The Healthy Vacation Guide

While vacation is a time to relax and take a break from work, stress and the usual routine, it shouldn’t be a break from your healthy habits. With a little planning, you can enjoy your vacation and still maintain your current weight and fitness level. Whatever your plans – a family road trip, a tropical cruise, a sightseeing tour or relaxing on the beach – you can avoid packing on those dreaded vacation pounds by packing some healthy foods and workout gear instead.

Roadies

If you’re traveling by car, you’ve already spent a lot of time planning your course. We all want to make good time, but it’s also important to schedule several breaks into your itinerary, especially if you have kids.

• Pack a cooler full of healthy snacks, and even complete meals. Chopped veggies, fresh fruits, bottled water and juice, low-fat yogurt, peanut butter sandwiches, popcorn and pretzels make easy travel fare.
• Don’t skip meals, and try not to go more than four or five hours without eating. Being famished at mealtime may hinder your ability to make healthy choices and trigger overeating. Plus, constant energy levels will keep you alert at the wheel.
• Avoid eating full meals in the car. Take time to stop, relax and enjoy your meal. This way, you can pay closer attention to your hunger and satiety signals.
• Plan exercise and stretching breaks. Just three 10-minute pit stops add up to 30 minutes of activity. Go for a quick jog or walk, stretch and run around with the kids. Back in the car, you’ll be more alert and energetic.
• Avoid coffee and caffeinated drinks. While they do give you a short energy burst, the drop when the caffeine wears off can make you even more tired. For stable energy levels, drink plenty of water and eat healthy, whole foods that keep blood sugar levels from spiking and dropping.
• Be wary of fast food and roadside restaurants. If you have no other options, choose the healthiest possible items and keep portion sizes small. One way to avoid excess calories and fat is to hold the mayo, special sauces, cheese and dressings. Also opt for non-breaded items and kid-sized portions.

Frequent Flyers

Despite appearances – a plethora of fast foods, snacks and lots of sitting around – flights and airports offer plenty of nutritious food and opportunity for activity, if you know where to look:

• Try to eat a healthy meal before you arrive. You’ll be less likely to munch on high-calorie snacks just because they’re around or you’re bored.
• If eating in an airport, it’s worth it to spend the time searching out healthy foods. Look for salads, fresh fruit, vegetable-based soups and baked chicken.
• While trekking through the airport, take every opportunity for extra movement. Use the stairs, pass on the people movers and carry your own luggage.
• Instead of sitting around before boarding the plane, use the time to walk. You’ll arrive early enough to fit in 15 to 20 minutes of walking, so take advantage. After all, you’re about to sit for an entire flight.
• Call the airline 48 hours in advance to see if a meal is offered. Typical in-flight dinners can have as many calories (over 1,000) as a fast food meal, and even more fat! Special order a diabetic, low-fat, vegetarian or child's meal. Or, pack your own lunch to ensure you get exactly what you want.
• Flying can easily dehydrate you, so drink plenty of water. Drinking one glass per hour in flight will ward off dehydration and jet lag.
• It’s okay to get up and walk through the aisles a few times when you are feeling antsy during a long flight.

Cruise Control

Cruises offer so many opportunities for fun and exploring, but they are also known for their rich gourmet food that is available round the clock. You don’t have to totally deprive yourself to stay in shape. Moderation, along with participation in the many fitness opportunities that cruises offer, will keep you sailing smoothly:

• At buffets, fill your plate only once. Load 50 percent of your plate with vegetables and choose small portions of other foods you want to try.
• If you splurge and eat a rich meal, try to balance it out with a healthy, vegetable-based meal. Eat lighter the rest of the day.
• If ordering dessert, don’t make it a daily habit. And when you do, split it with someone else.
• Most cruises offer a healthier "spa menu." Order from this when you can. And, when ordering at any meal, be very specific about what you do and do not want. You can omit ingredients and specify how you want something to be cooked (steamed instead of fried).
• Plan for fitness every day. Cruises usually offer complete gyms, aerobics classes, trainers, running tracks and pools. Go dancing in the disco in the evening and play plenty of beach games when docked. Take a morning walk around the track while enjoying the sights and fresh air.

Staying "Inn" Shape

As the demand for healthy eating and exercise rises, hotels are responding to their guests. There’s no reason not to work out or eat right just because you’re away from home. Calling ahead and working with the concierge will help you find all the things you need to make your vacation a healthy one:

• When checking in, refuse the mini-bar key. Not only are the prices outrageous, but the choices are not the healthiest. Instead, find a nearby health food store or grocery and stock up on good-for-you snacks. If your room/floor has a fridge or microwave, you can also get enough foods to prepare healthy meals. If a coffee maker is all you get, buy instant soups or oatmeal and prepare them with the hot water.
• If ordering room service, be specific about what you want, whether or not it is on the menu. Most places will accommodate your healthy requests and substitutions.
• Before leaving home, find out what fitness opportunities the hotel offers. While most will have a pool, others may offer tennis, walking paths, bike rentals and full gyms. Then, pack the appropriate clothes, shoes and gear.
• If your hotel does not have a gym, ask if they are affiliated with a nearby local gym. Many will offer day passes at a discount for hotel guests.
• Ask the concierge about healthy restaurants, markets, parks, trails and maps.
• Design your own hotel room workout. All you need to pack is some lightweight, cheap equipment: resistance bands, a jumprope and a sticky mat. Most bands will come with illustrated exercises. You can also do push-ups, crunches, lunges, squats and triceps dips on a chair.

Remember to pack walking shoes, a swimsuit, exercise equipment and loose, comfortable clothing. And with all that time in the sun, don’t forget shades, a hat and plenty of sunscreen.

It’s worth the time it takes to plan ahead for a healthy trip, but be realistic. You probably won’t lose weight on vacation, but maintenance is possible. Remember, vacation (like exercise) should be fun! Try new things, sightsee on foot, go rock climbing or surfing, and definitely enjoy the good food without total deprivation. At the end of the day, it's important to remember that being healthy is a lifestyle, not a quick fix, so use these tips to return home with plenty of memories and souvenirs--not extra pounds.