Not a Vacation

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  Now that June has begun, and the school year has ended for most college students and is just about finished for most others, many people start to talk about vacation plans.  I'm always interested to hear my students tell me where they are traveling to over the summer...usually somewhere much more exotic than I will be at.  Some people prefer to travel to places that they are more or less familiar with, while others then to be more adventurous, seeking destinations that are truly "getting away from it all" experiences.  I am also very curious when I go away to see how other people handle their fitness regiments; do they continue as normal, or do they take a break from their routines.  As I have discussed in previous posts, I personally use the time to completely rest, and recharge.  Similarly, its also interesting to note how people's eating habits change while on vacation.  It is debatable how unfortunate it is, but many people will binge while on vacation having felt that they already earned the break and achieved the body they wanted for the trip.  I also find it very remarkable how much people are willing to change their diets, particularly those on more adventurous vacations, for the seven to ten days that they are away while trying the "local fare."  And this brings me to what I wanted to speak about today.  The same way that people change their diets for this short period of time, while on vacation, and then go back to their normal habits when they return is very reminiscent of what people do while on fad diets.  There is this temporary change that is relatively short lived.  Someone who travels to a very foreign land and eats the local food while trying to be immersed in the culture of the people they are visiting is not able to eat that same way when they get home.  They may have tried something new that they liked so much that they may start to incorporate it into their diets, but they most often do not maintain that way of eating.  So if you really want to eat healthier to be healthier for the long haul, you can't make a temporary change.  Instead, you need to make changes that you can maintain not for the short term, but instead for the long term.

          Going on a vacation to somewhere new is often exciting as you get to learn about new things and experience things that are not part of your regular routine.  The escape from it all mentality is often a time to recharge our batteries and get us geared up for the next bout of work until that next time off.  From the tremendous fun we have riding roller coasters and going down water slides my daughter has asked me numerous times while at Walt Disney World why we couldn't stay and live there.  Although she might not quite appreciate my answer, it is very easily understood otherwise that for so many practical reasons, staying on vacation just isn't feasible.  This is primarily so because it is just too different from what is the normal routine.  I mean it is absolutely amazing while on vacation, but it is too unrealistic to do it day in and day out for a long period of time.  The same is true with dieting.  People who go on "diets" may enjoy some short term results because they drastically change their day to day routines.  However, once they return to doing what is "normal" those payoffs are quickly lost.

          Vacations are most always welcomed and very much needed.  Whether it is traveling to somewhere completely new or even revisiting a familiar place, the time off gives our minds and bodies the chance to not only relax, but experience new things.  If you are one of the many trying to improve your body composition, as I said in my last post, something new, a change is needed.  We can learn from doing something new what we enjoy and even what we are capable of.  Just as you may try a new food that you learn to find you thoroughly enjoy, or impress yourself while on a challenging excursion, we can learn a lot about what we can do.  In the same way, if you have gotten to a body composition by doing what you have been, its time to try something new.  But it cannot be something so dramatic and so short lived as being on vacation.  On the other hand, it needs to be something that you are capable of incorporating into your regular routine.

         We all need a break from time to time, a chance to recharge our bodies and get away from it all.  A short break here allows us to focus on what we need to do the rest of the time...the majority of the time.  Taking a vacation allows us this escape from our normal routines.  But living healthy and making choices that will improve your fitness are not things to be done once or twice a year; rather they need to be done on a regular basis.  Being immersed in a foreign culture can help you gain an appreciation for both how others live, and what is good about your own quality of life.  However, the immersion is usually short lived and not a full integration into your normal routine.  So as you make plans for your summer vacation, choose something fun and exciting to do.  But also realize that what you do on that trip is very short compared to your regular routine.  Think about what you need to do on a regular basis and what small changes you can make as permanent changes to a healthier lifestyle.  Focusing on what needs to be done during the day to day is the life stylistic way to a fit new you!