How to Stay on Track During Spring Break

Spring break:  for teachers, it is a definite benchmark in the school year.  Personally, for me, it feels like the rest of the year is a downhill ride; we save the most enjoyable units for that last stretch. Let's face it; we LOVE our students. They are the absolute best parts of our job. They are the REASON we do the job. I once read a statistic somewhere that said the teachers make over 200 decisions before 8 AM; day after day, that can wear a person out . In a profession that sometimes requires “hanging on” until the next break, spring break is a good place to be because the next break after that is SUMMER!

However, an extended break from work can derail your efforts in weight loss and fitness.  I myself would like nothing more than to sleep, eat, nap, and catch up on the DVR, but I know how difficult it is to get back on track!  Here are my tips for staying on track this year during spring break:

1. Go play outside.  People, IT IS SPRING!  Go out and enjoy the weather.  Take your dog for a hike, go for a run at the park, catch up with some friends for a game of softball.  Get some sunshine, some vitamin D, and some relaxation time all at once!
   
2. Make an interesting meal plan.  With TEN whole days off (counting the weekends), I finally have time to try some new recipes I’ve been wanting to take for a spin, but seem like too big of a commitment to undertake on a weeknight the first time out.  Since I have more time, I am making some really yummy, interesting meals that will make me WANT to eat healthy.
3. Schedule your cheat meal.  Notice the word meal is singular.  Pick that one meal you have really been craving, put it on your meal plan, and use it as your carrot.
4. Don’t use your break as a catch-up.  This is me; I am always tempted to do this.  I even made a spring break to-do list, but once I realized how much I was putting on it and how much time it would all take, I reigned myself in.  Pick two or three things you would like to accomplish over break, and then schedule those things in.  Then, on the other days, strategically schedule such practical items as sleeping in, meeting a friend for lunch, taking a nap with the dog, and taking a walk with your husband.  This break is a time for your to relax and recharge, and you can’t do that if you are running yourself ragged.  You need to be refreshed for the last leg of the school year.  Take care of what is really necessary, and let the rest wait until summer.
   
5. Meal prep like it is a regular week.  Go ahead and prep your snacks at the very least; the last thing you want to have to do is slice strawberries in the middle of your Downton Abbey marathon.  You might be relaxing, but you will still be busy doing it; remember that FAILING to PLAN is PLANNING to FAIL.
6. Find ways other than food to indulge.  Get a message AND/OR a mani-pedi.  Plant some spring flowers.  Splurge on that new salon-quality shampoo that smells AMAZING.  Take a bath, light a candle, and have a glass of wine.  Don’t use your vacation as an excuse to also take a vacation from your diet.
7. Going on vacation?  Make sure you are staying active!  Take your laptop or tablet with you and use Beachbody On Demand to keep up with your workouts.  Get them done in the morning before the fun of the day begins.  Pack snacks that do not need to be refrigerated and your Shakeology to help you stay on track.  Decide in advance what your ONE cheat meal will be, and stay as clean as you can the rest of the time.

Let’s rejoice because SPRING is HERE and WINTER is (nearly) over!  Come out of your shell, shed your old skin, and feel renewed, but don’t have cause to beat yourself up for a backslide.  

What is YOUR spring break plan?

Do you plan to

BE FIERCE?