In today’s issue of FUN, HOT, NO B.S. Fitness Magazine!…
I’m going to share with you how I lost body fat while on vacation and the steps I took with my food and exercise to ensure I stayed on track with my “fat Loss” and “lean muscle”training goals…
I hope you enjoy today’s lesson … and don’t forget to share how it helped you BY CLICKING ON THE COMMENTS box below!
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I’ve just come back from a short break / vacation visiting my parents.
We had a great time, it was very relaxing. I also came back extremely inspired and excited with new ideas for workouts and content that I want to share with you – all based around your feedback.
The place we stayed at was just outside of the town my parents live, on a rural property, 7 mins drive from the beach. It was peaceful and they allowed pets. Our two Labradors “Arnie and Louie” come with us every time we travel.
I got to feed the rescued Kangaroos and spend time with the other rescued animals – they were so appreciative and loving towards their new owners.
With the property being out of town I went out of my way to ensure I took plenty of healthy food supplies with us for my hubby and I – and the boys (Labs). Yes, we still had a treat here and there, but I made sure we had meals that were nutritious versions of holiday meals. Gluten free pizza, healthy lean burgers, plenty of yummy salads, fruit… I took my Vital Greens and Vital Protein (both organic) as well.
Here’s the thing, most folk when they go on a vacation will put on a few pounds or kilos, right?
Well we actually lost body fat while we were there!
More about that in a moment…
With “Arnie” getting older, he’s 12 years (that’s old in Labrador years) my exercise at the beach is very limited. We can’t stay for too long and if there’s other dogs bounding around having fun with Louie they tend to stampede into Arnie… which is too much for him at his age. I don’t want him getting injured. So I prefer to stroll slowly next to him to make sure he’s ok.
Also we were experiencing a “heat wave” (one of many that we get in Western Australia) so with the temperature sitting around 40+ degrees (that’s 104+ degrees Fahrenheit), whether it be walking the dogs at the beach or my own training it needed to be carried out safely and in the cooler part of the day.
With this being the case, I knew I needed to design something I could perform in our accommodation with no equipment.
So I created my own “break / vacation” workout that I could perform quickly while I was there, designed to be performed every second day. And so I could do it in bare feet and in my pj’s. YAY!!! 🙂
I’m actually going to be uploading my Vacation workout to VFT’s Members area over the next week . But today I want to share with you 3 of my favourite exercises to perform when I’m on vacation along with the following…
So how did I lose body fat on my vacation?
1. I got organized, ensuring I had the basic ingredients to make awesome healthy meals and I had a few “plan B’s” up my sleeve – just in case. Eg… Organic, gluten free pizza base mix packet.
2. Taking time off from my usual workout allowed for extra muscle recovery. And just doing the short burst of vacation workouts every other day it was very effective. The workout was based around my goals of fat loss and lean muscle.
3. I didn’t spend my whole time stressing about food. We had family and visitors over while we were there and they were really impressed with how yummy the food was, AND they also commented on how they didn’t get the “yucky” feeling they normally experienced when they consume pizza, burgers etc and other foods.
The reason for that is simple: “You choose healthy, nutritious ingredients and you’ll get a different outcome.”
Here’s the thing… so often, even with folk that consume relatively healthy foods in their every day life, when they go on holidays they behave like they’ve just been evicted out off the “Survivor” tv show…
Eating everything in sight, and often not even enjoying it, just eating it because it’s there.Then complaining all the time because they feel sick, they’ve got headaches or migraines, and then they top all that off with mountains of grog (alcohol). They spend most of their holidays feeling like crap.
If you just carry on with your normal healthy eating plan while you’re away, then just enjoy the treats as they come long – not gorging – just enjoying common sense portions – you’ll get to have fun with your food, without ruining your training efforts… and without making yourself feel sick all the time. And you don’t have to come home feeling like you’re under pressure to lose the vacation pounds and kilos.
Ok, onto my 3 favourite vacation exercises:
I love these exercises, they offer plenty of bang for their buck – especially when you have limited time to exercise.
Stationary Lunge
Stationary Lunge
Lunge forward with your left leg. Lower your body by bending your left knee (front leg) and your right knee (back leg) so it’s almost in contact with the floor. Return to starting position.
Keep your midsection firm throughout the movement. And your front knee should point in the same direction as your front foot.
Repeat this exercise to complete your set. Then swap leg lunging forward with your right leg.
Shoulder Pike Press
Shoulder Pike Press
I’ve included two options here, legs closer together and legs further apart. I personally prefer legs further apart, it’s more comfy for my shoulders. Start with your body in a push-up position. Raise your butt and hips upwards, bringing your legs towards your chest, keep your arms extended and your midsection firm. This is starting position.
Now bend your elbows and lower your head and upper body towards the floor. Then push yourself back up to starting position – breathing out on the way up.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT PERFORM THIS EXERCISE IF YOU HAVE ANY SHOULDER INJURIES OR SUFFER FROM SHOULDER PAIN.
Knee Push Ups
Knee Push Ups
Start on all fours on the floor. Keeping your midsection firm, lean forward so that your hands are directly under your shoulders. You want to create a straight line from your knees through to your head. Slowly lower your upper body towards the floor bending your elbows. Then push yourself back up to starting position and repeat.
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Keeping on track while you’re on vacation is a lot simpler than you think. Make it easy for yourself to stay on track by planning ahead a little. Whether you’re eating out or you have your own small kitchen area in your accommodation. A couple of emails or phone calls inquiring about what’s available, taking only a few minutes of your time, is a whole heap easier than finding yourself in a situation later that you’re not happy with. When you’ve done it once, you’ll find it even easier to do the next time.
Take care, warm regards
virtualfitnesstrainer.com, VFT – Fun, Hot, NO B.S. Fitness!
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