My Best Tips For Health and Fitness While on Vacation

Andrea shares invaluable insights on how to maintain fitness goals while indulging in the joys of summer vacations. She is sharing practical strategies that balance health commitments with holiday pleasures, and offers easy-to-implement tips for exercising and eating well on the go. From creating an Instagram travel workout folder to packing strategic snacks, Andrea's advice is tailored for those looking to stay active and healthy without missing out on the relaxation and fun of travel. The episode is especially helpful for anyone looking to keep their fitness on track amidst the tempting disruptions of vacation indulgences.


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Transcript

[00:00:00] Well, hey there, friend, welcome back. We have officially hit the summer months, which means that we are going to be doing a lot more vacationing and trips and excursions and just kind of be out and about a lot more in the next couple of months. And this is a time I know that my clients often say, how do Stay on track during a vacation and still have a good time.

And I am all for that. I do not believe in going on a vacation and being crazy strict or doing anything that is going to take away from the vacation. But I believe that we can find a really happy medium. Where you can stay focused on your goals and still really enjoy your summer vacations. So today I'm going to give you some tried and true tips that I use for my vacations.

I've used them for years and years and years, and I found them very, very effective for myself and for my clients, and I'm hoping they're going to be really effective for you.

 And the best part is they're all going to be super simple and I'm going to give you ideas [00:01:00] for a lot of different scenarios depending on what you are doing for your trips.

Now I am going to ask a favor of you though. If you find this episode helpful, please do not forget to write a review. Let me know your thoughts. Let me know what you think. I'm even happy for critique. Whatever it is. I'm Down for all of it. So please don't forget to write a review wherever you listen, and don't forget to subscribe to the show as well.

Wherever you listen, you can go to the top right corner. There's normally a drop down menu, and make sure that you are subscribed so you get every episode automatically downloaded to your phone every Wednesday.

You can steal all of my trips for staying on track during your next summer vacation. [00:02:00] [00:03:00] So number one, let me first say, just like at [00:04:00] home, I feel like you should plan out your workout when you're on vacation. Now there's a couple different ways you can do this. Number one, I do know people who actually plan to use their vacation as a recovery week. If you are someone who works out really, really consistently, I think it's totally great to plan to not work out on your trip and just to be active and use your body in daily movements.

And I think that is just fine. If you are someone who does enjoy working out on your trip, I really enjoy working out on trips because I feel like it makes me feel alive. Then I would still suggest, just like when you were at home, setting an appointment for a time of when you are going to work out. So let's get into a couple of tips about making your workouts effective on trips. Number one, you need to prepare for your trip earlier before you leave.

For example, all year long, on Instagram, there is an option where you can save people's videos and then you can even add it to a folder. So if you're going on a trip and you know, you are not going to [00:05:00] have access to weights or you only are going to have certain equipment, it is really smart throughout the year to save workouts that are only body weight if you're only going to have body weight on trips in a folder. That way, when you go on your vacation, you open up that folder on Instagram and you've already got 10 workouts there saved already that are quality, Body weight workouts.

So you're not waking up in the morning thinking, shoot, I don't have any weights and I don't know what to do. And then wasting time scanning Instagram, scanning the internet, you know, talking to a friend to try to think up an idea on the spot. You already have an entire folder of ideas for what you're going to do for your body weight workout.

Or if you just have like two dumbbells, ideas for just workouts that only have two dumbbells. It is so easy. I have done this for a long time. You just save those videos all year long in your travel folder, and then bam, you're on your trip. You've got tons of ideas and you can quickly get your [00:06:00] workout going.

Something else to think about when you're making that travel folder on Instagram is, If you tend to travel places where you don't have a lot of space, let's say there's no deck, you don't have a living room, you're just in a hotel room, which basically means you only have probably a two by three space to work out in.

Again, all year long, look for videos where the person isn't moving very much, or they're just kind of stationary and save that in your travel folder. So when you go somewhere and you're like, shoot, I'm in a hotel room, I don't have space. You've got your workout ready and you don't have to try to think of something on the spot because thinking of a workout on the spot is hard.

