HOW TO MANAGE YOUR DIET ON VACATION

Vacations are wonderful. 

They give us an opportunity to let go of all the things that tear us down during our every day lives. They give us time to reflect. They give us a chance to simply let go and just be. 

Vacations are a joy, but they can also be a real downer if you’re worried about gaining body fat or losing all the progress you’ve made up to that point. I don’t know about you but I don’t want my vacations to be full of thoughts like “Gosh, I don’t think I should have the glass of wine, I may get fat”, or “I should probably skip the dessert on all the dinners that way I can keep my figure.”

F*&$ that. 

The thing is, all of this is easier said than done. It’s easier to say that you’ll not stress on vacation that actually not stressing on vacations. There almost always seems to be that little voice in the back of our minds telling us “eh, you probably shouldn’t eat that.”

So what do we do? How can we truly enjoy vacations without worrying about derailing everything we’ve worked so hard for?

I believe we can free ourselves by working on some practices both at home, and at the resort. 

MAKE A HABIT OF EXERCISING AT HOME

As you know, exercise should be a part of your daily life if you want to live a long, healthy, and happy life. But, did you know that there is one form of exercise that you should be doing that will create more freedom for you at home as well as on vacation?

It’s resistance training. Weight training. Lifting weights. Whatever you want to call it. 

The reason we’re get our panties in a bunch on vacation is because we tend to move a lot less, and eat a LOT more. Eating more and moving less could potentially lead to weight gain. 

In order for us to gain weight, we need to be taking in more calories than we are burning in the day. In order for us to lose weight, we need to be burning more calories than we are taking in during the day. 

After hearing that statement, you may be thinking “wow, sounds like I need to start running my ass off and eating a lot less.” 

You could, but I would advise against that. 

You see, there are many different factors that come into play when it comes to the amount of calories you burn in the day. One of the biggest factors that contributes to calories burned is our metabolism. In fact, we burn about 60-80% of our total calories through our metabolism. The remainder of the calories are burned through exercise, digestion, and more. 

So it’s safe to say that it would be wise to invest some time and energy into speeding up our metabolisms, given that it burns the large majority of our total calories. 

Lifting weights can do that. Lifting weights can literally increase the amount of calories you burn in the day. In fact, lifting weights delivers the best of both worlds. It allows you to burning calories while lifting weights, as well as increase your body’s ability to burn calories throughout the day, even when you’re not exercising. 

Let’s take a step back and bring this together.

We need to be burning more calories in the day than we are taking in to lose weight. The immediate thought is to move and exercise like a maniac, and starve yourself. 

But when we thing about what lifting weights does to our metabolism, we realize that taking time to speed up our metabolism is the better option. When we have a faster metabolism, we can enjoy more food on vacation. We can stress less about having to get a workout in. 

Now I want to be clear. Two different people can lift weights and only one may end up with a faster metabolism. It’s all about how you lift those weights. Begin weight lifting with the goal of getting stronger. Lift heavier, rest a little bit longer, push your limits, find out what you’re truly capable of. 

Oh, and download this ebook for free for a detailed step-by-step guide on how to speed up your metabolism. 

DON’T EAT LIKE AN ASSHOLE

Too many people eat like assholes when they’re on vacation. They treat vacation like a kid treats halloween night. We’re all adults. We need to act like adults when it comes to our food. 

There are some practices that I have my clients implement when they are on vacation. It helps them enjoy it without acting like a child that is going coo-coo for coco puffs.

#1 SLOW DOWN

When you are eating your food, slow the freaking heck down. Eating too fast is a surefire way to binge eat and leave your vacation with an extra pound or two of body fat. 

When we eat too fast, we don’t give our body the opportunity it needs to tell us it is satisfied. When we don’t know when we’re satisfied, we keep going and end up being too stuffed. 

There are several ways you can slow down. A few ways I like to slow down is by chewing at least 30 times per bite, putting my utensil down in between bites, and using my opposite hand to eat. Try one or a combo of those and notice how much you slow down. 

#2 BE PRESENT

Being present is a part of slowing down. When you slow down, you don’t have a choice but to be present with the people around you and the food you are eating. When you’re present, you appreciate things more. You learn how to truly enjoy the taste for what it is, rather than eating it like you’ll never get food again. 

The idea is to enjoy your food, not cram it down your throat. Let’s face the reality here. You can binge eat any time you want to at home. The point of vacation is to have foods that you normally wouldn’t, to experience things you normally wouldn’t. So don’t eat like you’ve been deprived your whole entire life and you’ll never get a chance to eat again. Eat like you are eating with the purpose of enjoying the taste, texture and experience. You don’t need 10 pieces of cake to enjoy the taste, texture, and experience when all that comes in the first piece you ordered. 

