A vacation from the stresses work/school does not mean a vacation from proper nutrition and weekly workouts. Many times people pack on the pounds during their annual trip due to lack of planning, focus, and preparation. As you plan your next trip to Costa Rica, take the necessary steps in order to ensure you don’t leave with sunburn, and 15 extra pounds.
1) Plan your nights out.
You are on vacation, so enjoy it. Have fun with your friends and enjoy a few drinks BUT set a limit and DO NOT OVERDUE IT. You are not a sophomore in high school anymore. If your fitness goals are important to you then you have to GROW UP. Plan a few nights out where you can have fun. If possible, pick the places where you will dine out. Look for places that offer choices high in protein (sushi joint, steakhouse, seafood shack etc). Remember, your nights out do not always have to involve drinking until you are laid out. A long night of drinking will negatively impact the next morning and possibly the entire day.
2) Pack your supplements
Portion out your supplements. Eating meals at your regular intervals is important. At home, you are accustomed to eating at certain times due to a work/school schedule. On vacation, you likely don’t have a schedule to follow. Eating out for your regular 4-6 meals on vacation can become very expensive (quickly). Pack enough protein powder for the week. Bring some protein bars for the plane ride and extra “just in case”. Protein powders and vitamins can all be stored in resealable plastic bags. Find out your protein powder needs for your stay and pack that amount plus 1-2 extra scoops into bags to take with you. An athlete that takes 3 scoops of whey per day will need 15 scoops of whey for a 5 day vacation.
3) Locate a gym/training center
When planning your trip. Investigate the area for local gyms/fitness centers. If the place you are staying offers a fitness center for guests, be sure to use it. Most hotels will likely NOT be fully equipped with the tools we are used to working with at our home gym. This gives you an opportunity to try new pieces of equipment or get creative with your exercises. Not enough weight for dumbbell presses? Handstand pushups. No barbells for squats? Split squats with your rear foot elevated. Weights not available on bicep day? Narrow grip reverse grip chin ups. If you keep an open mind you can still challenge your body anywhere…with limited equipment.
4) Find a local grocery store
Every major city will have at least 1-2 local super markets. If you went the extra mile and booked a room with a fridge and microwave (or sometimes even a full kitchen) you are set. Here you can purchase everything you need to stay on track and keep your calories/macros where they need to be for MOST of the stay; remember you are still on vacation. Depending on the set up at your hotel you can either buy everything you normally do (if you have a full kitchen set up) or make some adjustments (pre-cooked frozen chicken breasts, microwavable bags of veggies, beef jerky, parboiled brown rice etc). Once you locate the grocery store, you pretty much have no excuse to eat like crap during the day.
5) Bring your training gear
Unless you want to be that guy that works out in jeans and flip flops, bring you damn gym gear. You can wear the same outfit everyday (assuming your hotel has laundry facilities). Bring your gym shoes, music, and shaker bottle. Just the essentials. If you arrive and realize that you have forgotten your training gear at home, find a Walmart (or other comparable superstore)and buy some gym gear there.
Remember that a geographical change in environment is NOT an excuse to get off track. Most people work 60+ hours a week. On vacation these same people now have 60+hours of free time. Plan ahead and prepare so that you make the best of those extra hours.
100% Evofit 