Post Vacation Post

I just got back from vacation and thought I would compile a list of what not to do followed by some healthy alternatives.

What not to do on vacation:

1.            Don’t go on a flight with free food.  It's likely not healthy.  Our options were a cheese croissant or cheese and egg on a white english muffin.  Of course with me being cheap, I could not refuse.  At least I picked the one with some protein and not quite as much fat (egg muffin).  The flight home was just as bad with cheese pizza being offered.  (Yep, I did)
2.            Don’t drink fruity and/or creamy drinks (anything with an umbrella).  I did not do this; however I didn't just have water either.
3.            Don’t use the elevator if stairs are available (and safe).  I was about half with this, depending on how my knees felt and what I was carrying.
4.            DO NOT go to all you can eat buffets! (Oops)

What TO DO on a vacation:

1.            Pack a healthy snack for the flight and drink water when offered a beverage.  I did pack a healthy snack, but when I paid what I did for my flight, I couldn't pass up the "free" food.
2.            Make water your beverage of choice and drink lots of it.  We took one water with us and filled the bottles up at the fountains in the parks when we finished.
3.            Use the stairs.  All.  The.  Time.
4.            Go to a grocery store and buy food for breakfasts, lunches and snacks.  Make sure your hotel room has a fridge.  We went shopping as soon as we landed and ate most breakfasts in the room before we left for the day.  Our lunches were low calorie portable snacks like fruit and bars and seeds.  That was the best thing I did, because I would have gained weight for sure if I was eating out three times a day.
5.            Make healthy choices of restaurants and at restaurants.  Salad can be your side and try to only eat what you would have at home, not the entire meal.  Sharing an entree is always a lower calorie option too.  (Ya right, I was on vacation!)
6.            Pick a hotel with a fitness centre.  And use it!  I took my 7 year old and we worked out at our hotel's fitness room.
7.            Pick activities that make you be active.  We were gone for ten days.  We spent seven of those at Disney and Universal.  That's A LOT of walking!  Two days were spent at outlet malls; huge outlet malls so lots of walking.  One day we went to the beach, parked and walked a mile (at least) to the pier and back on the sand.
8.            Use your hotel's pool for more than sunbathing.  Play with your kids or do laps.  I won every game of monkey in the middle! (Granted the kids are only 11 and 7 and I'm really competitive.)

Hopefully that helps.  I didn't follow all of my suggestions, but also didn't gain any weight on vacation and that's a bonus.  For the first vacation in four years, I can deal with that.