#3 HAVE AN INTERNAL DIALOGUE

As you slow down, tell yourself what you’re enjoying about the food. Talk to yourself (in your head) or maybe even tell the people what you’re enjoying. 

“Wow, the cake is so soft, nothing like I’ve experienced before.”

“I love how refreshing the sorbet is. It’s so good!”

Don’t eat with an empty head. Eat mindfully. Be present. 

MOVE YOUR BODY 

Listen, no one is expecting you to get after in the gym while you’re on vacation. If you’re like me and you enjoy it and want to get a lift in almost every day, do it! But if the thought of exercising on vacation doesn’t appeal to you, THAT’S OK. 

You can still move. 

Go on walks in between meals, stretch, take a yoga class, walk up and down the beach, play some volleyball, or throw the frisbee around. 

Walking may not be the exact same as formal exercise, but getting your steps in can make a BIG difference. 

Relax and enjoy your time away, but move a little. Don’t be a blob that lays on the chair for 10 hours each day. 

CHILL OUT

I understand that the part of the brain that handles emotion will almost always overcome the logic side of the brain, but I still want to take you through some numbers anyway. 

A pound of body fat is roughly 3500 calories. To gain an extra pound of body fat in a week, you would need to eat an extra 700 calories per day while on vacation. If you listen to your body’s natural hunger and satiety signals, eating an extra 700 calories per day won’t be as effortless as you may think.

Speaking of effortless, I know how effortless it can be to get 1,000 more steps in each day. If you’re doing absolutely nothing but laying on your back and eating all day long, you will gain some body fat. If you’re moving, and implementing the above practices, you’ll probably be ok. 

And if you gain a pound of body fat on your vacation, WHO CARES!?

You can get rid of that body fat when you get home and get back to your routine. It’s not stuck with you forever unless you choose to let it be your buddy. 

ENJOY YOUR VACATION

In order to truly enjoy your vacation without the stress of derailing your health and fitness, do what your body wants you to do. 

Begin lifting weights regularly for a faster metabolism. Get some movement in during your trip. Slow down and be present when you eat. 

Relax, and let go. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life.

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How to Stop Binge Eating

Food is an essential part of lives. Food serves more purposes than fueling our body. Food brings people together, enhances the experience of a gathering, and in many ways helps shape different cultures.

As you may already know, food is everywhere, and there is no avoiding it. This is especially true in November and December. Food is one of the central elements of the holidays. There are pies, stuffing, turkey, cookies, yams, and grandmas famous green bean casserole. Many of us find that the abundance of food is difficult to manage over the holidays. We have too many choices, an expectation to eat until we feel like puking, and both of those things put together create the long-lasting worry of gaining weight over the holidays.

Here’s the thing. Food isn’t going away, and you shouldn’t plan to avoid the delicious items that the holidays have to offer. Therefore, we must learn to create a better relationship around food.

BINGING IS WANTING

I struggled with binge eating for a very long period of time. Though, at the time I probably wouldn’t have recognized it with binge eating. If you asked me if I binge ate, I would probably say “no, I just like to eat a lot of food.”

It was binge eating.

I would be extremely strict with my diet to make sure that every piece of food going into my mouth was only there to benefit my fitness goals. And whenever I slipped, I would say f&*% it and eat everything in sight.

When I would binge, I would eat so fast. I would be putting the next bite in my mouth before the first one was even chewed. If I chose to go crazy on Zebra Cakes, I ate them so fast that I was grabbing another pack to eat before the first one was even over with. Apparently I couldn’t stand the thought of NOT having another Zebra cake to eat.

Looking back, that is the moment I needed to relive in order to realize what was going on. When I look back to the times I was binging, I realized I was wanting.

I had restricted pleasurable foods so much, that I created this want that could never be satisfied. I wanted Zebra Cakes so bad, that’s all I was focusing on. I wasn’t enjoying the bite that I just took. I was taking a bite, but already thinking about the next Zebra Cake I needed to get out of the pantry before the one I was eating was gone.

I was not present. I was not in the moment.

BINGING IS WANTING, ENJOYING IS HAVING

Once I realized this, I decided to work on becoming present. I decided to work on truly living in the moment without any distractions.

After working on this, I began to see where the disconnect was when I was binging on the food I wanted, but never felt satisfied. I didn’t even take the time to acknowledge what was going on when I ate the unhealthy food I wanted to eat. When I did take the time to acknowledge what was going on, I really enjoyed the food I was eating, but didn’t have that desire to keep going until I felt guilty or sick.

It was life changing.

