Intuitive Eating While on Vacation

This time of year, most people have only one thing on their mind, summer vacation. Whether it’s a whole week or just a weekend getaway, everyone has some plans for a retreat this July and August.

A common question I get is: “Do you think this is the right time for me to start my intuitive eating journey with my vacation coming up?”

When I hear this question, my response is always the same, “this is your diet mentality speaking.”

Remember the last time you were thinking of starting another diet? You would think to yourself that maybe it wasn’t the right time? You had so much going on and you feared you would not be able to ‘stick’ to the diet.

When you apply the same thought process to either starting your intuitive eating journey, or continuing it as you plan your vacation, this is your diet mentality speaking.

Here are 4 tips to help you navigate your intuitive eating journey during your vacation.

1. Ignore the Weight Loss Mantra

Stay strong against the chatter in your head that is screaming “I have to lose 10 pounds before vacation!” This will only put you back into diet mentality and onto the latest quick fix which will keep you riding the dieting roller coaster. Continue your intuitive eating journey with confidence. And, if you are contemplating starting the journey, now’s as good a time as any.

2. Focus on Mindful Eating

Be aware of mindless snacking while vacationing. Oftentimes when you’re on vacation, you have less structure to your day. You might be lying on the beach where your friends are passing around the snacks, or touring through a new city, walking the streets and trying the local fare. So just pay attention and have an awareness of whether you’re hungry or not before you dig into the snacks.

3. Be Prepared

Whether you are sitting at the pool, lying on the beach, in an amusement park or on a full-day tour, you are going to get hungry at some point. It’s very important to be prepared and have snacks with you so you don’t have to wing it. Remember, one of the principles of intuitive eating is to honor your hunger. If you wait too long, you tend to not choose the most healthful choices and you tend to overeat, so be prepared.

4. Listen to your Body

Stop when you’re comfortably satisfied and not when you’re overly full. I know when you’re on vacation it’s so tempting, especially if you’re at a resort hotel which is all-inclusive. This means that all the food and beverages (including alcohol) is included in what you’re paying for the hotel. It’s very tempting to just eat and eat and eat to “get your money’s worth”. This is not staying true to your intuitive eating journey.

Honor yourself and honor your body by paying attention, being aware, and making conscious food and beverage decisions. Stop when you’re comfortably satisfied so that you can enjoy your vacation without regret and without guilt.

5. Don’t Deprive Yourself

When you’re on vacation, embrace the local culture! Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy a myriad of diverse flavors and textures. Step outside your comfort zone and savor the new tastes of international cuisines.

Vacation is supposed to be about having fun! You can have your cake and eat it too; enjoying local foods while staying on your intuitive eating journey.