Wellness Wednesday: How To Get Back On The Fitness Track Post-Vacation

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sports bra (nsale) // sweatshirt (nsale)// leggings (nsale) // swift run sneakers // sunglasses

This summer has been one for the books ya’ll, let me tell you!!

Last weekend was one of the first “real weekends” I have been home since May and it truly felt so good!! As I look back on the summer though, it’s honestly shocking that I haven’t gained at least 20lbs these past few months with all of the traveling, eating and drinking I have been doing. While I have been following my own personal rules from my “5 Tips For Staying Fit While On Vacation”, I would be lying if I said I was perfect 100% of the time I was away.

Let’s just say I had my fair share of splurges (lol) and I’m definitely not feeling as “tight” as I did at the beginning of the summer. Ya’ll feel me on this…. right?! It’s that post-vacation bloat where you feel totally disgusting and you’re starting to really regret all of those margaritas and daiquiris you had while you were away.

So while you may feel like you need a “major post-vacation detox” and have been googling the best juice cleansing to do since the moment you got back… I’m here to share a few tips and let you know that a major detox is not necessary.

Before I get into my personal tips though, my biggest piece of advice is to just pick up where you left off at prior to vacation! Move forward, don’t look back and don’t beat yourself up for living a little 🙂

How To Get Back On Your

Fitness Track Post-Vacation

(1) Do not step on the scale

LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN – DO NOT STEP ON THE SCALE!

Take this from personal experience lol.

You were just on vacation and you enjoyed the heck out of yourself…. so don’t come back, immediately step on the scale and start beating yourself up from the few extra pounds it might show. Instead, try jumping right back into your norma; schedule before you left for your vacay. Eat healthy, hit the gym, lay off the alcohol for a few days and then try stepping on the scale in a week or so.

(2) Practice Intermittent Fasting the first few days back.

I’m not a huge fan of Intermittent Fasting on a daily basis (I know some people love/swear by it but it’s just not ideal for my everyday lifestyle) but I always practice Intermittent Fasting the first day or two back from a vacation (along with the day after any major eating holiday like Thanksgiving)! If you are not familiar with Intermittent Fasting, you can read more about it here!

I like the 16/8 method. For example, let’s say I stop eating the night before at 8:00 pm. That means the next day I won’t eat until 12:00 pm. I’ll break my fast at noon, have the 8-hour window to eat and then stop eating at 8:00 pm. This will give your body the optimal time it needs to fully process and digest everything you have had.

(3) Head to the grocery store and load up on healthy options

The first thing I like to do when I get back home from vacation is to go straight to Whole Foods and load up on all our healthy favorites. I plan out meals for the week, get all of the ingredients for my smoothies and load up on my healthy snacks.

(4) Make your first meal as healthy as it can be.

While I like to make every meal my first few days back as clean & healthy as possible, the first meal is the most important because it sets the tone for the rest. I normally try and go a little low-carb during this time (just because I tend to carb overload while on vacation – lol) and load up on your greens! Listen to your body and fuel it with everything good it might need!

(5) Hit the gym

One of the best things that you can do the moment you get back is to get a good sweat sesh in. By doing this the first day back, it will not only help with the post-vacation guilt but your body will also appreciate it! This workout will give you the motivation to get back into your prior routine without completely falling off the track.

If the workout seems harder than before your trip though…. don’t let that get you down! I always feel a little slow my first day back to the gym after being away.

(6) Lay off the alcohol

I try and do this for at least the first 3-5 days post-vacation. Not only is alcohol just extra and unwanted calories, but your body and liver could probably use the break.

(7) Hydrate

Hydrate – Hydrate – Hydrate because chances are, you weren’t drinking nearly as much water as you should have been while you were away. This will not only help to rehydrate your body and your organs but also help to flush out all of the toxins and everything you ingested while away.

Start your morning off with a big glass of lemon water and Himalayan salt, then aim to drink at least 80z an hour after that for the rest of the day. If you aren’t already adding Himalayan salt into your morning glass of water, you should definitely give it a go! By adding a pinch into your water it will help your body achieve optimal fluid balance and prevent dehydration

(8) Load up on your vitamins

I recommend taking these Ritual Vitamins (it’s what I take!), but adding in a daily Emergen-C and a charcoal pill your first few days back, post-vacation wouldn’t hurt either.

(9) Pick up a Kombucha

One thing that I love to do when I get back is to grab a kombucha or two. Like I’ll literally pick one up at the airport before heading to baggage claim. Kombucha is rich in probiotics and antioxidants, which benefit your brain, heart, and gut. The healthy bacteria that is found in it helps to absorb nutrients and fight sickness and all around just makes me feel better.

(10) Rest

I know you’ve “technically” been on vacation the past few days and your body should have been resting that whole time but let’s be real….. Who actually goes on a relaxing vacation these days anyways? My advice is to take it easy. Choose to stay in, over going out, have a movie night or a whole Netflix day and relax a little bit.

Try getting ready for bed an hour earlier than you normally would and get that extra hour of sleep! Your body will thank you for it – trust me!

xo,

Lauren