Living in the moment and being present is the difference between having and wanting. When you want, you’re focused on your want and you’re focused on the the future, the next bite. When you have, you sit in the present moment and give credit to what is allowing you to really enjoy your food. And once you’ve finished that cookie or piece of cake, you don’t feel the need for more.

So what are the tangibles here? What can you do to enjoy your food instead of binging?

What works for one doesn’t always work for all, but here are some things that I have found to work well for myself and my clients.

SLOW DOWN

Slowing down in between bites will give you the time you need to appreciate what you are eating. There are many different ways to slow down, one of them being chewing more in between bites. Next time you eat, try chewing your food 30 times before you move on to the next bite.

You can also put your fork down in between bites. This will add an extra step to help interrupt the rush of eating. Using your non dominant hand can help, too. Nothing will slow you down like racking your brain trying to get your non-dominant hand to work properly!

GET RID OF DISTRACTIONS

A distraction is anything that takes you away from traction, which is progressing forward. In this case, progressing forward is being in the present moment. Therefore, a distraction will keep you from being in the present moment.

Turn the TV off, put your phone down, and read your book another time. Time at the table is time to be present with your food.

HAVE A DIALOGUE

The last thing that has helped many people improve their relationship with food is the internal dialogue they have with themselves.

As you’re eating, talk to yourself (in your head) and tell yourself what you’re really enjoying about the food. For example, “wow, I love how the cookie is crisp on the outside but yet soft and gooey on the inside.” Or, “mmmm, there is nothing quite like a warm cookie.”

Give your brain the time to realize what it needs to appreciate by slowing down, getting rid of distractions, and telling it what to appreciate.

TAKEAWAYS

Binge eating is wanting, enjoying is having. The difference in wanting and having is the difference between binging and a healthy relationship with food.

In order to have your food and enjoy it, take the time to slow down. Put your fork down in between bites. Get rid of distractions that will take your mind off of the food you’re eating. Binge watching Netflix while eating your favorite pleasure food is a recipe for disaster. Have an internal dialogue, and tell yourself what you’re enjoying about your meal or snack.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life.

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5 Must-Dos For a Better Looking Body

The main reason a majority of us go to the gym and exercise is because we want to look better, or at the very least, maintain the look that we have worked hard for. Some of us exercise to feel better and move better, too, but a majority of us work hard in the gym so we can have a better looking body.

As fitness and nutrition seems to get more and more complicated, keeping the simple actions in mind gets more and more challenging. Each month there is a new diet, cleanse, or workout protocol that claims it’s the best one yet. So what gives?

As a fitness and nutrition coach, it is my job to make things as simple as possible for the clients that I coach. A major part of that is sifting through all of the information available, reducing all of the information to simple takeaways, and communicating those takeaways as actions that you can implement in your every days life.

So here they are, simple and straight forward, your 5 must dos for a better looking body.

MUST DO #1 - STRENGTH TRAIN

If there is one thing that a majority of the human population needs to do more of in order to look better and feel better, its strength training. Strength training will send a signal to your body and that signal will ask your body to get stronger, and speed up its metabolism.

You may think that you don’t want to or need to be strongman strong in order to get fitter. You don’t. You do, however, need to build additional strength to build a better looking body. Building strength will also likely contribute to an increase in lean muscle tissue. Muscle is what allows your body to have that lean, toned, and defined look. Testing your strength and pushing yourself in lower rep ranges will help you achieve that leaner look.

A part of having a leaner, more defined body is also a lower amount of body fat. Losing body fat can be a challenge, but it’s a whole heck of a lot easier when you have a faster metabolism. This is why all of my clients strength train. One of my female clients struggled with fat loss as long as she could remember. To help her finally get the fat off, we had to pick up her metabolism first. With consistency and a strength training routine, we were able to increase her calorie intake by 500. She also lost fat and increased her lean muscle during that process.

Lower your reps, and increase those weights. See what you’re capable of!

MUST DO #2 - EAT LESS PROCESSED FOOD

For the longest time we have wondered what has caused the obesity epidemic in this country. Carbs, fat, sugar, and many others have been demonized and blamed, yet we still don’t have an answer.

While I don’t believe that it is any one single thing that has cause the rise in obesity, I do believe that highly processed foods are a big part of the problem. Unfortunately, we eat a LOT of processed foods in this country. These foods are designed and engineered to make us want more. These foods are extremely calorie-dense but yet they don’t satiate us. These high processed, ultra palatable foods also hijack our brain, influencing us to want more and more. Know that old potato chip saying that goes a little like “you can’t just have one”? That’s no coincidence.

Highly processed foods are high-calorie, low in nutrients, and make us want to eat more. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a recipe for disaster. Especially if you are trying to build a healthier, better-looking body.

