Sharing three tips on how to get back on track after vacation — no shame, no guilt, no punishment involved!
Vacation is just the best, right?? No real obligations, no 5 AM alarm clock, you just get to do whatever your heart desires! And EAT whatever you want, too, right?? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get most excited about vacation because of all the yummy food I know we will eat.
But a few days of indulging a little more than usual, and maybe not following your normal fitness routine as closely, can sometimes leave you feeling bloated, off, and like you’ve totally lost all progress. Right? Be honest, how many times have you googled “how to get back on track after vacation”?? I’ve been there, too.
Let me first assure you: you HAVE NOT lost all progress. Vacation is meant to be ENJOYED! We all have different perspectives on what that looks like based on our own personal values and priorities, and that’s a beautiful thing. I’m not going to tell you how to best vacation, only you can decide the best way for you š
For some people, that might be sticking pretty closely to their normal eating and exercise routine. For others, it might be having more indulgent meals and skipping their AM workout in lieu of more sleep, or a leisurely brunch. Again, it all depends on your goals and how you want your actions to align with them — what are the trade offs you’re willing, or not willing, to make? That’s a post for another day.
When it comes to how to get back on track after vacation, I want to be sure to mention that if you tended more towards the “indulgent” route on vacay, you in no way need to get “back on track” out of punishment. Seriously: shame, guilt, restriction, punishment, or self-hatred will get you no where in the long run. It only feeds into the negative cycle of restriction to binging to regret and shame, to restriction to binging to regret and shame, and so on. With that, going on a cleanse, detox, or crazy diet will only further exacerbate the issue. You don’t need to fast for 3 days, only drink green juice for a week, or neurotically eliminate every gram of sugar from your diet.
How to Get Back on Track After Vacation
I wanted to share my top 3 tips for “getting back on track” after vacation in hopes that they will provide you some sane direction the next time you feel like you need to get back on track post vacay. These tips are ones I follow myself and will lead to a sustainable, realistic, and enjoyable way to ease back into normal routines.
SLEEP
Vacay is usually a time where we get less sleep or our sleep schedule is off, which is cool and all, but sleep is crucial for optimal functioning mentally and physically as we hop back into our work/life routine!! Prioritize getting in bed earlier/get back to your normal schedule. Having a pre-sleep ritual (including putting up electronics 30-60 min before bed) is super helpful for me.Ā
What will help you get more sleep? Or get better sleep? Jot down a list and see which action would be most feasible. It could be going to bed 30 min earlier all week, turning off the phone/laptop/TV an hour before bed, or starting a pre-sleep ritual.
KNOW YOUR SCHEDULE
Look ahead to the week ahead to be prepared/know whatās coming up so it doesnāt totally take you by surprise. This little peace of mind can make a big difference in stress and anxiety levels. Feel free to also schedule in time for some movement through the week ā my IG has lots of free workouts to choose from š
What do you have on the docket for the week ahead? When will you have time to move? Meal plan? Cook?
PLAN 1-2 EASY, HEALTHY AND SIMPLE MEALS
It might be helpful to have a list of a few breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas that are easy for you to whip up with no/minimal time. Too overwhelmed to tackle all meals? Pick 1-2, like overnight oats for breakfast, or a big pot of chili for lunches. Something > nothing. I don’t know about you, but meal planning is always harder for me the week after vacation; with everything else on my mind, creative meals get put on the backburner. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t still eat nourishing, filling, satisfying meals! It helps to manage expectations and allowing yourself the “pass” that simple meals are still perfectly fine šĀ
What are some of your favorite, easy breakfast, lunch and dinner meals you can make quickly? Jot them down on a sheet of paper and store it on your fridge. Bonus if you can keep your pantry and freezer stocked with some staples i.e. quinoa, chickpea pasta, marinara sauce, frozen mixed veggies, frozen proteins, oats, etc. I try to have a protein, fat, carb, and veggie at most meals to help get back to balanced meals — sometimes it’s easy to just pick an item from each component, no recipe needed!
That’s it!! As you can see, no restricting calories, no two a day workouts, no cleanses, no detoxes. Justā¦getting back to a normal rhythm with grace. Itās not sexy, but it sure is sustainable.
How will you adopt this mentality for yourself?