Monday rolls around, and here it comes…the FAT FEELING! I had eaten crap for four days and now I felt like crap. Ladies we all have it. You know, when come back from a vacation which you had an awesome time, eating and drinking until your heart is content…then you look in the bathroom mirror the morning after you return and you can just see that you have magically gained 5 lbs. overnight. Your vacation “high” is now crumbled by your “post vacation bulge”! You look over at the scale and you are instantly frightened. There is no way in heck you’re stepping on that thing. Yea, I was there this past week. We all get there at some point.
Here’s what I did…here’s what not to do. I went to the gym and ran fasted sprints for 10 minutes longer than I normally would. Performing an extra 10 minutes of HIIT training, when I normally only do 20 minutes, sent my body into a little shock. The next morning, I did the same thing fasted HIIT sprints for 30 minutes. Then I had a killer leg workout during my lunch break. By Tuesday night, I was barely walking. My knees were shot and my calves were tighter than the girdles we wear!
Long story short, you can’t reverse a week of vacation in two days of workouts. Also, if you didn’t get too crazy, you probably didn’t gain much weight at all. If you have ever noticed, that when you have a cheat day or a cheat meal, or even a cheat weekend, you weight may go up a bit, but in a few days, it is right back. It’s because most junk food is filled with calories and SODIUM. The sodium causes you retain water and your weight elevates a bits. However, once your body has released the sodium and you get back to your regular diet, the number on the scale returns to a number you hate a little less.
Here’s how to deal with post vacation bulge blues:
Accept that (if you didn’t go bananas), you didn’t gain 5 pounds in 4 or five days. Now if you go on a 7-day cruise and you eat like it’s going out of style, you may have. The first few days after your vacation, eat very low carbs (mostly green veggies, 2 small sweet potatoes per day). This will help to fight against water retention which can make you feel bloated and uncomfortable.
Amp up your workouts for the first 3 days you are back. Don’t go crazy and overtrain, just push a little harder. This is more mentally therapeutic than physically beneficial. Pushing yourself a little harder will mentally help you pull yourself out of the typical “post vacation funk.” You know, the dread of going back to work and “fat feeling” you have from going on a “diet vacation.”
Focus on the good time you had. Change your focus. You ate crap and now you feel like crap, but you had a wonderful time and a much needed break. You only live once. Relish the memories and the good times you have with family and friends. This diet and weight loss stuff in minimal compared to spending time with people you love and giving yourself some much needed R&R.
So there it is ladies…how to deal with the post vacation bulge. Don’t do what I did…exercise so hard that you’re walking around the grocery store like a zombie. Eventually, every will get back to normal and you will continue to move forward in your quest for health and wellness.
Let me know if you have had the post vacation bulge blues by commenting on this post.
If you have any questions for me, feel free to email me at melinda@libifit.com
Till next time…
Melinda