I’m not saying that highly processed foods should be completely avoided at all costs. Heck, I enjoy a cookie or a Zebra Cake here and there. What I am saying, though, is that there are far better options that we should be choosing more often.

MUST DO #3 - EAT MORE WHOLE, NUTRIENT-DENSE FOOD

Whole, natural foods were designed to work with us, and we were designed to work with them. Minimally processed foods that came from the earth or an animal provide us with what our body needs to survive and thrive.

Natural foods are typically not as calorie dense as highly processed foods, and they are loaded with essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. They also help keep us satiated, allowing us to feel fuller for longer. Natural foods can help regulate our hunger signals as opposed to highly processed foods that always keep us craving.

One of the nutrients that people don’t get enough of is protein. Protein is essential for survival, and essential while building a better looking body. Getting enough protein will allow you to repair and grow lean muscle tissue that will give you the defined and toned look we briefly discussed earlier. You should aim to get .6-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. If you are leaner and wanting to get the most out of your strength training, aim for .8-1g of protein per pound of body weight. For those that are overweight or obese, you can stick to the lower end of that range.

MUST DO #4 - MANAGE YOUR STRESS

A lot of us are addicted to stress.

Yes, I said it. And no, I’m not making this up. How many people do you know that just can’t go without their coffee in the morning? Maybe have 3 or more cups per day? Maybe that’s you. That is an example of being addicted to stress.

Our modern world provides us opportunities for stress like it’s going out of style. You can get 300mg of caffeine in an energy drink, or a coffee on the way to work. Go on social media for a while. You’ll find something that stresses you out in no time. Take a look at the urgency that people expect us to respond with due to the technological advances in communication. Someone will have a conniption if you don’t respond to their text in five minutes. That’s stress. And it’s everywhere.

All this stress raises our cortisol levels, and exposure to constant stress and (even tiny stressors) impede our bodies’ ability to properly react to stress. As a result we are what’s called wired and tired. When we reach this state, it’s far more difficult to build a better looking body. Fat is harder to lose, and the body has a harder time producing rebuild and repair hormones.

Managing stress is key when it comes to reaching your goals. There are many different forms of stress management, and some enjoy certain forms more than others. Practices I recommend are prayer, meditation, yoga, journaling, walking, disconnecting from technology, and spending undistracted time with friends and family.

MUST DO #5 - GET BETTER SLEEP

Sleep is completely underrated. Between the glorification of night life as well as the obsession with producing and working constantly, too many of us have adopted the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” attitude.

High quality sleep is the charge that our body needs, just like our phone needs a charge when the battery is running low. When we sleep, we repair, rebuild, and release hormones that are essential to building a better looking body. If you have a health and fitness goal that you are wanting to reach, you’d be smart to place sleep as one of your top priorities along with your training and nutrition.

Here are some things you can do to get better sleep:

• Create a dark environment in your bedroom. The closer it is to a dark cave, the better you will sleep.

• Keep the temperature cooler. Studies show that we sleep better in cool environments.

• Avoid electronics before bed. If you want to watch a show, a movie, or scroll instagram for a little, wear a pair of blue light blocking glasses. This will allow melatonin production to increase as you approach bedtime.

• Avoid eating before bed. 2-3 hours before bed is the recommended window. If you’re going to go to bed at 10pm, don’t eat past 8pm. 7pm would be even better.

• Turn off all lights as you approach bedtime. The more you can mimic the environment (the sunset) the higher likelihood you have of better sleep. Using candles or salt lamps can really help.

• Do something that calms you down. Read, meditate, do whatever may help you wind down as you hit the sack.

TAKEAWAYS

As you work toward building a better body, make sure you implement these 5 MUST DOS into your life.

1. Strength train. Lifting for strength and testing the limits of your body will speed up that metabolism and build lean muscle, promoting that lean and defined look.

2. Eat less processed foods. These foods are calorie dense, have very little nutrient value, and can spike cravings, influencing you to eat more and more.

3. Eat more natural foods. Natural foods have more nutrients that your body needs. They will help you feel fuller for longer, and you digestive system will thank you. Get plenty of protein, too.

4. Manage your stress levels. Implement some practices into your life that allow you to decompress.

5. Get quality sleep for 7-9 hours each night. Create a nighttime routine that will allow your body to unwind as you approach bedtime.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a fitness professional, baseball fan, and cookie fanatic based in Fort Collins, Colorado. After hanging up the cleats, he found a strong interest in the human body and how it performs. Since then, Adam has been transforming lives through fitness in a fun and encouraging atmosphere. As an ACE CPT and Fitness Nutrition Specialist, he is constantly moved to help people improve in all walks of life.