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Summer vacations are a time for rest and relaxation and usually include those nice lazy days, gourmet meals, cocktails and my personal favorite … SWEETS! 

Whether you’re packing for a road trip BBQ, or a cruise ship, don’t let your vacation knock your eating habits off guard. 

Just think maintenance. 

If you’re on a weight loss program or trying to maintain what you worked so hard for at the gym, to show off your hard work on your vacation, it’s a good idea to shift to a “weight maintenance goal” at that time.  

BLOG: Karim Ramos: “Summertime Is Here, Think About Your Drink!”

Here are a few pointers to help you plan ahead:

Cruises – Scan the buffet line before picking up a plate. Before selecting anything, decide which one or two items you want to “splurge” on and then take a small portion of each. Cruise ships often offer an abundance of food and buffet options (like heaven for us people that love to eat) that can make it easy to overeat. If you can’t resist the urge to go back for seconds, refill your plate with healthier, low-calorie choices like vegetables, fresh fruit or lean meats.

Fill the rest of your plate with nutritious foods like fresh vegetables, salad with low-fat dressing, lean meats or whole grains.

Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially if you’ll be in the sun. 

DON’T FORGET to exercise. Most cruise ships offer activities, so take advantage of rock climbing, swimming, gym, or water aerobics.

Resorts – If you are staying at an all-inclusive resort—it can sometimes be tempting and VERY easy to overdo it on food and beverages. If you’re going to splurge, plan it! Choose where you want to “spend” your calories. For example, if you want to treat yourself at dinner, have a “light” and healthy breakfast and lunch that day.

BLOG: KARIM RAMOS: Diets Suck! Just Eat, But Be Smart About It!

Plan daily exercise like walking or volleyball on the beach, tennis, surfing, or swimming. If your resort has a fitness center, take advantage and fit in a session early in the day. They say you burn more calories in the morning. I’ve learned in my years of Fitness & Nutrition, if you’re going to weight train and do cardio in one session, do the weights first, then the cardio. This allows your body to warm up and sweat calories early so by cardio time, your body should be nice and sweaty, ready to burn more calories. 

Limit the amount of sugary frozen mixed drinks like pina coladas, margaritas and daiquiris – the average drink can have over 300 calories. Try to keep the liquor on the light side as opposed to dark liquors that carry more calories.

Just remember the importance of what liquor does the next time you order a fruity drink. On Forbes.com they had a study that stated a piña colada, for example, has more calories than a BIG MAC! Just food for thought.

If you decide to have dessert, share with a family member or friend, that’s even hard for ME to do, but we have to if we want to maintain our hard work in our bodies. 

Road Trips – While road trips are a great way to see the sights, sitting in a car for long periods of time can lead to mindless eating. Try eliminating the empty calorie foods and bring in the good stuff!

Pack healthy snack foods like granola bars, whole-grain crackers, almonds, peanut butter, low-fat graham crackers, trail mix, and fresh fruit like apples, bananas, or peaches.  

Stop for meals in a picnic area instead of eating in the car to give your body a chance to stretch out and move around.  

Pack plenty of water bottles in a cooler and avoid sugar-sweetened beverages.

If your only option is to stop for fast food, opt for healthier items like oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, baked potatoes, grilled chicken sandwiches, and salads with dressing like vinegar. 

OK now, many of my Facebook friends ask me, how does alcohol make you fat? …. 

This answer is for YOU! 

While most alcohol doesn’t contain actual fat, its calories tend to be stored in the abdomen. “It’s hard for the body to process and eliminate many alcohols at one time, and sugar makes us fat,” says Michael George, a fitness expert and author of Body Express Makeover.

Well ladies and gents, enjoy the summer food, snacks, and drinks…. But, try to avoid the extra calories… 

I always say enjoy the cardio and training as much as you enjoy splurging with the eating & drinking… 😉 

Smile & Breathe

-Karim Ramos