I recently returned from an amazing all-inclusive short vacation with my family. There were three days of enjoying plenty of delicious treats without gaining weight. One might think that a three-day vacation won't become much of a hassle for the fitness goals but considering that on the first day alone I had at least 1000 calories over my maintenance budget this can be a problem. One thousand plus calories over maintenance per day could turn into more than a pound of fat in just one day or 4-5 pounds in three days (it happened to me before), and that is mostly belly fat, the hardest to lose after 40. This is not something to be happy with when you've been working your butt off for months to drop only 1 inch of fat around your waist, right? However, I've learned a lot since I began my after-40 fitness journey, and these lessons have helped me maintain control over my eating habits without feeling restricted in my dream vacation. Those learnings made it easier for me to navigate the all-you-can-eat buffet by following a few simple rules that kept me from losing control of my diet and yet without spoiling all the fun.
#1 Avoiding sugar spikes
Consuming large amounts of sugary or high-carbohydrate foods causes a temporary spike in blood sugar levels that may affect energy or mood, and it also gives you cravings for more sugar that might get you in a vicious cycle ending up eating huge amounts of calories since the food is right under your nose. So choosing the wrong foods might give you a few minutes of pleasure but cost you a couple of hours in a bad mood, and that's something I don't wanna deal with when I'm on vacation. One thing I love about all-inclusive resorts is that they offer a very wide variety of foods every day. This makes it easy to enjoy yourself with great whole foods by fixing balanced tasty dishes at every meal. Combining complex carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes, and vegetables) with protein (poultry, fish, steak, or even lean pork), healthy fats (1 tablespoon of almonds or walnuts sprinkled over salads, fatty fish, and some olive oil), and fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes helped me to promote gradual and steady glucose release into the bloodstream instead skyrocketing it. Also pairing desserts with fruits helped me avoid sugar spikes. Adding fruits next to dessert will have a lower glycemic index number due to how fiber in the fruits can slow down digestion and reduce blood glucose spikes. For example, I ate ice cream and cantaloupe for dessert. Or instead of one big piece of cake, I would have half of it paired with grapes or oranges depending on if it was a chocolate cake or a vanilla cake. There are plenty of options to go for when it comes to pairing fruits with desserts, it all comes up to your taste.
#2 Red wine over other alcoholic drinks, no sodas or any sugary drinks
I know, I know, alcohol might mess up metabolism, decrease testosterone levels (not a problem, eating the right foods and staying active will overcome any possible testosterone drop), and so many other reasons dieticians and doctors tell us to keep away from it. But hey, I'm on vacation and I know I can enjoy safely a drink or two without worrying about side effects. Timing and the right choices can play an important role when it comes to social drinking. If I had steak or lasagna for dinner, I had to have a glass of red wine with my wife getting that relaxed vacation mood while listening to the band playing live some good music. I just sip it slowly and enjoy every drop. So, with no beer or liquors, and just a glass or two of red wine after a well-balanced meal also helped me keep the risk of getting unwanted fat on my belly.
#3 Drinking 8-10 glasses of water every day
Staying hydrated helps almost in every situation, including when you're having fun on an all-inclusive vacation. I would usually have big a glass of water the first time in the morning (this is something I've been doing for years), about two glasses of water at breakfast, after coffee, and at least another four glasses from noon to dinner, and always one glass of water for each glass of wine after dinner. At the same time, I never-ever add salt to the table. Most of the foods already have added salt, you don't need any extra sodium on your plate. A high-sodium diet can lead to water retention, and give you a bloated belly or make you weigh temporarily on the scale. Besides, food tastes a lot better once you get used to skipping the salt at the table.
#4 Staying active
Starting with taking the stairs instead of using the elevator (we had our room on the 10th floor, and still used the stairs 90% of the time), taking 10-15 minute walks after most big meals, swimming moderately every day, and having a two hours workout session at the hotel gym the second day of our vacation. With so much extra food I had on the first day, I was so full of energy in the gym the next day that I could've trained for hours.
5# Getting enough sleep
Normally, I sleep 7-8 hours every night. But with all the parties going on around us on vacation I had about 6 hours of sleep. However, eating well most of the meals and enjoying a great time with my family, it was six hours of good and relaxing quality sleep that proved to be enough. In case you didn't know this, poor sleep is a major risk factor for weight gain.
Regardless of our age, we always have new things to learn
At nearly 50, I'm still learning about what a fitness and healthy lifestyle means. Imagine that all my previous vacations never went down like this one. I always ate whatever, even though I prefer whole foods most of the time, in front of an all-you-can-eat buffet I would always get out of line by indulging in unhealthy foods too. Lots of desserts without fruits, beers by the pool, some liqueur before lunch and dinner, wine after, poor sleep, and many other abuses that most of us do or used to do for "a good time" on vacation. Let me tell you this, I have never felt this good on a vacation before. I had a great mood all the time, I felt strong, and full of life like never before. And all of this is thanks to my after-40 fitness journey that brought so many benefits into my life in just 10 months of training.
