The only time I’ve gone on a vacation and come back fat was during my honeymoon to Zanzibar. Look yeah, I had absolutely no care in the world because I starved myself so much for that perfect wedding body. I was only drinking nasty green veggies for an entire month! The moment I stepped my toe in Zanzi, I had no care in the world and I went on a BINGE. Binge in caps because in 7 days, I came back 10 pounds heavier! Everyone was sure I was already pregnant lol.
Zanzibar apart I’m the queen of staying the same size or even coming back lighter after a vacation. This is not because I don’t eat, in fact trying out local dishes and new cuisine is a vital part of my holiday (it should be a part of yours too). I know we can’t pass up on that Turkish delight in Istanbul or Yummy gelato in Italy and I’m not saying you should. We all eat more during vacations. However, we can do things in moderation or be twice as active. Most people come back from holidays heavier. I know you get frantic when people look at your newly acquired rolls and make comments like “you’ve added oh”, “did you eat the whole of Dubai”, “look at your cheeks”. People are so rude! Anyways, here are some conscious and subconscious ways I stay in shape during my vacations:
1. Just move: One of the reasons I love visiting London is the fact that I hit 10,000 steps in the middle of the day. So easy and effortless. So wherever you are, try to imagine you are in London and walk everywhere. Walk to the taxi park, walk to the bus station, walk to the malls, just WALK!
2. Try to make healthier choices: I said try because it will be difficult. Pass up on that yummy chicken dipped in the most sinful sauce. Have a salad instead. Try and opt for grilled dishes i.e. meats in place of their friend counterparts. Sometimes if the menu says fried I ask for to have mine grilled. I also tell the waiters to exclude bacon or cheese if my meals have any of those. Makes me feel like I am eating a healthier variation.
3. Control your portions: instead of two scoops of ice cream , have one ?. But really though, gelato, ice cream and all the “good” things in life shouldn’t be eaten everyday of your vacation. You can definitely treat yourself once a while but don’t over do it.
4. Sign up for vacation activities: activities are work outs without you even knowing. You get to work out and have fun at the same time.I always sign up for vacation activities because I enjoy them and not necessarily to burn calories. You’ll be amazed at how calories you burn while participating in these activities for. Here are some fun exercises you can get up to during your vacation and burn calories. All you need is 30 minutes!
Bowling = 100 calories
Dancing = 215 calories
Horse back riding = 149 calories
Kayaking = 220 calories
Paddle boarding = 173 calories
Scuba diving = 260 calories
Snorkeling = 186 calories
Snowboarding = 140-185 calories
Swimming = 220 calories*
5. Take the stairs: if you are lodged in a hotel with floors, ask for rooms above the ground and 1st floor. Apart from the awesome views you get from staying at the top, you should take the stairs instead of taking lifts! During my last vacation in Rwanda, we stayed on the 3rd floor and ensured we took the stairs every time we left our room.
6. Book a hotel with gym facilities: I know you are probably saying who goes to the gym on a vacation, well I have. On this trip, I traveled with my sister and being the gym rat that she is, she insisted we get a hotel with gym facilities. I joined her to beast every morning and it was indeed liberating. We would use the gym for at least 30 minutes every morning right before we started our day. This gave us that jolt we needed to take on Nairobi!
We asked our twitter community a fun question about staying in shape and here is what they had to say:
“Opt for walking reasonable distances rather than taking taxis. Sign up to dance classes/activities as part of your holiday itinerary”.– @redcaramelpole
“Have really good breakfasts, very late lunches and skip dinner. Does wonders for the belly”.- @amaraekekwe_
“Its a holiday o jere. Eat all you can. Surprisingly, when I travel I lose weight because I’m busy exploring rather than looking for food to eat”. – @coloursniyibobo
“Running gives me a chance to cover a lot of distance and then see where I want to spend more time. Plus my yoga mat goes everywhere with me”. – @eightsnweights
“Binge but because I’m so active (on a holiday)it kinda balances it out”.- @anaisViliams
” Uh Uh, I’ll worry about the extra Kg when I get back from my holiday.” – @pishobum
“Binge and sort out the extra KG at home. No fun being on a diet during a vacay.” – @sophiebello
“Walk everywhere – fun plus a great way to explore and meet interesting locals. I also only ever eat 1ce or twice a day on vacation. too busy.” – @Sabirah0
Join the conversation! Are you team binge or team stay in shape? If you stay in shape please share your secret on how you do it! The nomads would love to hear from you.
*THESE FIGURES WERE GOTTEN FROM HAVARD HEALTH PUBLICATIONS