I am a personal trainer. I literally develop workouts all day long and I add workouts into my app. And if you tell me to even think of a workout on the spot, it can be complicated. So trust me, planning ahead and having that folder is going to be very, very beneficial.

Now, at the same time, if you are looking for an actual bodyweight program while you are traveling, my MakeFitSimple app does have a bodyweight program. A lot of my [00:07:00] clients and just in general users, because you don't have to be a client to have the app, they will do like a regular program where it's strength and sculpt or the interval or the beginner strength or the postpartum.

And then when they travel, they'll just pop into the bodyweight program and they have a entire group of body weight workouts for an entire couple of weeks for when they are on the go and they can just do those in order and they can pick up where they left off. So that's another great idea. If you're like, I forgot all year long to save body weight workouts in the folder.

My make fit simple app has a body weight program and it is perfect for traveling. In fact, all of the programs, you really only need a couple of dumbbells and bands so you can do all of those on the go. That's one of the people's favorite things about it is you don't have to have a gym to make all of my workout programs very, very effective in the make fit simple app.

So I will add that link in the show notes as well.

Now, I know this is going to sound different, but we're talking about planning our workouts. But part of planning our workouts is if you do want to have [00:08:00] equipment, planning that equipment. So if you are going somewhere close, I don't think there's anything wrong if you have the opportunity and the space to throw two sets of dumbbells or so in the trunk.

This makes it really easy for you to have some equipment while you're traveling. And for a lot of people. It's Exercise is a mood booster. So even on your vacation, you're trying to have a good time. You're trying to relax. Why not do something in the morning that gets your energy going, that boosts your mood, and it's going to make the vacation even better.

So if you are in a situation where you're driving, I think throwing in a set of dumbbells or two is a really great thing. And it's really easy to do a full body. Metcon or a full body workout with just a couple sets of dumbbells. Obviously, you're not going to break it up and really focus on hypertrophy, which is like strength training and really building muscle.

But you're gonna get your muscles moving, your blood flowing, even with just two sets of dumbbells, even if you're using weight that is lighter than you normally would, just kind of mix together [00:09:00] strength training and cardio. And again, I have some of those in my app, but you can also make a folder on Instagram and save some of those.

So when you're on your trips, you have a whole folder of one set of dumbbell workouts or whatever it is that you need. The next thing that I personally love for my workouts on trips is bands. I am a massive believer in bands. I love, love, love, love bands. We live in Arizona. So the summertime in Arizona is really hot. I mean, like we are at 118, 116, 120. Like it is hot. And my kids get sick of our pool because there isn't much else to do in Arizona in the summer. So we often leave for anywhere from three to four weeks in the summertime. We'll go up to Utah.

We'll go visit California. We kind of just are on the go almost all summer long. And we have done that pretty much ever since we got married. A lot of people that might scare because they would think, Well, how do you get solid workouts in? I do like bodyweight workouts and I do think they're effective.

And if I can bring a set of dumbbells, as I said, I [00:10:00] will. But I love bands. I love solid, thick, long bands because you can turn a tree, a post from a fence, a deck post, a leg from a chair, a telephone pole, a picnic table, all of those things into a cable machine if you have long bands.

And I can easily train my entire body for an entire week just using my bands and I'm super happy because I'm getting the resistance training that I want if I'm wanting a little bit more than just body weight and it still doesn't take up very much weight. The bands that I use are very, very light. As you guys know, I do have my own set of bands because I love bands so much.

In fact, a couple of years ago, I. I was using bands and I felt like I was using all of these companies, which is one of the reasons I developed my own and I wanted to be able to have ankle attachments and handles as well with my bands. So a really fun thing that I'm doing today for the podcast is I'm making my band sets.

You can buy just the band set of five. There's five [00:11:00] bands. They have five different resistances. Or you can buy the set of bands with the accessories, which is the ankle straps or the handles. And I'm going to give you guys 10 percent off with the code simple. So if you're listening to the podcast today, that's the only time I'm going to share that code simple is the code.

