With the summer here traveling and vacations are right around the corner. When we are out of our daily routine it is easy to lose track and pack on some extra pounds. For example, did you know that some say that the average person will gain between 4 to 8 pounds while on a cruise? Here are a few easy tips to help minimize the vacation weight gains.
1.) Eat snacks between meals to keep blood sugar levels from dropping too low. This will help so that you don’t get so hungry that you will eat anything or overeat at your next meal. Healthy snacks are available on a cruise so grab some apples after your breakfast and keep them with you in time of need. Don’t be forced to eat anything just because you are in starvation mode.
2.) Protein – the most satiating or satisfying macronutrient and is the best bang for your buck. Protein will keep you full longer. Make sure to have protein for breakfast and dinner with the average amount of grams per day being around ½ your body weight.
3.) During sleep our body goes into a state called ketosis. This is a normal metabolic phase where the body runs out of blood glucose and starts to utilize glycogen, fat and protein stores for energy. This is the phase where we can burn stored body fat. Make sure to limit sugar and carbohydrates at night and reach for lean protein before bed. This will help your body spare muscle loss and get into the fat burning stage.
4.) Drink plenty of water – this is something that we all know to do but often gets overlooked. Dehydration can make us feel like we are hungry when we really are thirsty. Stay well hydrated and you will not feel like you are starving.
5.) Expend energy – take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car far away, take the seat furthest from the buffet, do anything to ensure that you are burning some of those extra calories. It can be hard to get in the gym when you are traveling so do things to burn a few more calories so eating that chocolate cake won’t be as bad.
6.) Portion control – Turn that 10oz. steak into 5oz., before you eat that desert cut it in half, fill up half of your buffet plate with vegetables, have the hamburger but not the cheese. Make smart choices, does the cheese on the burger really matter? The mayo? Taking off a few items in your entrée will help you save unnecessary calories while you are still eating the foods you like. These easy tricks will go a long way.
7.) Don’t just eat to eat, if you feel full you probably are. If you are not fully enjoying your food cut your losses and stop eating it, it’s not worth it.
8.) Fill up on salads and vegetables – you can eat a lot of vegetables and not gain weight. Chewing a lot (mastication) can make your brain think that it is full when you haven’t consumed many calories. Filling up on these foods will keep you from filling up on poor choices.
9.) Reward yourself – if you eat good the majority of the time go ahead and indulge. This will keep you from binging and reward yourself, you have earned it.
10.) Limit alcohol – alcohol has a lot of sugar and empty calories with no nutritional content. Limit your drinking and you will keep the weight gain to a minimum
Sample on the road exercises:
If you don’t have access to a gym while on your vacation here are a few great exercise examples that you can do just about anywhere:
Lunges, squats, mountain climbers, push ups, pull ups, dips, sit ups, crunches, planks, reverse lunges, jumping jacks, burpees, side squats, bridges with leg extension. If you have any questions about how to do these exercises call our office 561-313-9117 and we will email you a description.
Have a great summer vacation,
Dr. Rodman
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