When I approached my flight for a two -week family trip to Europe, I had already decided: this trip was not a restriction. After a year of great changes in lifestyle and significant loss of weight, I learned that the goal is not perfection: it is sustainability. I didn’t do it because “staying on the road” as much as I wanted to feel good in my body and In my experiences. But if I’m being honest, get to that place mentally more work than pack my suitcase. My sister, my therapist and the chats of the Marco Polo group can attest to the fact that I was occupying a lot of my mind.
Image above our interview with Mary Ralph Bradley by Michelle Nash.
Redefine the health of the holidays: the change of mentality that changed everything
Before leaving, I had this quiet fear in the background: What happens if I lose the progress I have worked for so hard? I was afraid to gain weight, I was afraid to return to old patterns, or undo the emotional and physical work to get here, and let this consume the whole trip. How do I tell a French restaurant that I would like less butter? What does it really happen because trying a dough when I’m not really eating sugar? But when I really looked at that fear, I realized that I came from an old version or me. One who believed to be “healthy” meant having control at all times. One that labeled food, and how I enjoyed those foods: the axis Bad, guilty, deceit and leaving the track.
So I tried something new: I trusted myself.
I reminded myself that Hurds healthy habits that I could accidentally leave. I had worked too hard, I developed a new understanding of how foundation and maintenance work, and I evolved too much to let a few days unraveling everything. The truth? Growth does not disappear when you take a break. Giving myself permission to enjoy was exactly what kept me on the ground.
How I was nourished on the fly (without thinking too much)
This was one of the simplest but simpler habits that change the game I brought with me. Before leaving, I warehouse my hand luggage with some snacks that I know make me feel good: roasted almonds without salt, protein sticks, my AG1 travel bags and some sumo oranges for the first stage of the flight.
Having something nutritious in my hand during long days of travel prevented me from diving head in the fast food of the airport or jumping meals completely. It also helped me to be attentive to hunger signs, instead of reacting for convenience or stress. And when I wasted in a new city, I found a market or a juice place to supply myself in some snacks to hit my bag, so don’t heat me each Boulangerie. I found the best healthy banana bread in Amsterdam and a fresh fruit market in Paris. It was easier than I gave credit.
Find joy in movement while traveling
This gym is one of the first things that I review when booking a hotel now. Not because I am planning to grind through cardio hours, but because I know how well I feel when I move, specifically while I travel. Only 20 minutes in the gym or rapid body weight movements in my hotel room can put the tone for the day, but as it turned out, I only used a gym and it was the second day of the trip in Amsterdam.
My favorite form of movement, as at home, was the simplest: walking. I walked Everywhere. My sister and I got up before our parents for a morning coffee walk, which became a fun game to find a new place, and we discovered our favorite place in Paris. I walked to dinner house, museums and throughout Marais. I climbed the stairs every time I could, to airports, hotels, restaurants. The movement was not punishment. It was a pleasure.
The truth? Growth does not disappear when you take a break. Giving myself permission to enjoy was exactly what kept me on the ground.
Yes to the croissants: practice conscious indulgence of vacations
We are going to get this out of the way: I said yes to the crosss. And the pasta. And the pizza. And the dessert at dinner. And yes, only the night caramel bar that our elegant hotel had established (it was divine). I said yes to the things I really wanted.
But I also noticed what I didn’t feel like saying yes: overheat or use food as a reward. Instead of the oldI will return to the track when I am at home Mentality (I knew it would be a reality anyway), I approached each meal with a quiet curiosity. I divided the desserts with my family, I leaned down into fresh local plates and tied for how I wanted foldingNot only what I wanted to try. I skipped the bread that did not look so good and above all I stopped after I felt satisfied with my snacks. There are a few cases in which I left a meal that stood out full, so I took note of that and mentioned even more in my next meal.
My spirit was simple: if I wanted to try it, I did it. If I didn’t look great or was hungry, I jumped. Simple.
Make rest a travel ritual (not a late occurrence)
Traveling used to be synonym for exhaustion for me: too many plans, common too much alcohol and very little dream. This time, I cool permission to rest. I went to bed early (grateful, traveling with 70 -year -old parents and a sister on the same page lends it to ITELF). I am afraid. I chose slow mornings with cold beer instead of running around the door. The rest was interwoven on the trip in a beautiful and natural way.
A balanced home return: why progress is more important than perfection
What helped me the most was that consistency does not mean rigidity. I am not the same person who was a year ago, and I did it because treating this trip like me. Now I live in the middle space: where health and pleasure are found, where discipline supports joy, and where balance is not something I pursue, but something I choose. Daily.
When I got home, I felt a little more swollen and as if my rings were stricter. I took a few days and returned to my long walks, increased water intake and morning force training. I went on the scale and guessed what? I weighed less than when I went to Europe. All that pizza, ice cream and crossings mixed with a lot of walking, eating conscious (not in excess), and not being stressed about it is possible the tested balance, and I can choose it regardless of where it is.
The trip reminded me that healthy habits are not something that I packed in my suitcase. They are something that I carry inside me.
]