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When you go on vacation, do you automatically assume you’re going to be five pounds heavier when you get back? What if I told you that you could be five pounds lighter when you get back? Interested? Then keep reading.
Leah and her husband were planning a three week road trip. For most people, that would automatically bring any weight loss progress to a screeching halt, at best, but would most likely end in a several pound setback.
It doesn’t have to be this way though. With some simple planning, you can prevent any vacation weight gain and can even make some progress depending on how strict you want to be. In a previous post, I outlined the road trip diet and exercise plan Leah and I worked out. I’ll summarize it here, but if you want the full post, click the button below.
The Plan
The plan was very simple:
For nutrition, we brought her Calorie intake up to a level that she would maintain her body weight at, under normal circumstances, so that she wouldn’t have to feel so restricted with eating options while on vacation.
For exercise, we decided that she should aim for three short workout sessions per week, and she had two options to choose from. We had an in-gym option for days when it would be convenient for her to visit a gym, and we had a dumbbell-only option she could complete with a pair of dumbbells she had in their vehicle for the trip.
The Execution
Her execution of the plan, in a word, was amazing. She was able to complete the workouts very quickly, without interfering with their vacation. She did opt for the dumbbell-only variation for the entirety of the trip and that’s absolutely fine. (Apparently, normal people don’t consider visiting new gyms “part of vacation,” like I do.) That’s why we included dumbbell-only as an option.
How about food? What did she eat? Food is a big part of vacation, after all. Well, she nailed it there too. Out of the three weeks they were gone, she went over her Calorie target three days (and each time was by less than 100 Calories).
What’s also important is that because we boosted her Calorie intake for the trip, she was able to have some yummy foods like pizza, wings, and burgers.
How You Can Do This
The beautiful thing about this is Leah isn’t some kind of robot who lives to make fitness progress. She’s a normal person who likes to have fun on vacation with her husband. This means you can do it too!
There are just two basic things to consider:
Decide how much you’re going to eat and stick to it. If you don’t know how many Calories you need to be eating to lose or maintain your body weight, this Calorie Calculator is a good start.
If you don’t know how to track Calories, vacation probably isn’t the best time to try to learn. Instead, you can get some practical tips for reducing your Calorie intake without feeling restricted in this post, this post, and this post.Try to exercise at least a couple of times per week while you’re on your trip. If you’re like me, going to a new gym, in a new place, and using new equipment, is fun. If you’re normal, you can carry a pair of dumbbells with you, visit the fitness center at the hotel, or do a body weight workout in the room.
You can also burn some extra Calories by going for a walk on the beach or hike in the mountains, depending on the location of your trip.
Thank you so much for reading! If you found this information helpful and want to help the Treadaway Training blogcast grow, simply share this post with a friend. If you like what I have to say, sign up below to become a Treadaway Training insider or check out my YouTube channel. I will be back here Saturday with another body transformation topic. As always, God bless you AND your family and I'll see you Saturday.
