Summertime often means travel, and the beautiful weather and outdoor activities make this season a favorite for many people. But with the end of typical routines, summer can be a challenging time to stay on track with a weight loss journey. Often people ask, “can you enjoy your summer vacation without hindering your diet plan and weight loss efforts?”
The short answer is YES!
You shouldn’t have to worry about maintaining your healthy eating and exercise tips while on the road; no matter where you are, you can take the necessary steps to feel good about keeping up your healthy lifestyle while still enjoying your time away.
At NJDiet, we take weight loss and overall wellness to an entirely new level. By utilizing bloodwork and performing DNA testing on each of our clients, we can determine each individual’s idea diet and workout plan. We customize supplementation along with a personalized diet plan to help every patient attain their weight and health goals.
Below, we’ve compiled our best tips for helping to avoid weight gain during the warmer months while still enjoying everything the season has to offer!
Reasons For Summer Weight Gain
Most of us often believe that “seasonal weight gain” only occurs in the winter. However, a combination of factors may make the numbers on the scale rise during the summer. Just as you may not want to work out when it’s cold outside, many of us don’t exercise as often when it’s hot and humid outside. Extreme weather conditions, whether they be cold or hot, may put a damper on workout routines.
Additionally, summer brings vacations, long-weekend getaways, and generally just long, lazy days where many get-togethers revolved around BBQs and food, which can thwart your weight loss progress. Our schedules tend to be different during the summer months, which can lead to later bedtimes—and potentially more late-night snacking.
Vacationing And Staying Healthy
We all look forward to vacationing during the summertime, a time when we’re supposed to relax and recharge. However, because vacations take us out of our usual routine, staying healthy while traveling can often prove challenging.
So how can you enjoy your break from reality without hindering your weight loss progress? We’ve compiled six healthy travel tips to help you stay on track—from eating healthy on vacation to staying fit while on the road. So that no matter where you are, you can feel good about keeping up your healthy lifestyle—while still enjoying everything vacation has to offer.
1. Stick To A Schedule
It can be tempting to deviate from your usual routine in the summertime, but one of the best ways to maintain your weight during these months is to set and stick to a schedule. Research shows that a change in your routine—any time of the year—may disrupt your exercise and eating habits, and vacation is no exception!
2. Stay Consistent With Sleep
While it may be tempting to stay up late and sleep until noon during vacation, when your sleep schedule is inconsistent it can affect your natural circadian rhythm, also known as your body’s internal clock. When you stay up late or sleep well into the day, you may be throwing off your natural rhythm. When your rhythm is out of whack, it may impact your health—chronic health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and depression have been linked to irregular circadian rhythm patterns. Additionally, circadian rhythm could affect your metabolism!
Your body needs rest when you’re physically traveling, crossing time zones, carrying luggage to and from destinations, and waking around more than you’re used to. Traveling is harsh on your body so make sure you get plenty of rest!
3. Start Your Day with Breakfast
While we all have heard there are numerous benefits of eating breakfast, one of the best reasons is to potentially stave off hunger later in the day, which in turn may further your weight loss efforts. In fact, studies have found that those who ate more calories in the morning compared to those who ate more at night experienced almost a two and a half times greater weight loss!
When vacationing, try not to skip breakfast and just go straight to lunch. If you don’t want to eat out for breakfast because you’ll be eating out for lunch and dinner, it’s so easy to just make your own quick and easy breakfast! For example, you can buy a box of instant oatmeal and make it with hot water in your hotel room, or buy fruit and cereal at the local grocery store. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for a reason – it gives you the energy to start your day right.
4. Eat Regular Meals And Be Conscious Of What Your Eating
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself in moderate amounts while vacationing, but being conscientious of the food you’re consuming during a trip can help you stay on track. It’s common to eat out frequently while traveling or on vacation, and while you may try to choose the healthiest looking dish on the menu, it isn’t always easy to do so.
