Enjoy Your Vacation Without Feeling Guilty

I've been looking forward to our annual summer vacation for months now! Every year my family and I hike it on down to the beach and just CHILL. Like seriously just chill. You will see no bigger beach bums than my mom and I.   But I'm not going to lie to you..I've also been secretly dreading this vacation. Why? Because vacation week is the time where I ALWAYS fall off track with my diet and workouts. YES, that IS what vacation is for: taking a break from it all and just relaxing without the guilt. But I always feel like a crummy pile of dog crap when I throw all my worries down the drain and eat whatever the hell I want. This year I am making it a point to not feel that way. So in honor of this years summer vacation to Charleston, South Carolina (I am literally in the big rental van on my way there right now!) I am going to share my tips about how to stay on track all while have a WONDERFUL time with my family.

1. Pack all of your meals for the car ride down.
You won't find me in line at McDonalds for a meal on the go. Nope, no way! Instead I've packed a cooler full of food that I normally eat: chicken breast, turkey sandwiches, veggies, protein bars, etc. I'm saving money and eating nutritious food. It's a win-win! If you're flying instead of driving, airports will allow you to bring your own food on as a carry on! Just make sure you check ahead of time that what you're packing doesn't break any TSA rules :)

2. Cook your family dinners.
Believe me, my family and I love going out to restaurants while we're on vacation. But with the number of people that come along with us, sometimes dining out can be more of a hassle than a luxury. So during the week we cook a lot of our dinners...and we have a ton of fun doing it! We usually blare music, dance around the kitchen and just spend time together. It makes our vacation that much more memorable. And with cooking you have the option of making healthier choices for you AND your family.

3. Stay active.
Yes. Your normal gym routine IS going to get thrown off   There really is no way around that. But some gyms around touristy vacation areas do offer week-long passes! And if you're somewhere warm, get up every morning and go for a walk or a run and watch the sun come up. There's honestly no better thing than watching an east coast sun rise. My dad and I plan on getting up every morning and going for a walk on the beach. The point is, if daily exercise is important to you during your vacation, make a point to get it in some way or another. My advice is to do it early in the morning so you're not dreading it the rest of the day!

4.  RELAX
That's what a vacation is all about! If worrying about where or when you're gonna workout every single day is going to stress you out, then don't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with taking a few days off...or even a week! Sometimes your body just really needs a break--so why not give it one? Use this time to just BE with your family and enjoy yourself. Normal routine can return on Monday. But for now, make the most of your time off!

5. Indulge.
It is OK to indulge. If you don't, you're just gonna drive yourself insane watching your brother devour that big piece of cheesecake... Every vacation I go on, I make damn sure that I get a scoop (sometimes even 2!) of some homemade hard-dipped ice cream. nothing better, in my opinion! I treat myself, and you should too :)

In the end it's all about finding balance. Whether it's on vacation or in real life, you need to find a good balance between a strict/structured lifestyle and a lifestyle that's a little more carefree. Laugh a lot, stress less and eat well :)  don't feel guilty--just relax with the people you care a about!

Xoxo Jess
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Stop Feeling Intimidated in the Gym!

The gym can be a scary place...trust me, I know! Rows and rows of foreign-looking equipment, beefed up muscle heads grunting with every rep, and stick-thin Barbie dolls jogging on treadmills. (Seriously, does nothing jiggle?!).  To this day I still get waves of anxiety when I walk around the weight room trying to get my workout done, but I've learned some tricks along the way to keep that silly little fear of the gym at bay.  Here are some of them:

1. Leave Your Ego at the Door
A big thing that keeps people from regularly going to the gym is the judgment and stares they think they'll get when they exercise.  News flash: what makes you think gym-goers are so interested in what you're doing?  They're just like you, trying to get a good sweat session in and become a better, healthier version of themselves.  If you ask anybody working out at the gym what is more important to them: a random stranger or a solid workout, I guarantee they'll go with the workout.  While it may look like people are staring, they're probably more focused on getting their reps and sets in than anything else.

When you walk through those gym doors, your mindset has to change.  Why do you think people are gonna judge you? Probably because you judge others, yourself.  Go in there focusing on becoming a better YOU and everyone else in that gym won't matter.

2. Google
Many, many times I've stopped right in the middle of the gym floor staring at a pice of equipment thinking, "uhhhh...where do my feet go?....What am I supposed to do with my hands?"  There are so many weight and cardio machines lying around that it's damn near impossible to know how to use each one or what muscles are being worked. My advice to you is this: GOOGLE IT.  But before you google it, have a workout already prepared.  (You can find workouts all over the internet. My favorites places are bodybuilding.com, pinterest.com, and fitnessrxwomen.com)  If there is a movement in the workout that you don't know how to perform, that's when good ol' google comes in handy.  Tons of sights will come up, but what I usually do is go to google images to see exactly how it's performed.  If you want detailed instructions, bodybuilding.com is an EXCELLENT resource for this.  You can even check out youtube.com for videos of people performing the exercise.

3. Gym Swag
Nothing makes me feel more confident than some brand-spankin new gym gear.  I'm talking anything from new Nikes, a sports bra, cute tights, even a new pair of slick-lookin socks!  I suppose it just makes me feel like a bad ass.  And when I feel like a bad ass, I wanna train like a bad ass. Which ultimately leads to a great workout.  Getting comfortable in the gym is all about confidence.  And if it takes a new pair of running shorts to give you a little boost, then so be it!

4. Headphones On, World Off
For me, music is everything when I want a good workout.  I honestly don't think I could get through any type of workout without it...especially cardio.  If you've got songs that pump you up and make you nothing short of happy, put them on a playlist and zone out.  A bad ass playlist will keep you focused on the workout, and you'll be less worried about everyone and everything going on around you.

There was a solid month where I would workout to nothing but Beyonce's latest album. (Partition, anyone? That song made me wanna bust out every rep like it was my last!)  A great tool that I use is the 8tracks app.  You can find playlists for any genre, event, or mood that you're feeling.  They even have specific playlists for when you workout!
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The biggest thing I can stress is this: don't quit.  No matter what you do, DO NOT QUIT.  Yes, it's gonna seem scary at first, but I promise you it WILL get easier.  We all started at the bottom.  No one was born with the knowledge to kill it at the gym on day 1.  No one's an expert. And in no way, shape or form am I saying that I'm an expert.  I still struggle with intimidation at the gym to this very day!   But I never quit.  And with practice, persistence, and new knowledge I became more comfortable in the gym setting, more comfortable with the weights, and most importantly, more comfortable in my own body.

Go to the gym, learn new things, and get better.  It's as simple as that!  There's absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about because in reality, we're all there for the same reason: to be better and healthier versions of ourselves! When you realize that, that's when it'll get easier :)


As always feel free to drop a comment with questions, tips or even a compliment! I appreciate all feedback!

xo Jess