Nutrition and Vacation

This past week was spent at Disney, on spring break. It was hot, crowded, and have I mentioned I'm just entering my third trimester of pregnancy? Fun, yes it was so fun! My girls loved it, so many mental images of them with their look at that mommy faces. My husband and I had never been so it was a first for all of us.

I have traveled many of times and kept my nutrition on track, this past week was certainly not the case. I was in a frame of mind to just be a go with the flow mommy and not worry about anything but whatever my girls wanted. Would this be the case if I was prepping for a show, NO! Would it have been the case if I had a goal set for weight loss, certainly not. And it wouldn't have been the situation if my desire to not have a set back was greater than my desire to just be on vacation. Of course being pregnant had something to do with all these decisions but life will present opportunities for you to make a decision on your approach to nutrition and that decision has to be made well in advance of your trip.

Here's why: food was just that on this trip, food. The crowds were thick, we were at the mercy of what Disney declared food, and the choices at our resort were few. Not to mention vacationing is not catered around the minority who are concerned about what they eat. After day one my husband and I were already craving some veggies and fresh food. I did happen to find a few salads along the way but still questionable ingredients. Had I wanted to stay on track I could not have just showed up and then skipped meals, that's not staying on track.

So what would you do if you want to head to Disney, or any vacation, and eat healthy? A start is to call the hotel and see if they have a fridge and microwave in your room. We didn't have a microwave in the room but most hotels have one somewhere you can use (this hotel had one in the laundry room). Bring pre-made food and meals you can nuke. Oats are always my breakfast in a hotel, chicken and rice for lunch, etc. Our first day at the park was 16 hours straight, a cooler with lunch would have been my only option to have a healthy meal. Snacks are allowed so we brought fruit and water of our own but didn't want to carry a cooler. Would I have asked this of my family if I wanted to not eat in the park, yes! Quest bars and nuts are always a meal/snack when I'm out and about also.

These are just a few of the things I could have done if my approach was to keep it as clean as possible while away. Bottom line is you can't just show up and after a day of vacation food say "I wish I would have thought about this". Have a plan, I have been successful planning my own meals each day and having a dinner out with the family. Find an approach that you are comfortable with and your family can work around. If you need a break from it all, take one, but all the more reason to eat clean while at home and as soon as you get back.

When I first started competing and taking my nutrition as serious as my training I let it keep me from social gatherings or trips because I didn't want the temptation or the hassle. The hassle is worth it, once you have the tools, put the time and effort in, all things are possible wether at home or out of town.

Side notes: my kids seemed to have as much fun running in the halls of the hotel as the rides in the park, the dive in movie at the pool was super cool. You know your a military family when your kids are the only ones with neon glow sticks (chem lights) each night at the parades and glowing in the pool. Loved staying at shades of green (military only resort) and hearing someone else's husband say, you stay here while I Re-Con the place. To make the most of your time is truly a survival of the fittest at Disney, we walked and walked and walked (girls chilled in stroller). And most important family vacations, regardless of where they are at, build lasting memories as a family. Seeing my girls hold hands as they walked was one of my favorites!