Getting Back on Track

I am currently rebounding from a 6-day, all inclusive, five-star resort vacation. This isn’t a humble brag, rather an attempt to paint a picture for you to describe what I’m dealing with here. Food. Booze. More food. More booze. Early morning. Mid-day. Late night. Hash tag, extra guac.

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Now, I’m a firm believer that If your weight isn’t fluctuating, you’re not living, so I don’t mind the rebound process. In my humble opinion, there really isn’t a strong ROI of being lean all the time. It’s too much to count calories, prep your meals and have picture perfect workouts 365 days out of the year. It’s kind of exhausting and in the end I’m kind of left wondering “…and for what?” Eating right. Working out 5 or 6 days out of the week. Staying injury free. That’s a good focus, you know?

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ANYWAY back to my vacation. I’m with a group of 70+ fun people who all love to party. We’re there to celebrate our friend’s wedding. A beautiful couple, a beautiful resort, beautiful pool drinks out of coconuts. Basically, I worked out every other day so when I was on my 1,000th “vodka soda with a splash of grapefruit” I wouldn’t freak the f*ck out. I’m happy to say that I was successful in avoiding the never ending spiral of guilt we all seem to put upon ourselves the second we realized we’re having too much fun.

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If you’re ever looking for an amazing resort, Secrets is where it’s at. My husband and I have now been to two different locations and both times have had a second-to-none experience. I kind of stereotyped the all inclusive and am now singing a VERY different tune. Also, the spas are amazing. Facials and Swedish massage. Hell. Yes.

Now I’m back home and trying to get on the wagon. Whether it’s from a vacation, a honeymoon, a girl’s weekend or too many nights out here’s how to do it:

  1. Recognize: Most of the time we know when we’re getting off track. It could be a bender for your birthday month (that’s right, month) or in my case, too much poolside libation. Here I am recognizing a bit out of the ordinary situation that was temporary and am now moving on.
  2. Create a Safe Space: Create a safe space for yourself without judgement or deprecation. Accept that sometimes you’re not on the top of your fitness game and that’s okay. Allow yourself to go through the process of rebuilding your base and realize that it takes time. Acceptance is necessary to gain the momentum to move forward and start your journey.
  3. Reflect: Think back on your newly developed habits and pin point opportunities for improvement. Luckily, it’s 34 degrees in Chicago so there isn’t a chance I’m going to walk outside to a swim up bar and order my first cocktail at 11am. BUT if your vice has recently become Netflix and chill with a bottle of wine, or eating out three times a week identify opportunities to lessen frequency. Find other ways to fill your time. Maybe that’s reading a book, maybe that’s working out, maybe it’s taking up a new hobby like learning to cook or learning a new language. Change it up.
  4. Set a Date: I’m a fan of setting short term goals for long term success. Pick a day that’s 20 or 30 days out to measure your progress. Since Christmas is right around the corner I’ll be working on my rebound goals until about the 23rd when I’ll have to lighten the reins when I travel for the holidays. I want to enjoy the time I spend with friends and family so there will be wine, there will be some God damn cookies! Until then I’ll be keepin’ it tight, there’s that balance and fluctuation I was talking about.
  5. Clean it Up: It all starts in the kitchen. Prioritize nutrition, keep it totally clean. Plan and prepare as many meals as you can and if you eat out be that bitch that’s like, “can I just have a chicken breast and steamed veggies?” Cut out anything processed and SORRY, cut the booze. Hydration, hydration, hydration. Track what you’re consuming via an app like My Fitness Pal so nothing sneaks up on you. None of this is surprising, you know what to do.
  6. Get to the Gym: Schedule your workouts. Show up for your workouts. That’s the thing about exercise! It doesn’t work unless you do. Thank you, Jesus, Barry’s opened in Chicago. I’ll be showing up to take class 3-4 times a week and prioritizing heavy lifting 1-2 times a week to get my groove back.
  7. Commit: Believe in yourself and set yourself up for success. That could be anything from finding an accountability buddy or talking to a personal trainer to make sure your form is tight and you’re taking the appropriate rests in between sets. Leave your ego at the door.
  8. Check-in: Adjust your mindset daily. Your goal shouldn’t be perfection, if it is, I’m afraid you’ll never be satisfied. Adjust your mindset for wellness and lifelong happiness and peace of mind. Getting off track can be frustrating, but getting back on track can actually be very satisfying.

Get back into it.

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