You want to enjoy the summer, but you also don't want your results—the kilos you've lost and the energy you've built up—to disappear after just three weeks. Good news: the two go perfectly together. In this blog, Nigel Groeneveld, club manager at Happy Bodies Overveen, explains which simple habits keep you on track without turning your vacation into a strict diet camp.
Let's clear up this misunderstanding: one ice cream or a nice barbecue won't cost you your progress. Weeks of “oh well, I’ll just start over again in September” will. The difference lies not in perfection, but in balance. You don't have to do everything right; you just shouldn't let go of everything.
That is also how BenFit, the nutrition and lifestyle program we work with at Happy Bodies, views vacations. Not a break from a healthy life, but a lighter version of it. Just enough to maintain what you have built up, with plenty of room to enjoy yourself.
Most people don't let go of just one habit on vacation, but everything at once. They take a third round at the breakfast buffet, drink away calories in glasses all day long, and switch into "all or nothing" mode. Anyone who leaves without any plan is back to square one upon returning home. That is a shame, because with a few simple fixed points, you effortlessly hold on to what you have built up.
Move a little every day. A walk after dinner, a refreshing dip, a bike ride to the market. It doesn't have to cost anything.
Eat enough protein. It keeps you feeling full longer and protects your muscles, even when you are training less. You can read more about this in the blog about beautiful muscles.
Drink enough water. In the heat, you need more fluids than you think, and thirst often feels suspiciously like hunger. You can read exactly what water does in the blog about drink water.
Hold on to one thing. For example, your trusted breakfast. One stable moment during the day provides stability, no matter how irregular the rest of the day is.
Schedule your first training session after the holidays right now. That way, you won't have to think about anything when you get home.
With BenFit, you receive a personalized nutrition plan every week, including a shopping list that easily fits your family's meals. The recipes are simple and you can swap them with one another, so a summery salad instead of a hot meal is arranged in no time. Moreover, the program moves with you: after every measurement at the club, BenFit automatically adjusts to your current calorie needs and immediately aligns your nutrition plan accordingly. You can keep track of your progress via the app, even from your beach chair. This way, you stay mindful without it feeling like work.
Breakfast with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and a handful of nuts. In the afternoon, a salad with chicken or tuna. As a snack, a piece of fruit or some unsalted nuts. In the evening, grilled vegetables with fish from the barbecue. Plenty of room left for a drink on a terrace, and yet a day that makes your body happy.
Aim for “good enough” on most days. No one manages perfection every day anyway, and you don’t have to. That way, you’ll return from your vacation without falling behind, and without feeling like you were holding back the whole time. Enjoy it; you’ve earned it.