If you follow along with me on Instagram, you may know that I just got back from vacation in Tulum, Mexico. It was my first time there, and I loved it! The beaches were incredible, food was fantastic, so many outdoor activity options, and I liked that it has a very spiritual vibe— I called it the Venice Beach of Mexico!
In the past, I’ve had a hard time keeping my health a priority while on vacation. I’d have every intention of keeping it healthy, but I’d get there and have an “F—it, I’m on vacation” attitude. And I’d come home feeling awful, having gained weight, often times sick, and feeling bad that I wasn’t able to follow through with my plan.
If you have PCOS, you know how sensitive our bodies are—which is even more reason to take good care of yourself on vacation.
After many failed attempts, I have found a way to keep both balance, enjoyment, and my health a priority while traveling. My commitment is to feel great while on vacation and after. It’s so worth it to come home having energy, a sense of confidence, and no weight gain!
Here are a couple of tips that supported me in staying healthy on vacation!
I packed healthy snacks for the plane and the trip. Things like coconut oil packs for my coffee, a variety of different nuts, a couple of packs of turkey jerky, and green superfood packs that you can mix with water. It’s so helpful to have healthy snacks when traveling because they save you from having to get convenience foods—which always end up being non-nutritious, pretty gross, and expensive!
We made restaurant reservations ahead of time. I know this doesn’t sound very spontaneous, but wow, we had the best food! And we never had to spend time or energy trying to decide what to have for dinner. We did our research and looked at the top healthy restaurants in the area. I looked at menu’s and decided what I might want to try. It got me excited about the trip and supported me in choosing healthy, delicious options! I highly recommend trying this out.
I asked for substitutions. It’s not always easy when there’s a language barrier, but I stayed firm and committed to getting what I wanted…because my health is worth it! I asked for a side of veggies instead of chips for my guacamole. The servers thought I was crazy and couldn’t understand. I pulled out my google translator to explain, and showed them a picture of sliced vegetables. They still thought I was weird, but who cares…it was delicious, and I had it daily.
I planned my indulgences ahead of time. Again, I know this could sound like a bit of a buzzkill, but I actually think it’s the opposite. Planning my food makes me look forward to it and be more present with it. If I had dessert every night, I’m not sure how much I’d really enjoy the experience. So I decided that I’d have two “indulgent” meals during the trip where I’d order anything on the menu. So one night I had a ginger margarita with dinner and ended with the most amazing orange cheesecake that came highly recommended. I’m not even a cheesecake girl, but this thing was next level! And on the last night, I had a coconut gelato from this famous gelato stand that everyone raved about. It was crazy good! The point is not to deprive yourself during vacation, but to find a way to have balance and enjoyment! I think this was a great compromise that worked really well for me.
I kept up my daily movement routine. At home, I exercise daily because it feels so good to me, mentally and physically. When I go on vacation, I in no way force myself to go to the gym. But I like to find fun, active activities to do throughout the trip. I swam a ton, took walks on the beach, went to a beautiful yoga studio a couple of times. Then in the afternoons, I’d lounge on the beach without moving for a couple of hours. But it felt good to get that bit of fun movement in each day, especially in a new environment!
What are your favorite ways to stay healthy on vacation? Reply in the comments below. I’d love to hear!
In Health & Happiness,
Jamie
