By Gabe Sanders PhD, NSCA-CSCS
Summer vacation is a great time to spend time with friends/ family, take a break from reality, and refresh your mind. While vacation is a great time, many of us find ourselves indulging in an excessive amount of food and drink that we may not regularly eat. Notice I said the word, “excessive.” It’s not always what you eat, but how much of it you eat.
However, I am all for grilling out and having a cocktail, but when the grill turns to fried food and the cocktail turns to many sugar-laden cocktails, an excessive caloric intake problem begins to occur.
There are ways to eat right even if you are eating out for almost every meal or enjoying drinks with friends. The goal is to order the right kind of food and consume all things in moderation. A pina colada can have upwards of 250 calories per drink, while some full-flavored beers can have 200 or more calories per drink. With that said, it’s easy to see how your calories can add up even if you only consume two of these drinks at dinner, not counting your food.
Although vacationing may bring about a difficulty in eating, you should enjoy your time. Enjoy good food and drinks but keep in mind it may be difficult to eat/drink like you usually do.
The following are some sensible ways to enjoy your vacation while not overindulging.
Cook when possible –
It is not always feasible to cook/ grill when you are on vacation. If possible, limit yourself to eating out once per day. Regardless of how healthy you are choosing your menu items, it’s likely that eating out three times per day will lead to you consuming more calories than if you only ate out once.
Grilled not fried –
Whenever you eat out, almost any restaurant will grill your meat and protein instead of frying them. Even if the menu says fried chicken or fish, you can ask your waiter or waitress for the grilled option. Choosing the grilled option will save you calories without ruining the flavor.
Light drinks –
Consuming light beer or sugar-free mixed drinks are a better alternative to the regular or full-sugar version. If you ask any bartender, waiter/ waitress, they can always make or serve a lighter version of the drinks and cocktails that you love.
Desert the desserts –
Eating a flavorful dessert after dinner is always tempting. If that dessert is going to be your last time eating for the rest of the night, perhaps split a dessert with another person. If you are going to eat again later, avoid the dessert altogether.
Often times, people order a dessert and then eat another dessert later that night before bedtime. A dessert immediately after dinner is usually unnecessary since you are full from your main course. Give your body time to digest before eating a light snack later in the night.
Drink water –
Drinking water throughout the day has many health benefits, especially if you are on vacation. Staying hydrated will allow you to replace the fluids that you are likely sweating out if you are in a warm climate. Drinking a minimum of two quarts (~64 fluid ounces) of water may help prevent you from eating too much. Many health practitioners recommend drinking water throughout the day to keep you feeling full.
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