And you 10 percent off my bands. And the best part about that is as well. I send you. a link for 60 exercises to do with those bands. We haven't built in a banded program into the app yet, but that is one of our goals very shortly, probably towards the end of this year. But in the meantime, until that is built in, I do send you directly with the purchase of the bands, 60 exercises and ideas to use your bands.

They're killer. I literally live and die by bands. And honestly, even with that, if you know all year long that you have a solid set of bands and they weigh, I know how much they weigh because we ship them to people. It's like a couple of pounds. It's like three pounds or two pounds for all five bands and the accessories.

So if I know that I have those bands and you know, you have those bands, you again can make that folder on Instagram, [00:12:00] sharing people's workouts where they're using long bands. And you're going to have a killer workout on your vacation with very little space and very little equipment. And bands are so easy if you are flying somewhere or you don't have a lot of space.

Big believer. So that five set of bands again, 10 percent off code simple 40.

Two more things I want to quickly mention about workouts before I get into tips for food is with your workouts, even if you do want to take an off week, I do suggest during your vacations to walk where you can. So typically when we're at home, we're always in a hurry and nothing is that close. But if we're going to a destination spot, Typically you have more time, you're relaxed, you're laid back.

And if you just got dressed, you know, 15 minutes earlier, you could walk where you're going or walk to a restaurant down the street or just stroll along and find somewhere to eat along the beach. It is so easy to increase your steps on vacations because you don't have all of the day [00:13:00] to day tasks that are kind of weighing you down.

So if you're having a conversation with a spouse or a friend, see if they want to go on a walk. If you're going to dinner, see if you can find a restaurant that is walkable. All of that walking has so many benefits. For one, you get to spend time with people that you love, your friends and family. Number two, you get fresh air, you get out in nature.

It's going to help endorphins. Number three, you get to really see where you are, wherever your vacation is. If you're at a destination or you're anywhere that really is different than you normally live, there's different sights and sounds and all kinds of things to see. So walking can help you see. Be able to experience the vacation more and it's going to be good for your health.

Also, don't forget to take the stairs on vacation. Really, you should take the stairs all the time. There are so many studies about stairs and how often people take the stairs. And I've seen studies anywhere from like 1. 7 percent to up to 8 percent in a study done a few years [00:14:00] ago.

You can even look up Michael Easter. He has an entire basically campaign about be the 2%, which means be the 2 percent that takes the stairs and the power of taking stairs and how useful it is for our health. So if you're out and about, even if you're staying at a hotel and you're on the fifth floor, Just walk up the stairs.

It's going to take you a little bit of time. You can go slow as you want, but it's going to keep you active on your vacation when you're not maybe eating as normally as you would, or your workouts aren't as long or maybe as consistent as they normally are, but you're going to get some great natural movement for your body, which is going to make a huge difference in simply maintaining your fitness.

fitness goals in simply the fact that you're moving more. So in general, try to walk more in your trips, see where you can choose to walk instead of drive and take those stairs. Be that 2%.

Alright, let's get into some food ideas because I think exercise can be a little bit simpler on trips and hopefully you got some ideas of how to make your workouts a little bit more efficient on trips, but [00:15:00] food can be really tricky. So my first tip for food is you need to pack snacks. This is kind of twofold for me.

Number one. When you are hungry, and you aren't in a situation where you can pick exactly what you want, then you tend to choose items you wouldn't normally choose. And then when you are hungry also, and you do get to food, you tend to eat faster, which means you tend to eat more. So one of the reasons I suggest having snacks is because it's good to have something in your bag between your meals so that when you show up at the restaurant and maybe you're going to dinner a little bit later than you normally do, maybe you're eating dinner at seven when at home you normally eat at five, you're not ravenous.

You're able to be calm and collected and pick what you want on the menu and then have a normal portion and enjoy the food and have a good time. And it's also going to help you be a little bit more logical. I don't know about you, but I'm not always so logical when I'm hungry. Hangry is a real thing, okay?

