So your long-awaited vacation is finally here. Or maybe you’re planning a getaway to your dream destination. Travel is a time to destress, relax and open yourself to new and exciting experiences, but many people still find themselves worrying about maintaining their physique or potential weight gain during holidays. If you find yourself worried about your weight before holidays, this might just be the perfect read for you.

First things first, it is important to accept that it is COMPLETELY NORMAL for your body weight to fluctuate a bit during holidays. Letting go for a bit will not destroy your progress. In fact, after you’re back from your holiday feeling refreshed and relaxed, you can just push yourself to bounce back and hustle harder. So take a deep breath, get into a healthy mindset and give yourself a window of about 1-3 kgs during holidays. Now that being said, you can still keep your holiday health in check without being super restrictive. We’ve got a list of super convenient little hacks that you can try out to keep yourself fitter, and manage stress during holidays.

Being a little strategic about your meal options can go a long way, especially during holidays. Since you’re not eating home-cooked meals, you don’t really have full control over what you eat.
The easiest way to get the most out of your meals and prevent binge-eating is to opt for high-fibre and high-protein food. This will make sure you feel satiated and full for a longer time, so you won’t feel tempted to indulge in unregulated snacking.

Many people think that carbs are fattening and cause weight gain, but that’s not really true. Carbs are actually your body’s primary source of fuel, and if eaten in moderation they’re a great option for you. 

You may not have access to a gym or your usual workout gear on vacations, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay idle. If you feel like your calorie intake is getting a bit more than what you’re happy with, balance it with some light exercise.
Take advantage of your new surroundings and go on walks to explore your holiday destination. Short walking tours or treks can be a great way to maintain your daily activity levels during holidays.

Our best tip for mindful eating during holidays is to plan your meals. Ideally, you should always try having your meals before stepping out to explore. This way you have more control over what you eat and you won’t feel compelled to resort to eating calorically dense and nutritionally sparse food to sustain yourself.
Now this doesn’t mean that you should totally deprive yourself of exploring different kinds of food during your holiday. Just make sure most of what you eat should fall under your plan.

Another way of balancing your total calorie intake is through fasting. If you find yourself going overboard on your daily calorie intake on some days (again, this is totally fine), you can try to balance it out with some fasting. There are several types of fasting, such as intermittent fasting that you can consider to keep your net calorie intake lower.
However, fasting should always be performed with caution. Consider taking the advice of a physician or nutritionist if you are planning to venture into fasting.

An easy way of trying out new foods while still maintaining your desired calorie intake is limiting high-calorie beverages. Simply swap decadent, calorically dense beverages with low-calorie alternatives such as diet sodas and drinks or just plain water.
If you consume alcohol, you can consider diluting your liquor with sodas or other beverages to reduce calorie intake.

Enjoying your holidays while staying in tune with your fitness is entirely possible. It’s all about two things – moderation and mindfulness. We hope these easy hacks will come in handy for your next trip and save you from stressing about your diet while you’re out having fun.