There are several tips for dining out, but a few simple ones include planning ahead, making substitutions and asking for the dressing on the side. Don’t be afraid to ask about the menu! It’s easier to make smart choices when you know what’s going on your plate.
When you decide to change your life by attending the Initial Evaluation and Consultation at NJ Diet, we will explain how our unique individualized system works to reduce hunger and feel healthier. We will explain how many metabolic factors are assessed to genetically make sure you not only lose the weight, but ensures you keep it off and stay healthy for a lifetime.
By opting for healthy food choices the majority of the time so that you’re consuming good nutrients. And when it comes to the occasional indulgence you can try a couple of mindful eating practice. Just savor each bite — and enjoy the experience with those around you.
5. Stay Hydrated; But Drink The Right Things
When it’s warm outside, sometimes there’s nothing better than an ice-cold beverage. But it’s just as important to consider what’s in your cup as well as what’s on your plate. While it may be tempting to reach for an ice-cold soda or alcoholic beverage at an event, these types of drinks are loaded with empty calories. Of course, water is always the best choice for a beverage, as your body needs it to function properly and stay hydrated.
- HYDRATE: Carry a water bottle with you at all times. Drink enough water even though it may not be convenient to find public restrooms on the road. It’s the foundation of your livelihood. Your body will THANK YOU.
- CUT DOWN ON ALCOHOL AND SWEET DRINKS: Alcohol and non-alcoholic sweet drinks are packed with calories. Not to mention, alcohol also disrupts your sleep. Of course, you may want to enjoy a drink or two on your vacation; but as always, the key is to consume in moderation.
6. Find Time To Get Moving And Walk When You Can!
Opt to walk and explore when you’re on vacation. Not only does walking help burn calories, but it can also be a great way to experience your destination. You can get your daily exercise and truly learn about a place at the same time. Skip hailing a cab and explore by foot!
Another way to sneak in exercise while traveling is to skip the elevator or escalator and take the stairs. As tempting as it may be to hop in the elevator, taking the stairs is a quick and easy form of cardio that gives your heart rate a boost and gets your muscles working. It’s a practical way to keep active while you’re on vacation and you can do it almost anywhere.
7. Try Something New To Keep You Active
Traveling is the perfect opportunity to try new things. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, and it’s easy to incorporate that into your vacationing. Typical things things like hiking and swimming are always popular, or try something like snorkeling or paddle boarding. These activities can not only help you stay active, but you could also pick up a new hobby!
8. Take Medications, Supplements And Vitamins
It can be difficult to eat a healthy balanced meal with all the essential vitamins when traveling; so be sure to take your medications and daily multi-vitamins to supplement your meals.
NJ Diet uses personalized genetic testing to assess each individual’s specific needs for essential vitamins, plus many more metabolic factors are assessed genetically to make sure you stay healthy for years to come.
9. Protect Your Skin
Protect your skin from being outdoors by wearing sunscreen with minimum SPF 30 and reapply every two hours if you can. If you’re visiting an area with a large population of mosquitoes and insects, be sure to wear insect repellent to prevent bug bites!
No matter what you do, or where you go, vacations are a chance to unwind and rejuvenate. Take the time to focus on you while staying on track with your wellness goals. Use these healthy travel tips for your next vacation or any other trip you may have lined up—they can work all year round
We hope these tips help you achieve your summer wellness goals—and make it your best (and healthiest) one yet!
We welcome the opportunity for you to have a consultation at NJ Diet. A consultation is normally $99, but by registering on our website it will only cost $27! At NJ Diet, you come into our office every 10-14 days to make sure you are burning fat and losing weight correctly. Supervised by Dr. Arthur Turovets, you will be provide the doctor’s personal e-mail and phone number — so if you ever have any questions or issues while on the program, you can always contact the doctor directly!
Are you ready to make a change in your life and improve your health this summer? Contact NJ DIET to get started!