There are plenty of us that need a support group, [00:16:00] including me, obviously. When we get hangry, we don't think logically and we're not always nice. But if I have a snack first, I'm actually very pleasant at dinner. Literally, though, anytime I go anywhere around town or whatever, you can open up my bag. My fanny pack, whatever it is.

And I can guarantee that you will find a snack in there in case I get hungry. Cause I don't like to be caught off guard because if I'm hungry somewhere, I tend to choose choices I wouldn't normally choose.

Also, with snacks, when you're out and about and you're trying to get things, sometimes it is harder to find some not only healthier snacks, but snacks that are going to keep you fuller longer between your meals. So this is one of the reasons I bring my own snacks because I like to lean into snacks that are a little bit more protein and fat based.

This is because they do keep you fuller longer. We've talked about the thermogenic rate in many episodes, and just in general, those take longer for your body to digest. Now by no means am I anti carb. I love carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are [00:17:00] awesome. But I can also tell you, you will not have a hard time on the go finding carbohydrates.

They are everywhere. They're great and they're everywhere, which is one of the reasons I pack my own snacks to make sure that I do have options for protein and fat for a snack. And if I want to get another snack that is more carb based, that's totally fine. But I do try to pack those snacks that are protein and I should say even like good fat based or healthy fats based so that I have more options.

So again, I'm not stuck in a situation where I can't choose what I actually want for my snack and I'm forced into a snack because I didn't have any of my own options and I'm stuck at a tiny convenience store and they're only selling Doritos or something. I'm not even anti Doritos. Do I want Doritos in that moment?

And if I don't, I'm going to be really happy that I have my own snack. So here are a couple ideas for snacks. Some non perishable snacks are jerky, nuts, protein bars. I even pack individual protein packets. So this is one of the reasons I love, love, [00:18:00] love Just Ingredients. You know I'm Big fan of her products.

They're clean. I know all the ingredients. I know she cares about the quality of them. And she does sell a variety pack of individual packets. So it's so nice because you can just throw in, if I'm gone for three nights, I'll throw in three individual packets of protein powder. And it's easy to have that in the morning and just like scoop it into a shaker and shake it up and drink it.

Or I can even have in my bag and have it later in the day if I want. I also buy shelf life almond milk, so you can get fresh almond milk in individual containers so it doesn't go bad. But if you're in a situation where you need it to be non perishable, you can buy shelf almond milk. You can mix your protein if you want with water.

I don't love mixing it with water. I don't know. I just don't love the texture. I like it better with almond milk. So I will buy the shelf almond milk and then I'll mix it with my protein pack and then I have easy protein for snack between meals or right when I wake up after my workout or whatever else.

I also will bring [00:19:00] apples. I know technically that's not a non perishable but apples travel really well. If you put apple in your suitcase or in your bag and you just wrap it up like it's still really good in a couple hours. Same thing with cuties which are those little tiny oranges. You can kind of beat those up too and they're still in pretty good shape.

I also pack Tuna packets and I will do peanut butter packets because sometimes I like to have that apple with the peanut butter packet and I know I'm getting vitamins and minerals from the apples and then I'm getting the fat and the protein from the peanut butter. So those are my favorite non perishables that it's easy to stick in a suitcase, it's easy to stick in a bag, I don't have to, you know, think about it and I can have them the entire duration of the trip.

For non perishables, often when we go on trips, we'll buy a couple of snacks that are non perishables and normally they last just fine if I'm somewhere and they are not in a fridge for a day. And then by the time I make it where I'm going, I can pop it in the fridge at the house I'm staying at or at the hotel.

They sometimes have mini fridges and I'm able to save those and it gives us a little bit more variety as well. And [00:20:00] typically for those, I will bring snacks. Cheese sticks or the little protein packs. I'm sure you've seen those. Most stores have them where they have a mix of nuts, meat, and cheese. And there are some that are much higher quality and there's some that are lower quality.

