Do you find that it’s hard to get back on track after vacation with your weight loss boundaries? Even if you followed your boundaries while you’re gone, it’s often hard to follow them when you get home.
Not only are we tired and in catch-up land, but we often find ourselves feeling sad when we get back. We miss vacation–or if things went badly on vacation, we’re sad about what happened.
Thankfully, God can help us recover from the post-vacation blues and help us to follow our boundaries. On this podcast, we’ll talk about 7 things we can do to get back on track after vacation.
7 Ways to Get Back On Track After Vacation
- Give yourself grace. When we come back from vacation, we’re often tired, overwhelmed with catching up, dreading getting back to work, and either missing the vacation life or upset about what happened on vacation. No wonder we’re tempted to break our weight loss boundaries!
- Process the vacation, if necessary. Truth journal if things went badly, and spend some time thanking God if they went well. You could do a thanksgiving walk or a journal entry about the trip.
- Get a biblical perspective. We think life is about having fun, but it’s really about loving God and others and that often requires sacrifice. When we get back from vacation, we’re often in I-deserve-to-have-fun mode. We’ll need to go to God for help in remembering what life is really about. If we don’t, we may keep eating like crazy because that’s the easiest way to have fun when we’re not on vacation.
- Make a plan to slowly get caught up. Often we come home and make an overly-ambitious plan of what we can accomplish. This causes us to give in to procrastination eating because it all seems like too much to do. We’ll be more likely to follow our boundaries if we make a less-ambitious plan for the first day or two back.
- Re-establish your eating and exercise boundaries ASAP. The sooner we get back to our boundaries the better. If you broke your boundaries on your vacation or ate yummier food than usual, it will be hard to get back on track. Consider writing out a plan each morning of what you’re going to eat for the day so you’ll be less tempted to break your boundaries.
- Make a “fun” plan. Try to plan some fun things to ease yourself back into regular life. This could be as simple as a hot bath or a walk with a friend.
- Spend extra time renewing the first few days back. Renew, renew, renew–especially the first three days back. This will help you get back to thinking boundaries are actually a good idea!
Post-Vacation Lies We’ll Discuss on the Podcast
We’ll also discuss some of the lies we believe that keep us from getting back on track after vacation. Here are three of the biggies:
- I’m a loser.
- I hate my regular life.
- I can’t do this.
How to Listen to the Podcast
- Click here to listen on Apple podcasts
- Click here to listen on Google Play
- Click here to listen on Stitcher.
- Click here to listen on Android.
Photo by Rachel Park on Unsplash
So glad you’re back!! Lots of great information for spiritual and practical ways to transition back into “regular” life after vacations. I have found weighing myself to be so helpful as it is never as bad as I think. When I do not weigh, often I will engage in “failure” eating as I feel I’ve blown it anyway. I have been renewing my mind an extra time after dinner which has been so helpful. I did a review of gluttony last night and found it really convicted me about my nighttime overeating. Thanks for all you do, Barb!! God bless you.
That’s great insight, Virginia, on the failure eating when you don’t weigh. I kind of thing most people would have that same experience where it’s not as bad as they think when they weigh. That’s great that you’ve established an evening renewing session. I think that would be super helpful! God bless you too, Virginia!
I loved the podcast. Although I haven’t just come off of vacation, I have listened to several of your podcast in the past and I am able to incorporate this in to where I am at today. I love how your podcast encourages me to get out of the mindset that I am in and to move into another place. Thanks, I needed this today.
Oh I’m so glad it was helpful, Maria! And I’m glad you were able to incorporate it into your life even though you haven’t just gotten back from vacation!
Great ideas and thoughts, Barb! Really helpful for any time I’ve had a litte more “food fun” than I feel good about afterwards. Thank you! :o)
That’s so funny. I love that description! It’s good to see you here – now if only I were seeing you in my living room instead. :) Hope you’re enjoying yourself over in Washington!
Look for an email. Headed your way soon! ?
That sounds intriguing! I’ll be looking!