told I feel overwhelmed and
completely helpless at work. Enough work
talk, though I am on vacation and don’t want to think about that place. What is important about this piece is that I
am finally taking the time to recover and rejuvenate by slowing down the pace,
enjoying the ocean views and ocean water as it wash over my feet. It is the Northwest Coast – so the ocean is
pretty darn cold and the temp outside has been maybe a high of 67 which for you
who live in AZ know – that is like our winter. Needless to say - we haven't been swimming in it.
The last
thing I planned to do to help keep myself in line was to measure myself every
week. This will help keep things in
perspective about what I am doing. I was
planning on bringing my scale but I didn’t do it, for a couple reasons. Kirk
thought I was crazy and said “you’re on vacation.” I talked to him about my goals and what I
wanted to be able to do and that I want my vacation to be a healthy one not one
I regret and undo all the work I have already done, plus it’s not like we are
leaving for a weekend. We are planning
to be gone a whole month. So I settled
with something I thought was reasonable and that I talked with my coach about –
a measuring tape. This is small easy to
carry and would help me see where I was at with my body. I am happy to say that although my
measurements have been up since I stopped training for the competition, they
were down when I measured yesterday from when I measured before we left and
this makes me feel great!!
With all
the above said here is what I am going to work on this week and also the things
you can do as well when you go on vacation:
1)
Continue to order food that is basically protein and veggies only (order double
veggies when possible) – Stay AWAY from starchy carbs. Bring in my own fruit to eat if they don’t
offer a substitute for starchy carbs. We
have found Denny’s is a great option and very accessible when traveling.
2) Limit
bites of Kirks food – only one nicely sized bite if it is something I am really
craving – otherwise I will steer clear of it.
3) Allow
myself one cheat meal a week – however on that day I need to make sure I do a
workout. No excuses.
4)
Workout 4-5 times per week – even if it is only 15 minutes – I need to be doing
something to keep my muscle tone and help burn fat. No more excuses. The other day I did a 20 minute workout when
Kirk was getting ready & watching tv.
5) Continue
recovery walks and activities with Kirk and the dogs. Remember vacation is supposed to be fun and
enjoyable. Treasure the moments and soak
them in.
6)
Measure my body once weekly and email my coach with progress. If you are working with a coach it is
important to continue to be in communication with them, so he/she can continue
to support you and your goals. Also this
keeps you focused on your goals even though you are on vacation. Just because vacation is here doesn’t mean
you forget about what you want. My focus
is still present and I am using this is another opportunity to challenge myself
and learn how to manage temptations as well as grow stronger and more
focused. (My hope is that I lose a
little while on vacation but if I just stay the same I will be incredibly
happy).
Overall
on vacation it is important to recover from stress and rejuvenate
yourself. Be thoughtful of your choices
and plan when you can. I have been able
to eat pretty much anywhere we have gone just by staying committed to what I am
choosing to eat. Short quick workouts
keep you moving in the right direction without taking up too much time and some
days my workout has consisted of running on the beach with my dogs and hiking
up to an amazing waterfall (Raven & I sprinted up hill and ran downhill to
both of them for a short distance). The
point is to make it work for you without feeling an increase in stress by doing
it.
No comments:
Post a Comment