So please pick what's right for you. But even my kids eat those really well. If they're between meals and they're like, mom, I'm really hungry. I mean, goldfish are great. I'm not anti goldfish, but I also know that goldfish isn't going to make them super full to make it to the next meal. And so I will give them one of those packs and they will eat those and they will stay fuller longer, just like I will.

So those are my favorite non perishable and perishable items that I pack with me on our trips. And they do make a difference between meals, making sure I'm showing up the meal and picking what I want and I'm eating it and enjoying it slowly because I'm not hangry.

Next, when you're traveling, I'm going to suggest that you shoot for the two thirds method. Let me explain this. There are three meals in a day. if two thirds of your meals, two of your meals, lean [00:21:00] into being a little bit more healthy, or more typical of what you would eat at home, then I think you have that freedom on trips to not overthink it and worry about being perfect.

When I'm on trips, basically I try to make sure that two of my meals each day are really solid and are very protein based and are something that I would choose that's closer to how I would eat at home. And then I normally will have one meal that might be a little bit different because I'm on vacation and I love that.

Food. And so I might choose something I may not have on a regular basis and maybe wouldn't be a complete mold to my fitness goals, but it's going to give me the freedom to a enjoy food, enjoy my vacation and not feel trapped in trying to eat perfect while I'm on vacation. Because vacation isn't about eating perfect.

Vacation is about relaxing and enjoying yourself and being with your family. But we're trying to find this happy medium between still sticking with our goals and still enjoying the vacation. So this two third method works really, really well for me. Now, if you combine that two third method with one of those [00:22:00] snacks you picked, now you're over like 70%, because two thirds is 66%.

70 percent of your food for the day, if you have two meals and then a snack that's a little bit more healthy based or protein based, and just has a variety of benefits. Things that are going to keep you fuller and similar to what you'd eat at home. You're winning. You're well above passing. Like a passing grade is 70%.

So if you have two meals and a snack that is a little bit healthier, then you're passing. You're doing a really good job. That would be above 70%. So when you go on trips, focus on how can I have two meals that would be similar to what I would eat at home or similar to reaching my goals, whatever your goal is for your nutritional intake and just trying to stay a little bit healthier and then give yourself that freedom to still enjoy yourself on your vacation.

A couple ways you can do this now, because I do think this is a really good principle, but sometimes it's hard to connect the principle with active ideas of how to do it. So one way you can do it is when you are going to a restaurant, please look at the menu before you go. [00:23:00] Majority of restaurants do have some really solid meal ideas and meal options.

If you're looking at a restaurant where you're like, Oh, there is nothing, nothing healthy on this. Everything is fried. Everything is French fries. Everything is this, that, this. Maybe that's your your one meal of the day that you're just gonna kind of not eat like normal and that's okay. That's great. I hope you enjoy that meal and have a good time.

Or you might just want to switch to a different restaurant. I typically lean into meals that have a solid protein and then have some veggies. I might have a salad and I might just, you know, Have something that would be kind of maybe simpler with like a protein and veggies, but I also know it's going to make me feel good.

It's going to make me full. It's going to meet my goals and I'm going to be content with that meal, but I'm not going to know that until I look ahead of time. So looking at that menu is really important.

Even if you were staying somewhere where they have the breakfast included, I think it's always good to reach for that protein and see if you can hit that two thirds goal. So when you go to [00:24:00] breakfast, you're going to reach for maybe boiled eggs or Greek yogurt or something with some peanut butter. I know peanut butter is more fat than protein, but it's still going to get some of that protein in there, things like that.

And then this might be when some of your snacks might come in handy and then obviously mixing and matching it with other foods, but trying to make sure that you're still getting protein at most of your meals because it's going to keep you full and it's going to help keep you on track a little bit.

 Now remember, this is a two thirds method for vacations and as I said, it's going to keep you above that threshold. It's going to keep you on the side where you're doing a good job. Vacations are not for losing weight, but we would just love to maintain and just have a good time on our vacation. My next tip is to enjoy the foods you're having that you wouldn't have at home.

