BOB'S BLOG: Wednesday, February 22

Hello out there!

I hope that you all had a restful and productive weekend. This is Bob's last "normal" week of the blogging experiment. This is his fifth week of documentation but his final week of one-on-one training (for blogging purposes, that is). Next week, Bob will be enjoying a well-deserved break from the mainland and cruising in the Caribbean.

This presents a very unique challenge for Bob - namely, a self control challenge. Will he make smart nutritional decisions on the cruise ship and while at port? Will he continue to be physically active on board, or will he just sit by the pool all day? Will he stay up all night partying like it's 1985??

Just kidding about that last part.

Anyway, today, we want to talk about practical suggestions for staying on track while enjoying your time off dry land. If you're looking for those numbers resulting from the all-important weigh in, you'll be able to see those on Friday (Bob wants to weigh in and take a waist measurement right before he leaves!)

Please, don't do this:

• Treat your vacation as a free-for-all where calories don't count, and walking to the ice cream bar and back is sufficient for your daily exercise. 
• Stop drinking water. Because you're probably going to be eating a bit more and exercising a bit less, it's all the more important that you keep up an adequate H2O intake each day to help flush out excess toxins and keep your digestive system (and metabolism!) on track. 
• Skip all breakfasts and eat really, really late at night. Think that the 24-hour room service is a GREAT idea at 10:00 at night? Wrong. Skipping early meals and eating big meals late in the evening frustrates your metabolism, and you're much more likely to store foods as fat. 

Instead, do this: 

• Remember that diet and nutrition don't take vacations. Although I'm all about treating yourself a little, do so in MODERATION. If you forget everything else about this post, remember the word MODERATION. It will serve you well, I promise. 
• Choose outings and excursions that require you to sweat a little! Go on a hike instead of para-sailing, do some horseback riding on the beach instead of just basking in the sun, rent bikes instead of scooters...you get the idea. Keep your whole family active...it's usually more memorable than sitting on a beach reading a book and throwing sand at each other!
• Eat several small meals (moderation, remember?) as opposed to 2 or 3 huge ones. Don't skip breakfast!! Eating breakfast on a regular basis helps to kick off your metabolism for the day ahead!
• ENJOY YOURSELF.  Vacations are meant to be a break from work, drama, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life...so treat them as such!! The body needs this time to recuperate and re-energize, but that doesn't mean you have to be lazy. Do something you've never done before - like snorkeling over a reef or zip-lining through the trees. When you're away, be away...but give your body the nutrition and activity it deserves so that you can make the most of your time!

Those are some very general, fairly fool-proof guidelines for vacationing without leaving behind your goals next to the toothbrush you forgot to pack. What steps do you take while on vacation to keep up with your health and fitness goals?