Oct
30
A Healthy Vacation
Filed Under Healthy Habits
I returned from my vacation last night, exhausted but completely satisfied. It was the best vacation I’ve had in a long time and one of the most memorable. One of the thoughts that occured to me was how different this vacation was health wise from previous things I had done. I spent two days canoeing on the Current River in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and another day exploring the city of Columbia Missouri with a friend who had lived there for most of his childhood.
We did have one pizza dinner, but for the most part, the trip was focused on fun and not on eating. Our time on the river was spent admiring the wonderful scenery and the incredible beauty of the countryside. We brought some simple provisions with us, no BBQ’s full of meat or coolers full of beer. Just some bread, some cheese and a few apples. It’s amazing how good a simple cheese sandwich and an apple taste like after three hours of paddling a canoe.
What The Heck Am I Talking About
The point I’m trying to make is that vacations do not have to be bad for you. Too frequently I hear from readers who say something along the lines of “I just went away for a weekend with my wife/husband/family and I think I gained 10lbs!” Why do this to yourself? Yes, vacations should not be a time to worry about your calories, and yes you should have fun on your vacation. However, why use the vacation as an excuse to binge? Even better, why not pick a vacation that’s fun AND active?
Some Options
How about a nice bed and breakfast somewhere where you can eat a light meal and then go and walk in the woods? It’s usually cheaper than a fancy hotel and much calmer.
How about a camping trip with some friends? Again, you won’t spend much money and you’ll come home exhausted but in a good way.
How about a canoeing trip like the one I just took? The grand total cost of the trip was $300 by the way. That’s with paying for 5 days of parking in the short term parking lot at San Francisco Airport.
There are so many options out there that I’m amazed more people don’t take advantage of them.
Vacation Guilt
At the same time, I still see people come back and feel guilty about the weight they gained on their vacations. Is that what you want? To come back home and feel guilty? You should never look back at a vacation and feel guilty, vacations are a time to relax and have fun. They’re supposed to be good memories, not guilt ridden ones.
Summary
Sorry, I think took off on a tangent there and strayed off point. What I’m trying to say is that healthy vacations are a part of a healthy lifestyle. Pick the right vacation options and don’t use your vacation as an excuse to binge. You want to come back from a vacation feeling good and happy, not bloated and guilty.
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2 Responses to “A Healthy Vacation”
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“healthy vacations are a part of a healthy lifestyle”….this is so very true. If you really are making lifestyle changes, that means that when you go on vacation, you don’t just return to an “anything goes” lifestyle and eat everything in site.
It sounds like you were very successful, and I’d say this would be a success to remember. I especially love your point that “the trip was focused on fun and not on eating”, excellent!!
I cannot agree more. I usually take active vacations ( camping, hiking etc) so I actually lose weight during vacations ( no bakery in the Canadian Rockies).
Still,even when it’s a visit-family sort of vacation, I might indulge a bit more than if I were at home, but at one point, healthy-habits become second-nature and in everything done in moderation won’t have you come home with weight to lose.