Have you heard of the term “vacation hangover”? Well if you haven’t then I am introducing you to it right now! It is defined as the feeling after you come home from vacation! You know you are supposed to feel well rested because you were just on vacation! Fresh, ready to get back in a routine, and full of energy bc you just relaxed all week! WRONG!!! A vacation hangover is that feeling on Monday morning when you know your to do list is long, laundry to be done, emails to answer and a workout to be done! You have no food in the fridge and you don’t have time to grocery shop so you eat what you want because hey what is another day going to matter!
Vacation hangover means you do not spring out of bed at 5:00 am when the alarm goes off to workout! You hit the snooze a few times and maybe {GASP} you even skip your workout! Ohhh it’s been known to happen a few times in the Mitro house!
Then, you feel like a walking zombie. You have nothing going on in your little brain but MUSH from the sun, sand and Miami Vice drinks that were so tasty!!! but, it is back to reality and no matter how much you want to ignore it you have to face it!!! So, the internal struggle begins! The question is this…. Do you have the SKILL and the WILL POWER to get back on track??
I honestly don’t believe it’s just one or the other! You need both skill and will power together! Of course I can power through any obstacle you give me if I REALLY WANT TO, but quite honestly it is much easier if I have skills to handle it! So today lets talk skills! How do you tackle the vacation hangover???
1. You power through it! You set that alarm and when the alarm goes off you repeat to yourself, “I’m Up, I’m Up” over and over until you get out of bed. You can even sleep in your workout clothes! That way you roll out of bed and go! The other option is to find a workout accountability partner that is going to get your BUTT out of bed by either texting or calling you repeatedly until you get up!
2. You make a game plan. Even if it’s on a piece of scratch paper you sit down and you plan out your meals for the week. You raid the fridge for what you have in order to get by! For me, Monday was a shake for breakfast and lunch, dinner was grilled chicken and some frozen green beans and a bag of rice! Not necessarily the most interesting but it got the job done until I went to the grocery store.
My plan is on a piece of paper, it’s honestly nothing fancy but at least I know that I have a plan. I sent Matt to Costco for the staples, fruits, veggies and some meats so that we can put together some meals! I’m keeping it simple this week! I also find that when I do 2 shakes a day it helps fuel my body with great stuff to get my energy back. By Tuesday I was feeling way more like myself!
3. You fight the temptation. Honestly, I had some ice cream and pizza when we got home. But, today I woke up and SAID, ENOUGH! What are you doing! You have no energy for your workouts, you feel blah and that is why! FOOD IS FUEL and if you don’t remember that then you are going to be on this vicious cycle. I have been doing this long enough to know that my mental clarity, my energy level and my focus depends on my food and my workouts! So, today I threw away the cookies on the counter, I drank my shake and I’m chugging water like no one’s business! I know that fighting the first 3 days post vacation is how I will get on track.
4. It’s ok to have E&E a few times in a day! E&E which is Energy and Endurance is honestly my go to! I drink it 15 minutes before I workout each morning and it is from Beachbody and it gives me a nice little boost to help me get my workout going! It helps me to dig deeper and push harder to rock my workout! It’s also something I drink mid afternoon when I want to take a nap! Especially when I stay up to late answering messages and get up early! It’s my saving grace for powering through! Lets be honest, I’m not a machine, I crash and burn too! That is why SLEEP is so important! I’m turning in early tonight bc I know my body is going to pay for it if I don’t!!!
Lastly— Find your next goal! If you just pushed hard to get ready for a vacation, wedding or special event! Don’t let it all go by the wayside after the event is over. What’s your next goal? What are you working towards?
I am choosing to start Insanity Asylum on Monday in preparation for our trip to Paris at the end of May! I also love the way I feel when I can pull anything out of my closet and ROCK IT! I like that feeling of being in control of my food and what I eat! SO that is my motivation!
