Vacation Mode – Health Yourself

For many of us, summer means summer vacations. Beaches, road trips, lake houses, airports, hotels. New places, looser schedules, more snacks, less structure.

While it’s so much fun to step out of your familiar routine once in a while, it can also feel… unsettling. Especially if you’ve been in a good groove – getting your workouts in, hitting your protein goal, building momentum, and making real progress.

So it makes sense if you wonder things like:
“What if I undo all my progress?”
“How am I possibly going to hit my protein goal?”
“Do people track their food on vacation?”
“Do I even want to take time to go to a gym?”
“What’s the point of being ‘good’ if I blow it on this trip?”

Ok. Here’s the thing. The worst you can do, really, is pause your progress. You’re not going to undo all your progress with a week off-course. But if you want to do even better than stand still, here are some tips on how to enjoy your vacation while keeping up the momentum:

1. Decide ahead of time how you want to do it.

Is this a “stay on track” kind of trip, or a “chill and indulge a little” kind of trip?
Do you want to track meals, get your workouts in, and stay close to your normal habits? Or is it more important to really get into vacation mode and let go?
There’s no wrong answer. But having clarity ahead of time helps you act with intention, not guilt or impulse.

2. Remember: it’s not all or nothing.

We really have to be careful not to succumb to this mindset. I wish it wasn’t so persistent, but it is!
“I had a drink at brunch, so the whole day’s shot.”
“I missed a workout, so I might as well take the whole week off.”
That’s not how this works. One treat doesn’t cancel out the healthy choices you’ve been making. You can enjoy a butter croissant for breakfast and then have protein-heavy meals for lunch and dinner. You can skip a workout and get tons of steps while exploring a new part of town.
It’s like I always say: Just do the best you can as often as you can!

3. Take the opportunity to move in fun, new ways.

You’re in a new city – explore it by foot! Get those steps in. Swim, hike, rent the hotel bikes, take a jog by the beach. Movement doesn’t have to mean a scheduled workout. Vacations are full of chances to be active – you just have to decide to do it!

4. Take it easy with the alcohol.

For many, unwinding on vacation = partaking in plenty of alcohol. We’re all adults, so I’ll just leave this right here and you do with it what you like: too much alcohol, even short-term, can mess with your sleep, energy, mood, motivation, digestion, hunger cues, and decision-making. If you’re an enjoyer of alcohol, consider doing it mindfully.

5. What happens on vacation stays on vacation.

However you decide to approach it, enjoy it all as part of the experience. But when it’s over, don’t waste time getting back on track. Consistency means you can briefly stray as long as you return. And no, you don’t need to go extra hard to punish yourself or “make up for it.”
What actually derails your progress isn’t the vacation – it’s the spiral afterward. A few off-track days don’t matter. What matters is what you do next. Just get right back into your routine – no guilt, no ruminating. On course.

So, say hi for me when you go to Hawaii or Puerto Rico or Yosemite or wherever. Eat some good food that you really enjoy. Move your body as much as possible in ways that make you happy. Get that sun and fresh air. Please don’t waste any time feeling like you “messed up” because you didn’t eat chicken and broccoli every day.

And when you get back home, your routine will be waiting for you.