5 Tips to Prevent Packing on Pounds while on Vacation for Women over 60!

Have you ever come home from a great vacation where you thoroughly enjoyed yourself and then you realize the scale has gone up and you found it almost impossible to get back into your healthy habits? As a personal trainer for women over 55, I hear often from my clients who are worried about weight gain on vacation or when they return. 

Well, the simple solution is: Don’t abandon your healthy habits entirely while you’re away!

It’s easier than you might think to move every day, exercise some, eat responsibly while enjoying yourself, and practicing good self-care habits… All while having a fabulous vacation.

I know, it sounds crazy… but it’s not a contradiction. I promise!

And to show you, here are a few tips for taking a healthy, fun and totally awesome vacation. These tips cover getting in enough movement, taking care of yourself, what to pack and more. 

1. Keep Moving! 

Grab a buddy or enjoy a solo walk on the beach, stroll around town, hike, bike ride, or swim! Or try a yoga or drop-in fitness class at a studio in the town you are in! These little activities may be even more interesting on vacation because they are with a new view, new experiences, and will keep you active and feeling good!

2. Take Care of Yourself!

Oftentimes, vacations can add stress. Traveling with other people, taking on tasks that aren’t in your own home, cooking in another location, etc., can all add up! Be sure to take some quiet time for yourself and take care of you! (This can help to avoid stress eating too!) Maybe some solo quiet time in the evening, journal about your experiences, sip your coffee quietly with a beach view, or even meditate in a new environment. 

3. Hydrate!

You may be consuming more salt, alcohol, fatty foods, and calories than you would at home. Be sure to hydrate with some good old-fashioned H2O! You can also enjoy hydrating foods such as cucumber, watermelon, oranges, berries, and other fruits and veggies that help to keep you feeling your best. Consider adding an electrolyte tablet or powder in extreme temperatures.

Staying hydrated is key to helping to reduce bloating and digestive issues, reduce fatigue, give you more energy and attention, and avoid the risk of dehydration with changing temperatures. 

4. Enjoy the Cuisine but Not ALL the Cuisine!

Yes, vacation is to enjoy and splurge, but you don’t need the ice cream, the pina colada, the boardwalk fries, and the pizza, do you? Pick 1 or 2 and keep the rest of your day relatively healthy. If you try to make mostly healthy choices, focusing on lean proteins and fiber from fruits and veggies to keep you full and more satisfied with less cravings and indulge in 1 or 2 items a day or over the week, you will leave feeling less fatigue, less bloated, less run down, and without the added weight that will stress you out upon arriving home. 

5. Get Enough Sleep!

While traveling or away on vacation, your schedule may not be the same as at home. Your bedtime may be later or changing throughout your trip. Ensure you are getting enough sleep. When you are tired, your hunger hormones that give you the signals to tell you when you are hungry and full, are not as regulated and you may make more less-than-healthy food choices and eat more than when you are fully rested. 

I think you can have fun and feel good too! I love when my clients travel and enjoy time with family and bucket list adventures. They always come back with stories of how much they enjoyed themselves but also many of my clients have stories sharing how proud they are of their body keeping up with activities and adventures they wouldn’t have trusted their body to before working together to build their strength, endurance, and vitality! 

I hope these tips help you to avoid unwanted weight gain on your next vacation getaway!

In the meantime, let’s make it super simple for you to eat healthy all year around, making staying on track even easier when you’re on vacation!

Grab my FREE 10-Minute Cart Smart Grocery Guide to help you make grocery shopping quicker, healthier, and help you choose the best foods to support your goals. 

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How healthy do you return from vacation time? Are you mostly proud of your achievements or disappointed that you gave in to unhealthy habits? What have you done improve your wellbeing while away from home?