A few months ago I wrote an article about finding your motivation.  My motivation was my wedding and honeymoon.  I am happy to tell you that we walked down the aisle on May 10 and enjoyed our honeymoon in Mexico.  Before any of that happened I had to find my motivation and reach my goal—losing 20 pounds. I wanted to get in the best shape of my life because those pictures will be looked at for a lifetime.  I did lose the 20 pounds, but I think I can safely say that people won’t be looking at me in the pictures, because my bride was beautiful.  But I still lost the 20 pounds!

 

Here’s the tricky part. Our honeymoon in Mexico was at a five star resort with the best food and alcohol one can enjoy.  What did I do?  Did I hit the hotel gym ever day?  Did I eat and drink very little?  Did I worry about the 20 lbs I had worked so hard to lose?  Come on! It was my honeymoon! I enjoyed myself (probably too much) and I have the five extra pounds to prove it.  Reality would hit me in the face soon enough. As I was flying home from Mexico, I began ruminating on how you can really enjoy yourself on vacation and not derail your hard-won diet successes.

 

Here are a few tips:

 

Do not skip breakfast. Even on vacation,breakfast is still the most important meal of the day.  It helps jump start your metabolism

 

Take a walk.  Take a walk on the beach or around the resort, particularly after meals.

 

Drink water.  After every adult beverage, drink a glass of water.  This will help diffuse the calories and also keep you hydrated.

 

Limit frozen drinks.  They are loaded with calories and sugar.  Try sticking to light beer or hard alcohol with diet soda.

 

Avoid junk food.  In the Caribbean fruits and seafood are plentiful.  Take advantage of that.

 

Swim.  Swim around the pool and burn some calories before you swim up to the bar.

 

Dance.  Dancing is fun and it burns lots of calories. Find that local club and try learning the salsa or the meringue.

 

Avoid late night snacking. We all know nothing good comes from late night snacking, except next day regrets.

 

With a few conscious precautions, you will avoid gaining weight and still have fun while on vacation.  I will end here. I need to get back on the elliptical and burn off those five pounds.

 

Stay Healthy

Nic