How to Get Back on Track After Vacation

If you’re like me, you love to indulge on vacation. Vacations are about relaxing, and much of that time the relaxing also applies to your eating. Of course, there’s nothing better or more satisfying than indulging in the local food and drink. Yet that can make it so much harder to get back on track after vacation.

Jon and I were just in the South of France, which meant I ate all the best foods – croissants, pasta, lots of French wine. And now it’s so hard to get back to the good habits that we established before we left. Below I’m sharing the changes we’re making to get back on track after vacation.

Do you tend to overindulge on vacation? How do you not let vacation habits become your norm when you get home? Sound off in the comments!

Xx, Kelsey

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate – One of the biggest ways to get back on track after vacation is to drink tons of water when you get home. It’s likely that the food and drink you were enjoying on your trip was full of salt and sugar. Water will help flush your system, keep cravings at bay, and let your body do what it needs to do to get you in a better place.
2. Cut back on the sugar – I noticed that I have such strong sugar cravings after returning from our trip – something I didn’t struggle with before we left. To cancel those cravings, hydrate as mentioned above, and then grab a piece of fruit. Retrain your body to crave natural sugars instead of the processed stuff.
3. Eat your vegetables – It’s likely that you didn’t get enough of your greens on vacation, especially if you have a tendency to go with the side of fries. Focus meals on protein and a heaping portion of vegetables. Stick to dark greens (spinach, broccoli, etc.) to get the most out of them.
4. Don’t eat past 9pm – Or whatever time works for you. If you’re like me, you tend to eat a lot of extra calories between dinner and bed. Parked in front of the TV, it’s easy to mindlessly munch on less-than-healthy snacks. Set a time for yourself when you’ll stop eating for the day. This will give your body time to wind down from the day, and will keep you from adding on all those extra cals.
5. Get back to your workout routine – I tend to work out really hard leading up to vacation, work out a few times during vacation, and then completely give up when I get home. Don’t let this be you. Take one or two days to get back to things and overcome jet lag. Then get right back to it! Your body will thank you, and it’ll help you get back into the swing of regular life.
6. Cut back on the booze – Vacation is a great time to indulge in that extra glass of wine (or two!), but there’s no reason to keep that going once you get home. Save the extra drinks (and extra drink calories) for the weekend. If you’re really craving something, sip on a flavored water or tea in the evening.
7. Snooze – Getting sleep is vital to help get back on track after vacation. Your body needs time to adjust to your normal routine again. Sleep is the best way to let it do just that. It’s also been shown that not getting enough sleep causes your body to crave sugars and carbs for quick bursts of energy throughout the day. Do yourself a favor and give up those late vacation nights in favor of an extra hour or two of sleep.

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Mango linen tee | Athleta cropped leggings | Mango cardigan | Shoes are old Nike that I use to hike