I'm a liar. This isn't posted on Ideal Form. Obviously. I changed my mind. I did post today's grueling interval workout here though if you are interested. Brutal.
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A common excuse for letting exercise & eating habits slip is "I was on vacation." Honestly, I don't get this, & it drives me crazy. Maybe it's because most of our vacations & trips center around some type of physical activity like climbing or hiking. Even if a trip isn't, I need to take care of myself. I go crazy if I go more than a couple days without doing something with my body, & I feel like crap if I eat, well, crap. When I'm on vaca, the last thing I want to feel like is crap.
The following is sort of my guideline from our recent San Francisco trip. I've done similar things when traveling to Port Townsend, San Diego & Albuquerque. I hope you find it useful.
Before ever even leaving for our trip, I determined where I would find fresh produce & healthy snacks.
- Are there local farmers markets near by? [[This is my first choice.]]
- Where are the natural grocers? [[ie Whole Foods, Trader Joe's & other local markets; I'm partial to these over most other conventional super markets, though these can work just as well.]]
- Basically, where do you shop for your whole foods at home? Is there something similar where you are traveling?
Rather than eating out for every meal, I snacked on delicious whole foods throughout the day. Then Dave & I would enjoy a lovely dinner together in the evening. Not only was this a healthier option, it was less expensive on our travel budget as well.
- Stock up on fruit, nuts, whole fat yogurt & other snacks. Because I don't love a lot of raw, "snacking" vegetables, Dave had a great idea while we were in Whole Foods: we grabbed steamed broccoli, carrots & cauliflower from the hot bar as well as a small container of hummus. The cooled veggies & hummus were an awesome snack over the next couple days.
- Most hotels will clear out the minibar fridge if you ask. Alternatively, you can always clear it out yourself to fit your goods; just put the [overpriced] minibar items in the closet & let the hotel know you won't need it restocked at all. [There would only be an issue if the minibar is set up with a scale & timer to automatically charge once you remove an item.]
- We were only able to fit a small amount at a time in the mini fridge, but I rocked at Nintendo's Tetris back in the day & always made it work. I didn't mind stopping by the store or farmers market throughout the week to stock fresh items frequently anyway.
- Because we drove, we could bring some "essentials" like our Magic Bullet with stuff to make recovery smoothies in the morning.
- I also made raw brownies & hemp bars for the drive. They didn't last long after we arrived, but certainly felt better than traditional gas station road food -- & were delicious!
When looking for places to eat out, I tend to seek out "healthy" options serving whole, seasonal, & local foods. Obviously, I usually look for restaurants that tout vegetarian, organic, seasonal, local, etc. I don't want my only option to be a boring salad. One of the best meals I had was an amazing quinoa dish at Olea; Dave's duck was served on deliciously seasoned (w/sumac) parsnip, along side grilled asparagus.
- Ask locals who seem like-minded in their eating habits/preferences.
- Appetizers &/or cups of soup were often a satisfying option for me. I was able to sample different tastes without feeling over-stuffed in the end.
- Don't be afraid to ask for a to-go box. While it's tempting to keep spooning away at large portions, save it as a yummy dish to look forward to for breakfast.
- It's ok to indulge, but keep it in balance & don't undo good habits just because you are on vacation. When we came across a coconut ice cream sundae at Cafe Gratitude with raw cashew "caramel" sauce, you can bet we split that. After we tasted the best sorbet ever at farmers market, we didn't pass up getting a couple scoops to share.
- I always think "splitting meals" is a great idea; Dave & I generally eye different plates on the menu, but I know I'd have a lot of fun sharing a meal with some of you!
Like I mentioned, usually our travel plans center around a specific activity. When they don't, I still find ways to move & sweat every day & take advantage of opportunities to try something new.
- Many hotels have a gym -- even a modest one -- or offer a complementary guest pass to a local facility.
- Get creative at a park. We found a cute little park jammed right into downtown. Even though it didn't offer a lot in the way of bars & such, we still made do making up interval workouts in the mornings. If you aren't up for creating your own, BodyRock is a great resource for working out no matter where you are. My Gymboss interval timer goes everywhere with me.
- Take a new class. I love having the chance to try a new yoga instructor or take a class I don't have access to back home, like the Bar Method, which is what I tried in SF.
- Plan active activities. Rather than taking a tour bus, biking brings you closer to really seeing the sights. Run the bay (Eisley & I enjoyed doing this one day). Find a beautiful hiking trail. Play on the beach. Explore the city on foot. I walked my ass off in San Francisco. There is something to enjoy EVERYWHERE.
