Last weekend my friends and I dusted off our tents and sleeping bags to embark on an epic surfing/camping weekend. This wasn’t the kind of roughing it that would bring a happy tear to your grandfather’s eye. There were bathrooms with running water and campfire pits. But for people in our 20s and 30s, we were surprised to find out we wouldn’t have any cell phone service there. The only Angry Birds we would be seeing that weekend were the seagulls we refused to feed. Showers? If you want it warm, you’d have to pay 25 cents per minute. We weren’t wiping our butts with leaves, but it wasn’t a suite at The Hotel, either.
The Cast:
-Jason: The military mastermind behind the trip who had to get out of the house quick for his wife’s girls-only weekend
-Toddski: Our tall and pensive friend that can go with any flow
-Josh (no picture): The other half of the military duo with camping skills
-Jeff: Our friend from Santa Barbara with knowledge of the camping terrain -Zane: Jeff’s 3 year old future bodyboarder who likes Spiderman (the black, not red one)
-And me: Bringing the female vibe and healthy snacks to the table
The Food:
The best way to vacation and still lose weight is to keep it simple. For people who’s hygiene regimen included deodorant and a toothbrush, we didn’t need a hot three course meal each time we ate. We stuck to well-rounded, portable meals and snacks that mostly didn’t require refrigeration. The one cooler that we brought was filled with beer and some meat (priorities) that left room for little else. Here’s what I brought:
-Whole grains: bread and granola bars
-Protein: Almonds, peanuts, individually packed peanut butter, sandwich meat, meat to grill
-Fruits/veggies: Bananas, oranges, carrots and mini sweet peppers
Yes, we had some beers and sausages. It’s ok to live a little a lot on vacation! We did our best to follow the 80/20 rule (80% healthy and 20% other). Balancing food and physical activity was key to weight loss camping survival.
The Activities:
Daily walks along the beach kept us active. But we didn’t stop there. We hiked up a steep hill to uncharted territory, took brisk walks to out of the way surf spots, and the boys bodyboarded. We found activities we enjoy and kept moving. There was still plenty of time left over to veg by the campfire and read on the beach.
The Bottome Line:
You can still focus on your health and enjoy your freakin vacation!
Does the temperature of your drinking water matter to weight loss? Check out my LIVESTRONG article to find out more.
How do you stay healthy while on your freakin vacation?
Like this:
Like Loading...
Love reading your blogs along with healthy tips Steph. Your a great story teller. Am stoked that you and the boys had a great camp this week, yeeeew! Brian
Thanks Brian, it was a blast! Maybe you’ll make it out next time.
Great story and how lucky those guys were to have their own private nutritionist and health counselor planning their meals and activities!! Camping with the luxury running water and hot showers, definately not ‘primative’ but far more comfortable.
They were lucky, weren’t they? I’ll take comfort any day.
You are quite the storyteller. I love having someone so knowledgeable about my nutrition so close to home. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! Dietitians are handy to have around. So are IT guys.
I have to agree. You are pretty awesome you know that.
What’s a “bottome line”? Heh heh, sorry, couldn’t resist. I’m a little jealous, that looks like fun! That’s the kind of camping I like – campfires and beer and fresh air and not having to find a well-hidden tree.
Haha, smarty pants! Miriam Webster online states the bottom line is the, “primary or most important consideration.” It was the kind of long weekend that actually left me feeling refreshed.
I know I’m late to the party here, but I have recently discovered mini sweet peppers, and oh are they delicious!! I like the idea of individually packed peanut butter too; it’s a great idea for packing a lunch anywhere – especially since I’ll be on campus all day, every day next year with class and job!
Wow, you’ll be on campus all day every day? You’ll need an eating on the go plan to survive that!