"I'm on vacation..." And Other Lame Excuses To Backslide

Last week our family spent four days camping with other families from our church at a nearby park. The surroundings were beautiful and once the wood got crackling in the fire ring I have to be honest that I wanted nothing more than a s'more and a steaming mug of hot cocoa. All healthy diet thoughts flew out of my head like all those pretty little sparks rising above the warm colored flames. Yes, I could have been content to let all my recent efforts and achievements go up in smoke at that time, but I scrunched up my resolve and decided that, while I may not make a lot of progress, I would not be set back either.

It took some creativity to get one 3-ish mile run in with Alisha and Sara but I did it and actually enjoyed having spent time with my friends keeping each other on track. But it does take a lot of determination to be active while enjoying some rest and relaxation. Camping makes it a bit easier since there is significantly more walking, moving about, and exertion when kids wander a little too far and you need to chase after them. But getting in the usual routine isn't always realistic so it's important to adjust your expectations somewhat and modify diet and fitness goals.

Food-wise I packed a few personal favorite snack items but included as many fresh veggies and fruits as possible to balance my cravings for typical camp fare. Having everything prepped and ready to eat is important since it's much easier to split open a bag of chips than peel and slice carrots. Limiting sugar-infused drinks is really important too. In fact, I didn't even bother getting any sodas to sip but rather picked up a few juices and flavored water. Even there, we could have gotten by on plain water and I found I was more likely to drink what was easiest to grab. Keeping water bottles filled and chilled, if possible, makes water a more likely source of hydration for everyone. Finally, since I didn't make any baked treats to take along there wasn't the temptation to nibble on brownies or cookies during idle time. I was even proud of myself when goodies were being generously shared that I politely declined to sample the offerings. Time with friends was sweet enough for me.

In all, this was a good gauge of how the rest of our travel-filled Summer will go. The key here is planning. First off, I plan on keeping the cooler and food totes stocked with enough healthy snacks and meal supplies so we can avoid hitting greasy calorie laden fast food places. I plan on finding a hotel that offers a fitness center and maybe a pool for the kids to swim around in. Finally, I plan on destinations that have parks and hiking trails so we can get out in and enjoy some active family time. Active.com has some excellent resources on how to work exercise into a vacation. My personal favorite, other than a planned hike, is spending visiting time taking walks and catching up while enjoying the outdoors. It's memories like these that will last much longer than a roasted marshmallowy melted chocolate graham cracker sandwich!

Glory