Are you looking to get back on track after vacation with your fitness routine?

You had a blast, to say the least, while you were away.

But now that you’re back and the vacation high has worn off, you’re feeling a little bit anxious.

You’re starting to feel like going on vacation was a mistake.

Youŕe worried all the good food and drinks you enjoyed just erased all the weight loss progress you’ve made.

It just sucks because you were in such a good groove prior to vacation…

Instead of sitting there wrapped up in your own head and stressing yourself out, use these 6 tips I’ve cooked up to get back on track after vacation and into the swing of things 💪🏾

1. Realize you didn’t screw anything up

Here’s the number one, overarching rule to get back on track after vacation. 

Realize that you 100%, for sure, without a doubt did NOT (I repeat, did NOT) screw anything up or ruin all the progress you made by going on vacation.

The truth about weight loss is this: 

Results are driven by how consistent you are over the long haul.

They aren’t dictated by taking a week or two break from your fitness routine.

So you won’t get skinny, ripped, or achieve your dream body in a week or two, the same way you won’t come anywhere even remotely close to undoing all progress you’ve made by going on a one or two-week vacation. 

That’s the type of mindset you want to have if you’re struggling to get back on track after vacation.

Remind yourself: “It’s not what I do all the time but what I do most of the time that counts.”

Again, in the grand scheme of things, a week or two of vacation a couple times a year ends up being the tiniest little blip on your weight loss journey.

 

2. Don’t restrict yourself 

You didn’t do anything wrong by going on vacation so don’t feel like you have to “make up” for anything once you’re back. 

Thinking that way–like you need to be super strict and limit yourself to only “healthy” foods–just puts even more pressure on yourself to get back on track after vacation than you’re already feeling.

You’re also looking at things in black-or-white, all-or-nothing terms when you do that, and even though you might be eating exclusively healthy foods, that’s not a very healthy way to live.  

To get back on track after vacation, you don’t need to cut out carbs, slash your calories super low, or anything like that. 

Oh, and ridiculous detox or juice cleanse after vacation you’re thinking about trying definitely isn’t the move either (unless you just like wasting money).

Your metabolism is juuuust fine, it doesn’t need a “reset.” 

If your diet wasn’t like this already, here’s how to eat for sustainable weight loss and get back on track after vacation. 

 

3. Build your way back up with exercise

Similar to your nutrition, you have absolutely nothing to make up for regarding your workouts.

So don’t think you have to do any of this “extra stuff” to get back on track after vacation.

You don’t need to sweat everything out and try squeezing  5 HIIT cardio workouts in 7 days, or anything excessive like that.

You don’t need to switch up your routine and add extra strength training sessions to the schedule. 

And you don’t have to take up fasted cardio because you think it’ll help you lose more fat. 

Truth be told, you may not have the energy or stamina to just pick up right where you left off before vacation.

And that’s 110%  okay, you can simply ease back into things. 

We’ll use strength training as an example.

Let’s say you were lifting 100 lbs on squats prior to going on vacation.

Instead of trying to hit 100 lbs in your first workout back, scale things back and start with a lighter weight (maybe something like 75 lbs). 

Then, work your way up from there. 

It’ll help you build momentum and confidence as you get back into the groove of things. 

4. Get some time on the calendar for workouts and grocery shopping  

It’s hard to get back on track after vacation without a plan.

If there’s nothing in front of you to commit to, you can rationalize in your mind that you can’t do anything because you have no direction.

So the action you take ends up being nothing. 

Here’s what you’re going to do…

Take out your phone, laptop, or whatever you use to schedule appointments, and over the next week, block out time for all fitness related activities:

• Workouts
• Getting daily steps
• Grocery shopping (this weight loss grocery list I made for you will come in handy)
• Meal prep, etc  

Don’t just treat these as activities in your schedule you’ll get to “if you have time.”

Treat them like you would an appointment with Warren Buffet, who’s promised to give you every secret he has about how to make money. 

Would you cancel on him? 

Unless you’re already a billionaire, there’s a 0.0% chance you do.

Have that same respect and commitment toward your health and fitness.

5. Make sure you sleep

Let’s be real, this is something you probably weren’t getting enough of on vacation. 

And who can blame you?

It’s vacation after all, and you were just focused on having a good time.

But now that you’re home, sleep will be one of the most underrated things you can do to get back on track after vacation.

Not only will some extra sleep give you more energy, which you can use to crush your workouts in the days that follow, but sleep is crucial to weight loss.

It keeps your hunger hormones in check, which makes it easier to stay in a calorie deficit.

6. Stay hydrated

Hydration is important not just to get back on track after vacation but in general.  

1. Staying hydrated is just good for your overall health (By the way, hydration is more than just water–you also want to make sure you’re getting enough electrolytes like sodium and potassium). 

2. Dehydration can lead to fatigue and decreased workout performance.

3. Thirst can mask itself as hunger. 

So if you’re feeling a little hungry, that may just be your body’s way of saying you need to hydrate. 

Getting back on track after vacation FAQs

How do I get back on track after gaining weight on vacation?

You might be feeling fat after vacation and a little bloated but just know seeing your scale weight going up a little is completely normal.

You were probably eating more carbs than you usually do, which causes your body to hold onto more water.

Water retention = a higher number on the scale.

But notice how I said “scale weight.”  

Very, very, VERY little of that weight gain is actual body fat gain.

And by little we’re talking only a tiiiiiny, little, minuscule bit.

As you get back into your diet and workout routine your weight will normalize.

Why am I so hungry after vacation?

You were eating more on vacation and that amount of food is what your body’s grown accustomed to. 

When you come back and suddenly try to enter into the same calorie deficit you were in before you left your body’s like, “Hold up, wait a minute, what happened to all the extra food you were feeding me?” 

It can take an adjustment period to settle back into things. 

That’s just part of getting back on track after vacation. 

But if hunger’s really been an issue for you, try scaling back your deficit. 

For example, let’s say prior to vacation you were counting calories and eating 2,300.

Instead of jumping immediately back down to your 2,300 calorie number, take a few days or a week and eat at, let’s say, 2,500-2,600 calories. 

Once you’re comfortable with that, you can slowly start to decrease your calories until you reach the deficit number you had prior to going on vacation. 

How do you bounce back after vacation eating?

The one thing I would tell you NOT to do in order to get back on track after vacation is go to the extreme. 

You don’t have to limit yourself to strictly healthy meals or deprive yourself in an attempt to compensate for all the “bad” food you ate (FYI, there is no such thing as “good” or “bad” foods). 

Implementing the 80/20 rule can help you get rid of this all-or-nothing mindset.

Get 80% of your calories from those “healthy” foods like turkey breast, potatoes, fruits, veggies, etc and then 20% of your calories can come from other foods like pizza, wings, burgers, and fries. 

You won’t feel deprived and at the same time you’ll  be eating with more balance and making healthier food choices, which will lead to sustainable results in the long run.