First of all, I would like to apologize for my long absence. I was traveling with little access to the Internet. However, along with my memories and pictures I have brought back some tips for staying fit and healthy while traveling. After spending six weeks traveling all throughout Europe, I did not gain any weight. This was not due to heavy exercising or lack of indulging. I achieved this by making smart choices and being mindful of what I was eating.

My first tip to staying fit while traveling is to walk as much as possible. Walking around the city will definitely help keep the weight off, and it will also allow you to get a better view and feel of the city. If you must take a taxi, bus or underground when trying to get somewhere, stop down the road from your destination and walk the rest of the way. While we are talking about walking, if you have the option to take the stairs, you should always take the stairs. I view stairs as a mini workout. Every time you choose to walk up a flight up stairs you are giving your body a little workout and elevating your heart rate.

My next tip would be to eat your larger meals for lunch. We found this to be the best strategy, not only for keeping the pounds off, but also for feeling the best. Eating our heavy meal for lunch did not leave us feeling bogged down. We felt like we had time to walk off our meal and did not feel too full when we laid down for bed. Also, upon waking in the morning we felt light and fresh, ready to tackle some more European food. To keep to this strategy we would try to find a nice, local restaurant for lunch and then look for something lighter and towards the clean eating side for diner. I usually opted for a sandwich or salad and a small side. This always left me feeling full enough to last through the night without eating again, but not too full to where I feel like I ate too much.

Along the lines of sweets, I ate a lot of them. I did not deprive myself or skip out on a sweet I really wanted. However, I would consider whether or not I really wanted it and whether or not I would rather wait for something more enticing. If the answer was no, then I ordered the sweet and enjoyed every second indulging in it. A vacation is about relaxation and indulgences so do not deprive yourself of the small luxuries. Be sure to consider all of the factors and make your decision.

One more thing to watch carefully is your alcohol consumption. If it is just a short weekend trip, this may not matter as much. However, if you are gone for six weeks like we were, alcohol consumption takes a toll on your body. I am by no means saying do not drink! I sampled many wines, beers and cocktails while in Europe. I tried to limit myself to no more than 2 drinks a day. Some days I would not drink any alcohol at all, but when I did I would not have more than 2 drinks in one day. If I did consume alcohol, I always made sure to drink a glass of water with it. You do not need to skip the alcohol altogether if you want to watch your weight on vacation, just be mindful.

These are just a few tips to try to keep some of the pounds away on vacation. I know how hard most of us work to stay in shape and keep the unwanted pounds away. It is a terrible feeling to come home from vacation and see all of your hard work was ruined on vacation. These tips helped me feel good and keep the unwanted pounds away on my six-week trip.