Well, I just got back from Hawaii - what, I didn’t tell you I was going? Shame on me! At any rate, I got back feeling so much better than I have for weeks. The question is - why? I’ve identified a few factors that I think led to me feeling more "fit", and now I’m trying to integrate them into my daily routine.
#1 - Early to bed, early to rise.
With so many activities jam packed into every day, I never slept past 7am and was in bed and snoring by 11pm. Not something I normally accomplish here at home! It’s true that getting enough rest will help overall fitness and well-being, and I don’t have to be on vacation to schedule my day more effectively.
#2 - Eating like a king in the morning and a pauper at night.
Each day we started out with a trip to the breakfast buffet - fresh fruit, eggs, bread pudding and so forth. I normally NEVER eat breakfast at home and end the day with a big meal, but on vacation the exact opposite was true - I woke up famished, and slowly through the course of the day I ate less until I finished the day with a light dinner of fish and veggies. I usually ate my last meal at 7pm which left me with three or four hours before bed to digest it.
#3 - Get out there and exercise!
I spent almost every day walking on one of the many tours they have on Oahu. Not a day went by that I spent less than an hour on my feet and in some notable cases, I ended up covering four or more miles. Was I tired and footsore? Sure, but then again I felt better after a few hours of exercise than I have all spring. Since I got home, I’ve been getting up and getting out for exercise every day and seem to have kept that great "strong" feeling.
#4 - Morning Sunshine!
At home I spent much of every day indoors where the light of the sun never reached. But on vacation all that good exercise was outdoors where I got plenty of sun (wearing sunscreen, of course!). I’m trying to get outside for an hour every day - concurrent with my exercise.
#5 - Hydration is key
By dinner time I was not as hungry and made sure to drink water with my meal (as outlined in one of my earlier posts) but throughout the day I carried water with me to help stay hydrated in the warm tropical sunshine as I walked. It was never easier to stay hydrated (and the water there tastes great!)
The fact is that I can do most of these things right here at home - but sometimes it takes a vacation to get focused and really examine your behavior. I’ve learned a lot and although I haven’t lost much weight the last two weeks, my waist size is definitely decreasing. I may have to change my blog and remove the "weight" tally to be replaced by a "waist" tally since I feel that’s a more accurate representation of my overall health and fitness. What do you think?
April 13th, 2008 at 3:44 am
Hey Erika,
Sounds like you had a great vacation and it did you lots of good. You make some good points but I can particularly agree with you on numbers 1 and 5. Getting myself into bed at a reasonable time is always something I struggle with but when I do I feel so much better. Drinking water also helps me feel MUCH more alert.
I’d also suggest to always carry some portions of fruit with you. Not only does eating fruit make me feel good during the day but if your hunger cravings get the better of you at least you have something health on hand.
The waist tally sounds like a good idea. It’s probably a better representation too because the more you exercise, the more likely you are to gain a bit of weight through muscle mass which isn’t usually bad for your health.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
It’s amazing what just a little change can do. I love going on vacation because you do go out and do more then you would sitting at home. It’s really a great jump start to any weight loss plan