By the time I boarded my flight for a two -week family trip to Europe, I had already decided: this trip was not about limitation. After year of major lifestyle changes and Signan weight loss, ID learned that the goal is not perfection -the sustainability. I didn’t want to stay on the right track if I wanted to feel good in my body And In my experience. But if I am honest, it mentally took more work on that place, packing my suitcase. My sister, my therapist and the Marco Polo Group Chats can all testify to the fact that it was occupied much of my mind.
Image above from our interview with Mary Ralph Bradley by Michelle Nash.
Define vacation health: the mentality shift that EvenThing has changed
Before I left, I had naked this silent Feger in the Backgund: What if I lose the progress that I have worked so hard for? I was not only afraid to arrive, I was afraid to slide back into old patterns, to undo the emotional and physical work that was needed to get here and let it experience the entire journey. How do I tell a French restaurant that I want less butter? What if I really want to try a patisserie if I don’t really eat sugar? But I really look at that fear, I realized that it came from an old version of myself. One who believed that being “healthy” meant had control at all times. One that labeled food – and how I enjoyed that food – Bad, guilty, cheating and leaving the circuit.
So I tried Subhing new: I trusted myself.
I reminded myself that healthy habits were the entry of the work and could accidentally leave behind. I had worked too hard, developed into a new concept of how weight loss and maintenance work and evolved too far to get away for a few days. The truth? Growth does not disappear when you take a break. Giving myself permission to enjoy was exactly what loved me.
How I stayed on the way (without thinking about it)
This was one of the simplest but most game changing habits I was grabbing with me. Before I left, I filled my hand luggage with a few go-to snacks that I know I feel good: unsalted roasted almonds, protein sticks, my AG1 travel bags and a few oranges for the cruple-stage of the flight.
Having something nutritious at hand during long travel days prevented me from diving at Fastfood airport or completely skipping meals. It also helped me to stay up to date with Hunger CE, instead of responding from handy or stress. And when I landed in a new city, I found a market or a juice place to hit a few snacks to stay in my bag, so I didn’t hit Each Boulangerie. I thought the best healthy banana bread in Amsterdam and a market for fresh fruit in Paris. It was easier than I gave credit.
Finding joy in motion while traveling
This gym is one of the first things I now check when booking to the hotel. Not because I intend to grind for hours of cardio, but I know how good and feel that I am moving – especially while traveling. Even 20 minutes in the gym or fast body weight movements in my hotel room can set the tone for the day, but while it was out, I only used one gym and it was on day two of the trip in Amsterdam.
My favorite form of movement was, just like at home, the simplest: walking. I walked Everywhere. My sister and I got up earlier than our parents for a morning coffee, which became a fun game from finding a new place, and discovered our favorite place ever in Paris. I walked home from dinners, museums and everywhere in the Marais. I took the stairs where I could -A airports, hotels, restaurants. Movement was not a punishment. It was fun.
The truth? Growth does not disappear when you take a break. Giving myself permission to enjoy was exactly what loved me.
Yes against the croissants: Practicing a remarkable indulgence on vacation
Let’s get rid of this: I said yes to the croissants. And the pasta. And the pizza. And the dessert during dinner. And yes, even the Candybar in the late night that our beautiful hotel had set up (it was divine). I said yes to the things I really wanted.
But I also noticed that I no longer felt like saying yes: using too much food or eating as a reward. Inserad of the OldI get back on track when I’m home Mindset I split desserts with my family, leaned in fresh local dishes and tuned for how I wanted FeelingNot just what I wanted to taste. I skipped the roasting that didn’t look great and usually stopped after I was satisfied with my bites. There were a few cases when I left to feel too full, so I made a note of it and listened even more to myself during my next meal.
My ethos was simple: if I wanted to try it, I would. If it didn’t look great or I was hungry, I skipped it. Simple.
Make a rest on ritual travel
Traveling used to be synonymous with burn -out for me -many plans, usually too much alcohol and too little Sim. This time I gave myself authorization to rest. I went to bed early (thanks, traveling with 70-year-old parents and a sister on the same page lends itself to that). I slept in it. I chose slow mornings with a cold brewing brow to hurry from the door. Rest was woven in the journey in a beautiful and natural way.
A balanced return home: why Progres matters more than perfection
What helped me the most was remembering that consistentence does not mean stiffness. I am not the same person I was a year ago – and I did not want to treat this trip as I was. I now live in the middle room: where health and pleasure meet, where discipline supports joy, and where the balance is not. Every day.
When I got home, I felt a little a little bitter and as if my rings were tighter. I gave myself a few days and went back to my long walks, raised water intake and morning strength training. I got on the scale and guessed? I weighed a pound less than when I left for Europe. All those pizza, gelato and croissants mixed with a lot of walking, conscious food (not in surplus), and not emphasize that it offers a balance balance, is positive – and I can choose it, wherever I am.
Traveling reminded me that summarizing healthy habits and packing in my suitcase. They sink to the bump that I wear in me.