What I mean by this is if you're having that meal and you're having a big dessert you normally wouldn't have at home or you chose something for dinner or breakfast that you typically wouldn't have at home and might not be necessarily fit what you're trying to do for your [00:25:00] fitness goals and trying to be healthier.

I want you to slow down and say, do I want this item? Have I tried to eat enough healthy foods today? Enough proteins, enough healthy fats? Have I tried to have a variety today? Would I like this item? I've kind of hit my two thirds. Would I like it? If you want it, Go for it. Enjoy it. And by all means, do not the entire time you're eating it, say, I shouldn't be eating this.

Oh, I can't believe I'm having this. This doesn't fit my plan. Those are all really negative. And when we shame ourselves like that, we tend to feel guilty and we feel bad, and we actually tend to eat faster, and we tend to eat more of that food item, and we tend to not even enjoy it. Because we're so focused on what we shouldn't be doing, that we're not even enjoying ourselves.

So if you choose to have a dessert or you choose to have something that's a little bit different that you maybe wouldn't have at home, slow down, say, no, I would like this and enjoy it. Savor the bites, savor the flavor So instead of telling yourself, I can't believe I'm eating this, or I'm so bad for [00:26:00] eating this. I want you to say to yourself, How great is it that I get to enjoy this amazing meal or this amazing treat or dessert that I don't normally have at home on this vacation?

That's great. I love this flavor. I love the way this tastes. I love this experience and see how it affects your mood I bet you're gonna be a little happier afterwards I think you're gonna be more forgiving to yourself and that I think you do need to realize that having things is Normal, and you don't need to shame yourself for it.

I think you're not gonna overdo it So you're not gonna have to feel like you have to work out extra the next day or anything like that. Just enjoy the food

I don't want you by any means to think that I'm thinking that you should not be enjoying some foods. on your vacation. I have been to Costa Rica before and I sent my husband on a wild goose chase to find me the best tres leches in this little town. So I love food too, but I try to think about how I can mix and match things to be consistent in who I am day in and day out of like trying to eat healthier and trying to make [00:27:00] sure I'm fueling my body correctly.

I'm fueling it with Vegetables when I can, I'll make sure to try to reach for vegetables when I can see them. I'll try to reach for fruits when I can see them. I try to make sure I'm getting protein at my meals. I try to make sure I'm getting healthy fats. And you better believe it, if I'm able to do all that, and then I'm like, you know what?

I'd like a tres leches for dessert. I'm gonna have it. And I'm gonna be happy about it, and I'm gonna enjoy it. And I want you to do the same thing.

So, that is my next tip, which sounds funny, but it is to have the food that you want when you're trying to do all the other things, that two thirds rule that I said, and enjoy it. And just have an enjoyable time, Because if I believe in 80 20, I fully believe that works on vacations as well.

And again, a vacation is to enjoy and I think you can strike that balance with the other things I've suggested and still enjoy something and not have to shame yourself. The issue we have on trips is we go on trips and then for breakfast we have a donut and then for lunch we have something else we would never normally have.

I don't know. Things that are [00:28:00] delicious, but let's say like, I don't know, fries and a corndog. And then for dinner, we have something else that we would not normally have. And then we have this massive dessert. A couple of things about that is then we come home from the trip and we feel like, Oh, I failed.

And. You might have enjoyed the trip, but you might not even feel good in the moment when you're having all of those foods, because we have to also pay attention to how food makes our body feel, and how we're able to move well, and sometimes if I eat too many sweets, it makes my stomach hurt, and so being aware of all of that, and realizing on trips when we overdo it in that way, that actually can be painful.

I'll see you next time. Backfires, but there's this happy in between that I'm trying to communicate where we're still reaching for these other foods that are going to make our body feel strong, going to help keep and maintain what we built, keep us focused, but also give us that freedom to still say, you know, I'd like a dessert after dinner and I just want to enjoy it and I don't want to feel bad about it and I want to have bites and I want to appreciate it and eat it slow and enjoy and I want to move on.

So that is my goal for [00:29:00] you as you're thinking about these ideas that when you do have them, you just move on. And it's about not overdoing it all day long, but thinking of where you can swap things out and where you can pick the right items and then go from there.

