How to survive the temptations of the all-inclusive vacation.

How many times have you said to yourself, "I need to get swimsuit ready because I'm going on vacation and I want to look good in a bathing suit." When we are on the cusp of baring our bodies in swim suits, shorts and sundresses, nothing feels more urgent than trying to "get in shape"for our vacation. 

The majority of people who travel to warm weather climates are searching for rest, relaxation, fine dining and their fair share of unlimited libations. Let me ask you this? Did you work so hard on getting in shape so you can sit around on  your vacation and undo everything you just spent months busting your butt to improve?

So many choices. Yep. Be choosy. It'll be there tomorrow!

If your vacation includes a stay at an all-inclusive resort, the likelihood of you blowing your months of dieting is pretty high. Why do I say this? All-inclusive resorts are fantastic. I enjoy the fact that I don't have to do a thing while there. I enjoy eating whatever I want to eat and drinking whatever I want to drink whenever I want to drink it. I appreciate just sitting around and relaxing in the sunshine while those nibbles and drinks are brought to me as I work on my tan, it's like being royalty, if even for one week.  Those indulgences also come with a price. 

There are better ways to enjoy all-inclusive resorts other than partaking in utter gluttony and then returning feeling poorly about ourselves, although we have a killer tan, we are not back to our pre-dieting weight. You don't want that do you? I didn't think so. 

Yes, the buffet line has an overwhelming amount of delicious options for you to delight in. Nutritionists will tell us that we ought to be eating portion sizes of meat, grains and vegetables the size of the palm of our hand. If you look at the food that you just ladled onto your plate at the buffet, are you meeting those requirements? How much food do you really need? Here's my suggestion: 

Cruise the buffet line even before picking up a plate. Look at what calls to you. Pick some high protein bits and some veggies every single time and treat yourself with something that you simply can't resist and call it good. You are on vacation and treating yourself is part of the package deal but binging to the point of regretting it is NOT part of how you want to feel. 

When it comes to alcohol, remember, too much is simply too much. No one likes to see a drunk and stumbling tourist sloshing around the pool or peeing in the pool for that matter. Many drinks in the resorts are fancy. Fancy meaning that they are mixed with other sugary concoctions that make them even more tempting because 1. they LOOK fancy and 2. they have fun names like " the dirty banana" or " sex on the beach". Yes, they are delicious, I can't deny that fact. They are however, loaded with sugar and sugar is simply empty calories that do nothing but help you get fatter and feed diseases. Again, is it okay to partake in a couple of Dirty Monkeys? Sure. Is it okay to drink 15 of them while sitting at the pool? Probably not. Aside from the empty calories that sugar gives you, it also makes for a mean hangover. 

So you just binged on the buffet 3 times during the day and supplemented your cravings with orders of nachos and fries during the day and quenched your thirst with beer after beer and more sugary drinks than you can shake a stick at. As you read this, does this sound good to you? Does it make you feel good just reading it? Would you eat like this at home? Chances are no. 

I'm not writing this blog to make you feel bad about how you choose to vacation or what you choose to do while on vacation. I've been this person that I just described, I get it and after such reckless indulgences, I usually wind up feeling very fat, bloated, dehydrated and hung over. It's seems like a waste of time feeling gross when we went on our vacation to feel refreshed and renewed. Right?

You can still vacation at an amazing all-inclusive resort and manage to keep your hard earned figure in tact. Remind yourself how hard you worked to get on this trip. Remind yourself how much you paid for it. Remind yourself how much you intend on feeling great and enjoying every moment you can while you are away. If you keep these things in the forefront of your mind, you will make wiser choices in your dining and drinking. You will still be treated like royalty at your resort. You will still get lots of rest, rejuvenation and excitement in your days but instead of feeling bad about yourself, practice a bit of restraint at the restaurants and at the bar and feel good about it.

Your body and your self-esteem will thank you. There's nothing better than coming back from vacation then having a glowing tan, a happy heart, belly and liver and knowing that we just pampered ourselves and didn't have to go to extremes to do so. 

Don't let this be you.