Happy Sunday beautiful, I hope you’re enjoying the weekend (apart from that weather). As promised I’m back with the third and final part of my Ibiza series, covering how to stay healthy on holidays. As you know I worked extremely hard to get in shape in the three months leading up to my trip. I was extremely excited to take a break from my diet and fitness routine but also maintain a balanced approach, avoiding unnecessary ‘bad food binges’ in Ibiza. After such a long term lifestyle change is maintained you don’t really crave junk food anymore, my stomach has also shrunk so I can’t fit as much food in there when i do ‘cheat’. While I was away I went all out one day and totally indulged, eating lots of tapas, ice cream and a Nutella crêpe. Although I enjoyed every bite that night I had severe stomach cramps which caused me to have to leave the club we were in. Be aware if, like me you’ve been counting macros in a strict way you may be intolerant to certain foods. Gluten, dairy and copious amounts of sugar in one day was a disaster waiting to happen, so I’ll know better next time. Below I’ve compiled my top tips and tricks to help you have the best time, indulge in moderation and incorporate simple steps to ensure you cause minimal damage to all of your hard work.
- Pack emergency snacks you know you enjoy that react well with your body. For me, plain cashew nuts, protein bars, and peppermint tea are travel essentials.
- Pack your daily supplements. Now, I’m not talking about pre workout or powdered messy substances like whey, but I took my multi vitamins, greens capsules, fish oils, and dandelion root to beat the bloat. When you’re away you can get dehydrated, run down, survive on very little sleep and find it difficult to get in enough vegetables. Taking your daily vitamins will really help.
- Bring some form of gym gear that takes up very little space. Whether it’s a sports bra and leggings you wear to the airport or easy to fold shorts, having them packed will increase the chance of you taking a morning walk or working out.
- Speaking of walks, walk as much as possible even if it’s the only exercise you do while you’re away. It will keep you active, feeling refreshed, energised and less guilty.
- If you do feel like working out while you’re away you don’t need a gym. Try my at home abs workout, which only takes 30 minutes of your morning and leaves you with some stomach definition for the day. We did a mixed body weight session on our balcony using the couch mattress!
- Take it in turns to do a relatively healthy supermarket shop everyday. The girls and I bought a selection of fresh fruit, meats, eggs and nuts to make our own breakfast and poolside snacks for the day.
- Avoid mindlessly picking on crisps, chocolate and rubbish by the pool. Instead, allow yourself designated treats throughout the day, for example we all had a peanut Magnum around lunchtime and ordered cocktail or two but avoided constant unhealthy picking.
- Where possible eat out in nice restaurants outside of the ‘strip’ areas. These areas tend to have high priced quick fix junk food options that will have no nutritional value and make you feel like crap.
- If you’re feeling the effects of bad food from the previous day keep it light. Avoid heavy carbs during the day, order simple salads and save your calories for night time when you know a three course meal may be on the cards.
- Allow yourself cheats, enjoy your time away. Don’t track your macros or feel guilty. Intentionally falling off the band wagon is just as important as returning to it when you get home.
- When you do come home try to get back on track right away, the longer you leave yourself in holiday mode the more damage you will have to undo. I was up 6lbs on the scales after holidays but lost it a week later. Don’t be scared if the same happens you; it’s not 6 pounds of fat, it could be a combination of the heat, flights and water retention and once you didn’t go crazy with booze and binging everyday it will level out.
- Drink water, lots and lots and lots of water. The heat will make you sweat, drink will dehydrate you and it’s so easy to forget to consume an adequate amount.
- Stick to clear alcohol combos like gin and tonic with lime. Dark drinks, copious cocktails and shots will not only pile on the pounds, they will bloat you in your bikini and give you a worse hangover which can cause you to waste the following day and sunshine.
- Wear the bikinis you’re most confident in on the first and last day. The first day you can feel pale, pasty and nervous by the pool so a supportive push up piece you feel great in is a real confidence boost. On the last day of your holidays you’ll be feeling the effects and any sign of stomach definition will most likely be gone, so wearing a tan enhancing well fitted white piece will give you that body boost.
- Look after your skin, hair and nails. Your health also shows on the outside so a certain level of maintenance away is vital. Good quality SPF, skincare regimes, hydrating bodycare, cuticle oil and hair masks will have you looking as good as you feel.