And also to be aware of when you are choosing foods that you're not just choosing foods because they're simply in front of you or everyone else is eating it at the time, or you're doing it mindlessly. I want you to be really aware of the things you're choosing.

I've mentioned before, and I know it blows people's minds. I don't love dinner rolls. I just, I never have. And so I will be somewhere and I found myself for years grabbing a dinner roll because everybody had a dinner roll. And so I just did it. And then I realized like, I don't even really enjoy this dinner roll.

Like it's not my jam, but I really would like a piece of apple pie afterwards or whatever it is. And so I learned like, what do I really love? And if I don't really love it, what am I doing out of habit? Or because it's in front of me or because everyone else is doing it. So even on your trip, Think [00:30:00] about that.

Like if everyone else is having something, think, do I really want this? And if you really want it, go for it. But if you don't, skip it and eat something that you really want and enjoy it. My last tip is going to be a little bit different. And this is more for a situation of when you are staying with friends or family.

I will say, this can be a little bit tricky, so I do want you to understand you do have to recognize your own situation because it's going to vary based on your situation. There's two different things I do when I visit people. If I'm in a situation where they know me really well and I'm very, very comfortable, I will often bring some food with me or I will go to the grocery store depending on the situation.

But I only do this if it is not going to be awkward. By all means, I am not going to go to someone's house and say, Hey, I gotta go buy all my groceries because you don't really eat that healthy. I'm definitely not going to do that. And please, please, please don't do that.

I do not want you to alienate people or make them feel insecure, and if you are [00:31:00] If you are in a situation where you think that's not going to be fit, don't worry about it, okay? We have other options, but if you are in a situation where you can't do that, I think it's always nice to help pitch in for food and for groceries.

And I think it's okay to say, hey, my kids are with me and they're like ravenous and they're going to eat all your food. So I'm going to run to the grocery store and pick up some things so we don't eat all of your stuff. Again, you will know who you're staying with. You will know if that's going to be okay.

And it's a way for you to not only pitch in, but it's also a way for you to pick some items that are in the home if you are staying there for a couple days so you have a little bit more freedom on your meals while you are staying with a friend or family member.

When I stay with my sister, and I have four sisters, but two of them live here, but when I stay with my sister who doesn't live by me, We're thick as thieves and I will bring stuff and I will go to the store and she likes to try all the different things that I eat and I like to try the different things she eats and it's a very, very casual situation and I always try to just offer to help pay for things for food since my kids are eating there and it's a very [00:32:00] comfortable situation.

Now, sometimes that is not the setup. Sometimes it would create a rift or awkwardness if we started to bring food into other people's homes or if we made any sorts of suggestions. As I mentioned, we do not want to alienate people. We do not want to say things like, I can't eat any of the things you have because you eat bad or whatever.

Be very, very careful with your wording. Wording matters when we're dealing with other people. So one of the things that I will do, and this is also a situation where those snacks come in handy. They come in big time, big time handy in these situations where you have zero control because you're staying with someone else.

You do want to pack those non perishable snacks that I talked about so at least you're getting some snacks that are going to be a little bit more protein and fat based if you are in a situation where you're feeling more hungry or you just want to have a little bit more more balance. But one of the things I will do if I'm staying in someone's house and I'm not sure that I have that ability or I want to make sure I'm being respectful and I don't know how they would respond is I will offer to make dinner one or [00:33:00] two nights a week.

And again, it's all how you phrase it. I will say to my host, Hey, It was so nice of you to host us. I would love to make my favorite recipe for your whole family. I would love to feed you guys for all of the hospitality you have given us to sleep at your house. That alone, one, it makes them feel special instead of alienated.

It's inclusive instead of exclusive, and then you're going to get to pick the meal that you make. You can make extras, so there's leftovers if you want. You can make just the right amount. Whatever it is, then you do have control over a meal, but you're doing it in a positive, loving way. We often go stay with my in laws.

I love them. My mother in law is a gem. She really is actually. I got very lucky with her. She's the sweetest lady. She was a kindergarten teacher. It tells you everything about her. She's the nicest lady. But often when we go there, sometimes we try to bring and make a dinner while we're there. And it's really, really easy to say to his parents, we [00:34:00] love you guys.

You guys made all these meals for Paul growing up. Let us make you dinner one night for all the meals you made us. That is the easiest thing. And then it is a kind, and then you do have the ability to pick that meal and make it for whoever it is you're staying with. And you can do that one or two times and they feel loved and you still have a little bit more freedom over what you're eating when you're in someone else's home.

Another option that's kind of a side option to that is you could say to a friend or a family member, Hey, look at this recipe. I think it would be so good. Do you want to try to make it together? And let's see if it's good. Let's try to make it for our families or let's try to make it when I'm here. It is not aggressive.

It's an easy way of pointing out something that you'd like to try. You have control over that recipe and then you can make it together and it can be enjoyable. Maybe you're both going to hate the meal when it's done or maybe you'll both love it. But either way, you can make that recipe a little bit more healthier or more focused on what your fitness goals are without being abrasive or without [00:35:00] saying like, I can't eat your food, I need to eat this.

better meals when I'm here, it's just more inviting.

I definitely do want to end by saying the goal of a trip is not to lose weight, but to have quality time with your friends, with your family, with your loved ones, even if it's by yourself, whatever it is, it's to literally relax and have some quality time. So, um, While I do think it is helpful to still be aware on trips, it cannot be the priority.

It cannot take the center role of the trip. And I don't want you to be stressing about food when you're on a trip at all. I want you to do your best and simply enjoy the rest. It sounds cheesy, but it's true. I think these handful of tips will make such a difference. I want to quickly backtrack and rename them all of ideas that you're going to do.

So you're going to plan your workout. You're going to make that workout folder on Instagram with body weight, or you're going to use the app with a body weight workout. You're [00:36:00] going to possibly bring bands. If you're in a situation where you can't bring dumbbells and you're going to plan your workout with bands so that you have resistance.

while you're traveling and you can have a good time. You're going to try to walk more and you're going to try to use more stairs when you're on your vacation. If possible, it's going to help you see the surroundings and have quality time chatting while you're walking.

You're going to pack snacks. You're going to shoot for having the two thirds method of trying to make sure that you're getting two solid meals that are similar to what you'd eat at home, that are more protein based, that have healthy fats in it, that have vegetables in it or fruit in it or whatever else that is gonna be a little bit more nutrient dense.

And then you're gonna give yourself the freedom to enjoy some of the foods you love and not shame yourself. But eat them slowly and enjoy it and have a good time and say to yourself, I'm so happy that I'm having this, this food item. I actually really love this food item. It's nice to have it slow and enjoy it and to [00:37:00] experience it on this vacation.

You're going to look at food menus ahead of time to try to make sure that you're getting solid meals. You're going to make sure that you're leaning into meals at restaurants, if possible, that do have some protein in them and maybe a side of vegetables, or just have a little bit more variety of

things that are going to be a little bit more nutrient dense.

And if you're staying with others and you feel comfortable, you can help pitch in with groceries, you can offer to make dinner, or you can offer to make a recipe together with someone as an activity, which is going to be inclusive instead of exclusive, and you can do it together, and you can enjoy it together, and it's done with love rather than judgment.

I hope this episode was super helpful for you. I will try to add a post on the make fit simple podcast page and I'd love for you to share on that post what your tips and tricks are for when you travel. The things that you do that make it easier for you to still focus on your health and fitness but still have a really good time on your trip.

So look for that post, make sure you're following that [00:38:00] account. It's make. it. fit. And we'll add that post and then you add what you love and the things you do in the comments or just share it in your stories and tag me. All right, that's it for today. Happy summer vacationing. You're going to love your vacation.

You're going to feel strong on your vacation. You're going to feel confident on your vacation and you're also going to have some freedom on your vacation. I promise you're doing so much better than you think you are. We'll chat next week.